Do You Rely on Traditional Surveys for Customer Feedback? Here’s Why It’s Time to Evolve
Brought to you by CallMiner
By Brooke Wenrick, Sr. Director of Brand & Communications
For years, customer experience professionals have relied primarily on surveys to understand what their customers think. In fact, according to CallMiner’s 2024 CX Landscape Report, 64% of global organisations still collect most of their feedback through solicited methods. But let’s be honest – response rates are low, the insights often lack depth, and the return on investment isn’t what it used to be.
So why are businesses still so dependent on surveys alone? And what’s stopping them from moving beyond traditional feedback methods?
The Problem with Traditional Feedback Methods
Most organisations use Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) surveys to measure how customers feel, but a score alone doesn’t explain why a customer feels that way. Without context, businesses are left guessing about what’s actually driving customer sentiment.
Timing is another issue. Surveys are typically sent after an interaction—sometimes even days later—missing the opportunity to address concerns in real-time. Then there’s survey fatigue. Customers are bombarded with generic, impersonal requests that fail to acknowledge their specific experience. Questions like “Did you have a good experience?” or “Would you recommend us?” lack the context needed to provide meaningful insights.
Moving Toward Smarter, AI-Driven Feedback
As CX leaders face pressure to cut costs and get more value from their efforts, many are turning to AI-powered solutions that provide richer, real-time insights. Instead of waiting for customers to fill out a form, businesses can tap into unsolicited feedback—conversations happening in contact centres, on social media, and via messaging platforms.
“By analysing real interactions, businesses can uncover trends, proactively address pain points, and make smarter decisions without always having to chase customers for feedback.”
By analysing real interactions, businesses can uncover trends, proactively address pain points, and make smarter decisions without always having to chase customers for feedback. However, when collecting customer feedback is called for, these deep insights can ensure that feedback campaigns are targeted, personalised, contextually aware, and actually happen within an interaction.
Further, these outreach campaigns don’t necessarily have to be surveys at all – they could be a marketing offer for a customer at churn risk, an informational email for a new customer who needs to set up equipment, and more.
A Smarter Way to Understand Customers
Picture this: A customer calls to cancel a subscription but ends up staying after a great interaction with an agent, who was able to offer a particular marketing incentive. Instead of sending a generic survey asking, "How was your experience today?", AI-driven insights can help businesses understand exactly what changed the customer’s mind. For example, “What about your new subscription package made it worth staying?” That’s feedback that actually drives action.
Or consider a service outage. A company assumes an issue has been fixed, but instead of guessing, an AI-powered system reaches out to confirm with a quick yes/no form. If the customer still has a problem, a real-time response – whether automated troubleshooting steps or closed-loop agent support – can immediately resolve the issue, strengthening customer trust.
The Future of Customer Feedback
The days of relying solely on traditional surveys are fading. Businesses that embrace AI and real-time insights will be better equipped to understand their customers, improve experiences, and make data-driven decisions that actually move the needle.
As the industry shifts, companies that evolve with it will be the ones that truly understand their customers and build stronger relationships as a result.
Learn more about the future of CX and how to revolutionise your feedback methods.
