Customer Surveys? Still (Very Much) a Thing
by Clinton Cohen, CEO, iContact BPO -
February 1, 2025
Customer Surveys? Still (Very Much) a Thing
Opinion by Clinton Cohen, CEO of iContactBPO

In a fast-moving world, a well-crafted customer survey is a game-changer. Here’s why:
- They force clarity: With fewer, focused questions, respondents concentrate on what really matters, often sharing unexpected perspectives. This is exactly what happened in iContact BPO’s recent Customer & Broker Preferences surveys. These insights help refine offerings in ways we hadn't anticipated.
- They show patterns: Quick, targeted questions reveal trends in real time without getting lost in over-analysis. For example, one of our recent surveys yielded a nugget that, while not statistically significant, provided valuable food for thought. We’re already using it to tailor better resources.
- They invite collaboration: A short survey says, "Your opinion matters," positioning your business as a listener, not just a talker.
The survey feedback we receive from our clients and brokers inspires how we communicate, serve, and plan for the future. That’s why, in 2025, we encourage you to use short surveys in your work to drive engagement, reveal fresh opportunities, and create a collaborative edge.
Designing Effective Surveys
There is a caveat, though – your survey should be well-designed to get authentic feedback, and then you need to act on it. Consider the following in your survey design:
- Understand the purpose of the survey: Many organizations send out simplistic survey emails without considering what they aim to understand or resolve.
- Act on feedback: If you’re going to ask customers or suppliers for their feedback, act on it. Demonstrating that their feedback is valued shows respect for their time and contribution. Use this feedback strategically to refine customer journeys, enhance customer experience, and identify training gaps.
- Provide open-ended questions: Don’t limit surveys to yes/no questions. Open-ended questions, while more challenging to analyze, allow respondents to express their thoughts in their own words, offering qualitative insights.
- Resolve challenges and replicate successes: Act on feedback about both challenges and successes. Replicate successful strategies across other business areas, and use criticisms to inspire problem-solving and innovation.
- Instil a learning culture: Customer and partner feedback should be part of your organization’s learning culture. Use compliments to encourage best practices, learn from the negatives, and build on the positives.
- Find the gold: Look for unexpected ideas in the feedback that can differentiate your value and service offerings from competitors.
Give careful and strategic consideration to your survey's purpose, audience, and data collection methods to obtain reliable, relevant, and actionable feedback. This feedback is essential for defining and entrenching your organization’s competitive advantage.
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