Bain & Company’s Rob Markey says “no” to customer anonymity. But it’s not so clear. Clients often ask: do we need to allow for customer anonymity in our surveys? Market researchers generally provide the option for customer anonymity so that respondents who might otherwise feel embarrassed or fear reprisal can answer honestly. In the context […]
CX vs. UX: I’m often asked what’s the difference. CX (short for customer experience) and UX (short for user experience) are sometimes used interchangeably. But they have different agendas and focal areas. The best way to think about CX vs. UX is that customer experience spans the ENTIRE customer journey. UX is a piece of […]
Empathy is trendy. Qualtrics XM Institute[i] has declared 2023 the Year of Empathy, and Forbes Magazine calls empathy the “most important leadership skill”.[ii] Because of this, customer service staff are receiving customer empathy training in droves. But research shows a dark side to customer empathy that can quickly undermine the interactions we’d like to create. […]
How happy were your B2B customers this year? In 2023, what will you do differently? The reason I ask is that most B2B customers are having mediocre experiences: In other words, B2B customer experiences are two tiers away from what Bain and Co. considers ‘world class performance.’ Here’s why B2B experiences are often lacking: Companies […]
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Last Updated: May 9, 2025 Getting customers to respond to your survey is harder than ever. You probably skip most of the surveys you’re sent—I know I do. After a trip, I’m flooded with requests from the airline, hotel, and rental car company. I rarely fill them out. If your customers are doing the […]
Last updated: October 21, 2025 Companies depend on enthusiastic customers to grow and thrive. And yet, customer satisfaction remains elusive. As of Q2 2025, the American Customer Satisfaction Index average is 76.9; while typically, the XM Institute reports an average Net Promoter Score of 15. Why are so many companies still earning a C grade […]
Last Updated: February 10, 2026 Effective B2B customer satisfaction surveys are designed to produce decisions, not just data. To move beyond generic ratings, B2B firms must use role-based routing, suppression strategies, and expectation-gap mapping. This guide outlines the essential rules for transforming B2B surveys into strategic assets that protect revenue and improve customer retention. The […]
Companies everywhere use surveys to measure customer satisfaction. But are their surveys good? When thinking about how to improve survey results, the usual path a company goes down is this. First, a company buys a license to a platform like Qualtrics, Medallia, or SurveyMonkey. They Google to find examples of survey questions. And they brainstorm […]
When done correctly, customer satisfaction surveys uncover your wins, gaps, and missed opportunities. That’s why customer survey companies abound. But first things first, do you need a customer survey company? Or, with the various software platforms like SurveyMonkey, should you just pay for the software license and do it yourself? Survey Software or Customer Survey […]
Is human connection a pillar of your brand? Are your people central to your company’s core values? If so, your customer service should be staffed by employees who know how to add a human touch. Otherwise, your customer service will undermine your message and leave customers feeling you’re conflicted and out of sync. What it […]
From misrepresentative samples to insufficient use of logic gating, there are myriad mistakes companies make with their surveys—mistakes that lead to inaccurate, unscientific data. But the single worst customer survey mistake is having the wrong mindset. This happens when a company treats its customer survey like a task to be completed rather than a growth […]
While customer surveys may seem simple, there’s a lot behind them and a lot that can go wrong. Customer Success Directors know that surveys are complex. At the same time, they are charged with getting the survey done! That’s probably why one of the top questions I get is, “what are the hacks?” “What are […]