Like many customer experience (CX) teams, we’re constantly working to better understand our customers and improve their experience. During a recent webinar, our customer success team shared how we use our own survey tools to gather insights, identify opportunities, and drive improvements.
Let’s walk through our approach to customer feedback—from how we structure our collection system to our specific methods for measuring customer loyalty through relational Net Promoter Score® (rNPS).
Related: Transactional vs. relational NPS
Here's a practical look at our process, what we've learned, and how you can apply these insights to your own CX program.
How we build better customer experiences
Our feedback gathering process is built around a simple principle: collect insights systematically and make them accessible to everyone who can use them to improve experiences. Here's how our data flow works from initial collection to actionable insights:
- Survey collection: We send surveys at critical customer engagement touchpoints to ensure we’re reaching out when feedback will be most meaningful and actionable.
- Internal dashboard distribution: Every response automatically populates real-time dashboards that are accessible to all employees. This transparency ensures everyone—from product teams to customer success managers—can track customer sentiment and spot emerging trends or issues that need attention.
- Salesforce integration: Survey responses flow directly into Salesforce, where they're connected with crucial customer data like subscription history, usage patterns, and support interactions. This context helps us understand feedback in relation to each customer's unique journey with our products. (Learn more about our integration with Salesforce here).
- Snowflake data warehouse: In Snowflake, survey responses merge with our broader customer dataset. This includes detailed information about product usage, feature adoption, and customer behavior patterns. This comprehensive view helps us identify correlations between customer experience and various business metrics.
- Tableau visualization and analysis: Finally, all this data transforms into clear, actionable visualizations in Tableau. These reports help teams across the organization understand:
- Trending satisfaction scores across different customer segments
- Key drivers of customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction
- Impact of recent product changes or initiatives
- Areas requiring immediate attention or improvement
Related: Integrate survey data into your favorite apps
This system helps us spot trends, identify pain points, and track improvements over time. But the real value comes from how teams across the organization use these insights to make customer-focused decisions.
Our approach to relational NPS
We use relational Net Promoter Score (rNPS) surveys to understand the overall health of our customer relationships. Here's what we've learned works best:
Timing and audience
- We survey customers twice yearly in partnership with our marketing team
- We then wait until accounts are at least 30 days old (12 days for monthly subscriptions)
- Next, we focus on active users who have logged in within 90 days (28 days for monthly customers)
Survey structure
- We run three primary rNPS surveys tailored to different products and segments
- We always keep surveys focused, with 6-10 questions depending on product and segment
- We be sure to include satisfaction ratings for key experience drivers
Following up
We've found that meaningful follow-up matters more than incentives. When customers see their feedback leading to real changes, they're more likely to participate in future surveys. Our follow-up process includes:
- Personal responses that reference specific feedback: Instead of generic thank-you messages, we acknowledge specific points they raised.
- Clear communication about how we'll use their input: We share concrete plans for implementing suggestions or addressing concerns.
- Structured processes for different customer segments: SurveyMonkey Enterprise accounts get direct outreach from success teams, while self-serve customers receive targeted automated communications.
- Permission-based ongoing dialogue: We ask customers if they'd like to stay involved in future discussions about their feedback topics.
Starting your own survey program
Based on our experience, here are the key steps to launch an effective customer feedback program:
1. Plan your research
Begin by mapping the key moments in your customer journey where feedback would be most valuable. This might include post-onboarding experiences, product usage milestones, or support interactions. With these touchpoints identified, you can select the most appropriate survey methodology for each moment. Remember to establish clear ownership from the start—determine who will analyze the responses and who will be accountable for acting on the insights you gather.
2. Define your approach
Take time to clarify exactly what you want to learn from your customers. Whether you're aiming to improve specific product features, reduce churn, or identify upsell opportunities, your goals will shape who you survey and how you reach them. Consider your audience carefully—which customer segments will provide the most relevant insights for your current objectives? Then determine your delivery method, whether that's email, in-product surveys, or post-interaction feedback. Starting with expert templates can help you ask the right questions in the right way.
3. Create action plans
Develop a clear system for sharing insights across your organization. Customer feedback shouldn't exist in a vacuum—it should inform decisions across teams. Identify specific individuals or teams responsible for implementing changes based on feedback, and establish concrete metrics to track the impact of these improvements. This creates accountability and ensures your feedback program drives real change. Your metrics might include customer satisfaction scores, retention rates, or specific product usage statistics.
4. Tools to help you succeed
Take advantage of the resources available to streamline your feedback program. Expert-created survey templates offer pre-built question sets that have proven effective for similar organizations. AI-powered survey tools can help you craft questions that get to the heart of what you're trying to learn, while built-in analysis features help you make sense of the responses you receive. Use benchmarking capabilities to understand how your performance compares to industry standards, so you can set realistic goals and identify areas for improvement.
Remember, starting a feedback program doesn't mean you need to do everything at once. Begin with one or two survey touchpoints, learn from the process, and expand from there. The goal is to create a sustainable system that grows with your needs and consistently delivers actionable insights.
Making feedback count
The key to a successful feedback program isn't just collecting data—it's creating a system that turns customer insights into meaningful improvements. Start small, focus on actionable feedback, and build from there.
Ready to start gathering customer insights that drive real change? Explore our CX solutions to learn how we can help strengthen your customer experience program.
