Expert Panel Recap: The Client Journey – Where CX, UX and EX Intersect

Are your customers truly content with the service they’re receiving? When was the last time you asked them for feedback?

Join Cris Schulz, Director of Business Development at ClearlyRated, and delve into CX best practices and insights to elevate your customer experience game.

Drawing from proprietary data into satisfaction drivers for insurance firms and Net Promoter® Score (NPS) benchmarks, this session is a must-attend for insurance providers looking to unlock the full potential of their client relationships. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn CX best practices to drive exceptional customer experiences and business growth.

What you’ll learn:

• The latest insurance industry NPS® benchmarks
• Highlights from ClearlyRated’s proprietary research into what drives satisfaction for insurance buyers
• The connection between client and internal employee experience and business growth for insurance firms

Presenter

Cris Schulz, Director of Business Development

With 25 years’ experience in sales and marketing for B2B companies, Cris brings a pragmatic approach to ClearlyRated’s industry-leading research for insurance companies. As a former President of the American Marketing Association’s Oregon chapter, Cris is adept at translating research trends into sales and marketing techniques that help insurance companies outgrow their competitors. Backed by data from more than 7 million verified ratings and two decades of B2B industry research into what drives client satisfaction, Cris’ sessions are fact-based and high energy, with tangible steps to immediately impact the firms she works with.

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This year, ClearlyRated has the honor of recognizing our first ever cohort of 10 Year Diamond Award winning firms! This award is the crowning achievement for Best of Staffing firms, earned only by a handful of elite organizations that have won the Best of Staffing designation for 10 consecutive years. Among them is Carlton Staffing, a staffing agency headquartered in Houston, TX, serving clients across the Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth area since 1980.

Carlton Staffing has earned the Best of Staffing designation for Client Satisfaction 10 years in a row. We had the opportunity to sit down with Annette Monks, President of Carlton Staffing, to hear her thoughts on the Best of Staffing program and what the 10 Year Diamond Award means to the Carlton Staffing team.

Annette Monks, President, Carlton Staffing

What does winning the Best of Staffing 10 Year Diamond Award for Client Satisfaction meant to you and the Carlton Staffing team?

Annette: Well, to win it one time, the ClearlyRated Best the Staffing, is a big deal. However, if you win it 10 times I think it means that we’re not a one hit wonder. I think for us it’s just such an affirmation that we’re doing things right.

What does it take to maintain such a high level of excellence for such a long time?

Annette: I think it takes four things. The first thing is obviously the right people internally. They have to be hard working, have personal drive and passion for what they do, love our company, and hold themselves accountable – that’s for sure. The second thing is you got to have great systems in place: a great sales system and a great recruitment operations system, which we have. Then we have a disciplined execution. We track metrics and results, and we make changes where needed, so that’s critical. Number three: we listen – a lot – for opportunities for improvement, whether it’s this survey, internal surveys for our staff, for temporary employees, even our vendors. We listen and we try to improve on the feedback that we get. And then the last thing is, and I think the most important, is we just keep it fun. We celebrate all the victories, and we try to make it fun so people want to stay and work for us.

What’s an important lesson that you’ve learned from participating in Best of Staffing for so many years?

Annette: So this is very simple, but I think it’s important to keep your information about all your clients up-to-date. I mean honestly, even for back office-personnel, because people move a lot, and it makes it very difficult to reach the response rate. If you’re sending out surveys to people who don’t exist, or are not in that company anymore, it’s not helpful. That’s a big lesson we learned.

Were there any surprises along the way?

Annette: Yeah, there were good surprises and there were… opportunities, I would say. The good surprises were that the recruiters were surprised about all the Shout Outs that they got from their clients. They didn’t think that they made that kind of difference. I was not surprised at all, but they were surprised and that’s cool. One thing that surprised us, which I kind of mentioned earlier, was that it’s very hard to get the response rate, it really is. You think your clients are going to respond, but they’re busy. And they don’t find it as important as you do, and I think that was a big surprise to us.

What advice would you give to someone about to participate in Best of Staffing for the first time?

Annette: Ok, a few things. First, I would definitely use the material that you’re given from ClearlyRated regarding communication ahead of time with your clients. If they don’t know what’s coming, and they don’t understand the importance, they probably will not respond. And make sure your contacts that are no longer there are out of the system, so basically: clean database. Then the last one is, I would assign one person should own it from start to finish – on all the aspects – so that everything is properly executed. Otherwise things will go undone.

Do you have any exciting plans for showing off your 10 Year Diamond Award?

Annette: Well, the good new is that ClearlyRated gives us lots of ideas, and we’re using them all. We do have it on our [email] signature as well, which is really helpful because people ask about it, so that’s pretty cool. We’re going to use everything that you guys have given us and that’s awesome.

Is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to share?

Annette: The Best of Staffing designation is no joke – it’s an investment in time and money and it’s hard to achieve. The fact is, though, we’ve attracted clients and internal staff as a result of having this, so it really does pay for itself and it’s worth the effort.

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Disengaged employees result in a 32% decrease in operating income.

Here’s another shocker. According to Gallup, 85% of employees worldwide are either disengaged or actively disengaged in their jobs. That means a large portion of businesses are likely incurring, or about to incur losses.

Now, this isn’t just another problem for you; it directly impacts your revenue, growth, and overall success. Your employees are your most valuable asset, and if they aren’t engaged, your company’s future could be at risk. One way to understand employee needs, concerns, and aspirations is through employee engagement surveys. But what questions should you ask to truly understand them?

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about employee engagement surveys – the most important questions to ask, the benefits of conducting them, a step-by-step approach, and how a tool like ClearlyRated can help.

What is Employee Engagement? 

Employee engagement is an indicator of how invested employees are in their jobs. Engaged employees are typically more productive, motivated, and less likely to leave their jobs. They actively participate in company initiatives, share innovative ideas, and create a positive work culture. 

It’s important to note that employee engagement is not the same as employee satisfaction.

Satisfaction is a narrower concept that focuses on how content and happy employees are with their immediate working conditions, such as compensation, benefits, work-life balance, and relationships with managers and co-workers. They may not be necessarily aligned with the company’s vision or motivated to go above and beyond.

The impact of employee engagement in numbers

Here are a few stats that quantify the importance of engaged employees. 

• Disengaged employees contribute to $7.8 trillion in lost productivity globally each year
• Companies with high rates of employee engagement are 22% more profitable
• Employee turnover dropped by 31% in organizations with high employee engagement
• 92% of the leadership agree that high engagement leads to happier customers
• Despite the benefits, only 31% of employees report they are engaged

Levels of employee engagement 

Employee engagement can be categorized into four levels. We will further explore four key aspects for each level –emotional commitment, behavioral indicators, organizational impact, and measurable outcomes. Use these four categories to classify your survey respondents.

1. Highly engaged

• Emotional commitment: Only 31% of employees are engaged in a workplace. Such employees are deeply invested in their work and the company’s success. They view the organization's goals as aligned with their own purpose and career growth. 

• Behavioral indicators: Demonstrate discretionary effort and are 2.5 times more likely to exceed expectations. They proactively support colleagues and drive team initiatives.

• Organizational impact: Contribute to higher productivity, improved innovation, and reduced turnover. 22% more likely to say that they will not job hunt.

• Measurable outcomes: These employees will have high scores on engagement surveys (8-10/10), consistent participation in company activities, and a role in shaping a positive work culture.

2. Moderately engaged

• Emotional commitment: These employees meet expectations and deliver quality work but lack full emotional investment in organizational goals.

• Behavioral indicators: Fulfill responsibilities but don’t usually take the lead or initiate change. Participation in company events is moderate, and they show limited enthusiasm for new opportunities. Their lack of engagement can sometimes stem from poor team collaboration, especially in remote roles. Increased in-office collaboration may help move them into the engaged category.

• Organizational impact: Generally steady in performance but at risk of disengagement if not supported or recognized. They might leave if offered a better opportunity elsewhere. Creating a recognition-rich working environment can transition them to engaged employees in no time. 

• Measurable outcomes: Average scores (7-8) in engagement surveys, meeting but not exceeding key performance indicators (KPIs), and fluctuating participation rates in new initiatives.

3. Barely engaged

• Engagement level: Exhibit minimal enthusiasm or interest. These employees do the bare minimum and avoid additional responsibilities. 

• Behavioral indicators: Passive during meetings, rarely contribute new ideas, and often show signs of burnout or job dissatisfaction.

• Organizational impact: Their lack of engagement can spread to others, affecting team morale and productivity. Absenteeism and task errors may also increase. 

• Measurable outcomes: Low scores on engagement surveys, high rates of task incompletion, and frequent absences. These employees are more likely to job hunt or disengage further.

4. Disengaged

• Emotional commitment: These employees feel detached from the company, their roles, and colleagues. They may actively express dissatisfaction.

• Behavioral indicators: Frequently underperform, are resistant to change, and can influence others negatively through criticism or gossip. Absenteeism and turnover are high in this group. Nearly 69% of disengaged employees would leave for as little as a 5% increase in pay.  

• Organizational impact: Directly contributes to lost productivity and higher operational costs. Just one disengaged employee costs an organization $2,246 per year

• Measurable outcomes: A drop in engagement survey participation, high absenteeism rates, and increased turnover risk. Targeted interventions are necessary to address their concerns. 

It’s important to note that employees are not permanently assigned to these categories. Engagement levels can fluctuate over time based on various factors such as changes in leadership, team dynamics, or workplace initiatives. 

By actively addressing their concerns, you can move employees from one category to a higher level, improving overall engagement across your organization.

Why Measure Employee Engagement? 

Employee engagement directly impacts business performance, with highly engaged organizations reporting 23% higher profitability (Gallup, 2023). Here are five evidence-based reasons to measure engagement

1.Identify areas for improvement 

Measuring employee engagement reveals insights into key areas, like team collaboration, leadership performance, and workplace flexibility. 

Let’s say your employee engagement survey reveals that many employees feel they don’t have enough vacation leaves to recharge. If you respond by increasing vacation days and then observe a noticeable drop in absenteeism, it’s concrete evidence that your efforts are making a measurable difference.

Similarly, if low eNPS scores point to a lack of growth opportunities, introducing professional development programs can help address this issue. 

2.Predicting and reducing turnover 

High employee turnover is costly and disruptive. A Gallup article shows replacing an employee can cost 1.5 to 2 times their salary.

If your teams show declining engagement scores, these are early warning signs of potential turnover within the next few months. With this advance notice, companies have the chance to implement retention strategies, like offering targeted training, addressing compensation issues, or improving work conditions, to keep valuable employees from leaving.

3.Align company goals with employee goals 

Employees and the company often have different motivations and goals. Engagement metrics help bridge these gaps. When employees see their personal goals aligned with company initiatives, they’re more motivated to contribute.

For example, if an employee wants to improve customer relationship management but is repeatedly assigned backend tasks with no client interaction, it creates a misalignment that can leave them feeling disconnected from their career goals.

4.Evaluate company culture 

While many companies claim to have a great culture, the true picture often comes from the employees' perspective. Engagement metrics provide objective data about the employee experience. 

If surveys show low scores in team strength, leadership can take steps to implement team recognition programs or promote collaboration through team-building activities.

5.Tracking the ROI of any new HR changes or initiatives

Introducing a new HR policy, like a hybrid work model or wellness program? Engagement metrics help quantify the impact of these investments. They let you see whether changes are moving the needle in the right direction or if further tweaks are needed. 

This data also helps HR teams justify resources for successful programs and quickly adjust or discontinue ineffective ones, ensuring efficient resource utilization. 

Pro-tip: Use a platform like ClearlyRated to automate both employee and customer experience management, all from a single, easy-to-use dashboard.

What is an Employee Engagement Survey?

Employee engagement survey is a method to measure how emotionally committed and invested employees are in their work and the organization. 

Unlike other employee surveys, the engagement survey evaluates factors such as job satisfaction, motivation, sense of purpose, and alignment with company values. These directly impact engagement and productivity.

Questions of these surveys typically assess various aspects of the employee experience, from job satisfaction to career growth opportunities. 

Employee engagement survey questions are usually answered on a scale (1 to 5 or 1 to 10) making it easy to track changes over time. You must have a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions for detailed feedback. 

These surveys can be conducted anonymously or non-anonymously, depending on the goal. Anonymous surveys are those where respondents’ identities are not linked to their answers, ensuring privacy and encouraging honest feedback. Non-anonymous surveys link responses to individual employees, allowing for personalized follow-ups and targeted actions.

Benefits of Employee Engagement Surveys 

Employee engagement surveys can be of different types, such as culture pulse surveys, employee benefits surveys, and eNPS surveys, each focusing on different aspects of the employee experience. Regardless of the type, these surveys can help your company with.

1.Early detection of issues and improvement areas

Employee surveys can give you early warnings about potential workplace problems. For example, if multiple employees in a department report feeling overwhelmed with their workload, it could signal understaffing issues that may in the future lead to burnout or resignations. 

Similarly, if surveys show low scores in career development opportunities, HR must establish training programs before talented employees start looking elsewhere. Circulating surveys is a proactive approach and much more effective than dealing with problems after they've escalated.

Use ClearlyRated's real-time detractor alerts to spot dissatisfied employees early and resolve their concerns before they escalate. 

2.Higher employee retention 

When employees feel heard and valued, they're more likely to stay with the company. Taking action on their feedback, whether by adjusting work-from-home policies, creating more recognition programs, or offering better benefits, improves their morale. This is because they see their input leading to tangible changes in their work environment. 

ClearlyRated makes it easy to recognize your employees. When a client rates your company a 9 or 10 on the NPS scale, the tool auto-generates a shout-out to appreciate the involved employees, motivating and engaging them.

With higher morale, employees invest more effort into their work, leading to improved outcomes. Most importantly, consistent surveying and taking action build trust in leadership, showing that they genuinely care about their employees.

3.Opens up a two-way communication channel 

Engagement surveys aren’t just about collecting feedback. They create a continuous loop of communication between employees and leadership. 

Let’s say, a survey reveals that 65% of employees feel disconnected from senior leadership decisions. You may deploy solutions like holding monthly "Strategy Spotlights" or “Townhalls” where executives share project updates and major decisions. 

Create department-specific action committees based on the feedback. For instance, an IT team that reported communication barriers with other departments now holds bi-weekly cross-functional standups to improve communication. 

Now the same team must build feedback verification loops. Send out follow-up pulse surveys to measure the effectiveness of changes. Document success stories, such as, after engineering teams reported feeling siloed, implementing cross-team workshops/sessions led to three new product features and reduced project delays by 30%. 

4.Helps track progress over time 

Consistent surveying creates measurable data points that allow companies to track their journey. Surveys conducted at regular intervals help track improvements (or setbacks) in specific areas. 

Implement tracking methods to turn employee feedback into quantifiable business insights. 

You can do cohort analysis (grouping similar characteristic surveyors) to track how engagement patterns evolve among different employee segments (new hires, tenured employees, or across departments)

Similarly, if a leadership development program costs $50,000 and correlates with a 15% increase in team productivity metrics and a 20% reduction in turnover costs, you can calculate precise ROI.

Benchmark your metrics against both internal and external standards. For instance, an eNPS of +20 based on your past scores might seem positive. But, if your industry's top quartile averages +35, it indicates room for improvement. 

Track correlations between engagement metrics and business KPIs to identify where your efforts will have the greatest impact.

Step-By-Step Guide to Conducting Employee Engagement Surveys 

Now comes the execution part. The following process will help you in successfully conducting a survey on employee engagement at your company. Every step matters, so be sure to follow each one closely.

Step 1: Design your survey 

This step involves planning the structure, length, and format of your survey while keeping the end user (your employees) in mind. 

The design phase is also where you'll make important decisions about anonymity, language options, and accessibility. Consider the survey's length and follow the KISS (keep it short and simple) framework to avoid survey fatigue. Your survey should also be visually appealing and easy to navigate.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind 

• A good rule of thumb is to stick to 10-15 questions that can be completed in under 10 minutes
• Use a mix of question types, such as Likert scales (ratings) for quantitative data and open-ended questions for qualitative data
• Include clear survey instructions like the deadline, POC, and a progress bar to show the completion status 

• Ensure the survey is mobile-responsive, as many employees may complete it on their phones
• Share the number of questions included in the survey to set clear expectations for the employee
• Add a "save and continue" option for longer surveys
• Test with a pilot group before the full launch to identify confusing questions, technical issues, or problems with the survey flow. 

ClearlyRated lets you create short and sweet surveys that precisely capture employee sentiment, collect the most valuable insights, and customize them for your industry.

Step 2: Prepare questions to ask your employees

The questions you choose will directly impact the quality of insights you collect. First, jot down all the questions you find relevant.  

Now, validate the questions to check if each question actually measures what it intends to. For example, rather than directly asking "Are you satisfied with your job?" (which often leads to faking good responses), measure different aspects of job satisfaction through multiple items. 

Implement response bias prevention techniques such as rotating question order, mixing positive and negative statements, and including attention check questions

(example below).

When crafting questions, consider both response consistency and test-retest reliability. 

For example, instead of a single question about workload, include multiple related items that can be cross-validated: "I have enough time to complete my daily tasks" (direct), "I frequently work beyond normal hours to meet deadlines" (inverse), and "My workload is comparable to others in similar roles" (relative). 

Phrase your questions carefully. For example, “How often do you feel your efforts are recognized by the organization?” is better than “Do you feel appreciated at work?”. Similarly, ask “How inclusive do you feel the company culture is?” instead of “Do you think the company treats everyone fairly?”

Use established psychometric scales where possible – the Maslach Burnout Inventory or Utrecht Work Engagement Scale provide scientifically validated question sets. For qualitative responses, employ cognitive interviewing techniques to validate question interpretation.

Finally, test question sets with a small pilot group first, analyzing response patterns and internal consistency before full deployment. 

Step 3: Identify the themes for your survey

This step involves mapping out the key areas your survey will focus on. It’s important to choose themes that align with your company’s objectives, challenges, and common engagement drivers. Be sure to balance the number of questions across each theme. 

Here’s a list of common themes and related questions for your survey. We selected these based on patterns found in successful engagement surveys, addressing common disengagement areas like job satisfaction, team dynamics, and manager relationships.

ThemeQuestionsJob satisfactionHow satisfied are you with your current role and responsibilities?Career growthDo you feel supported in pursuing your career goals within the company?Recognition and rewardsDo you feel recognized and appreciated for the work you do?CommunicationIs it easy for you to communicate your ideas and concerns to your manager or leadership? Do you feel informed about company goals, updates, and changes?Leadership and managementDoes your manager provide the support and guidance you need to perform well?Work-life balanceDoes the company support a healthy balance between your work and personal life?CollaborationCan you easily work with other teams or colleagues without barriers or conflict?Workplace cultureDo you feel company is inclusive and fair to all employees?

Step 4: Launch your survey

Timing and communication are everything when launching your survey. Aim to send out surveys during less busy periods, such as mid-week and outside of major deadlines or project crunch times. 

For example, avoid end-of-quarter dates when teams are under pressure. Set a participation rate target, such as 60-70%, to measure engagement success. Offer the option to answer anonymously to encourage more responses.  Be prepared for unexpected events, like clashes with urgent projects, and have a contingency plan to delay or relaunch the survey based on the situation, so you’re not scrambling to make decisions on the fly.

Coordinate with other departments for a smooth rollout and send friendly reminders to respondents to complete the survey. Don’t forget to offer assistance to employees if needed. 

ClearlyRated assists you through every stage of sending the survey, from organizing contact lists to sending pre-survey announcements that explain why employee input matters and how the feedback will drive meaningful change.

Step 5: Analyze survey responses

Once your survey closes, it’s time to draw conclusions from the raw data. Identify trends and patterns rather than focusing on individual responses. Pay close attention to both high and low scores, correlations between different themes, and areas where employees left detailed feedback. 

If responses are not anonymous, break down your data by department or team to pinpoint where issues are most prevalent. For example, if a particular department scores low on leadership support, you know where to direct your attention first. Consider looking at past engagement scores to track improvements.

Using ClearlyRated, generate an in-depth analysis of your survey results, including industry benchmarks, NPS scores, and detailed feedback.

Step 6: Document and share your findings 

The final step is translating your findings into clear reports that highlight key takeaways, action recommendations, next steps, and timelines. Use visuals like graphs and charts to make the data easy to digest. Then, share these reports with your leadership team and employees, outlining how you plan to act on the feedback.

For instance, if employees expressed a need for more flexible work hours, outline the next steps, like piloting a flex-time program. This step bridges the gap between data collection and actual organizational change.

Remember, the real benefit of engagement surveys comes not from conducting them, but from creating actionable plans based on the responses and following through with changes. Regular surveys without visible action can actually decrease engagement by making employees feel their feedback is ignored.

Why Use ClearlyRated for Your Employee Engagement Surveys? 

Executing the six-step process for every survey can take up a lot of your time and divert you from high-impact tasks.

ClearlyRated is a complete survey platform that does all the heavy lifting of conducting surveys for you, automating both customer and employee experience management. It’s suitable for companies of all sizes and offers a wide range of features, including customizable survey designs, advanced logic, and SMS survey invitations to maximize participation.

The real strength of the tool lies in its analytics and integration capabilities. With real-time detractor alerts, unlimited dashboard logins, and deep CRM integration with platforms like Salesforce and Dynamics, you can quickly act on any feedback. The platform also offers NPS segmentation and tracking features for accountability across locations and departments.

ClearlyRated also supports marketing the outcomes, allowing you to share survey results on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, display star ratings on your website and email signature, and download them for future use.

Explore the full range of features that ClearlyRated offers. Book a demo and learn how we can help you build a loyal and engaged team.

Did you know that customers who experience a service failure and receive a fast, effective solution are often more loyal than those who never faced an issue? Research shows that up to 70% of customers are willing to buy again if their complaints are resolved, and that number jumps to 95% if the issue is fixed quickly and in their favor. 

Building trust is necessary in a marketplace full of new brands struggling to gain a competitive edge. With so many choices, consumers prefer brands that prioritize transparency, quality, and clear communication. If you want this trust to be more meaningful, you must create a high-quality company culture. Trust among employees and leadership makes this culture genuine.

In this article, we’ll dive into service recovery strategies that help repair customer relationships, increase brand loyalty, and show how to empower your team for successful service recovery. 

What is Service Recovery?

Service recovery is the process of reaching out to customers to address any negative experience they’ve had with your business. The goal of service recovery is to identify and understand customer issues, work to resolve them, and ultimately regain their trust. 

These strategies resolve the problem and leave customers with a positive experience, even though they experienced dissatisfaction in the beginning. As a result, it encourages them to stay loyal.

What is the Service Recovery Paradox?

The Service Recovery Paradox (SRP) is an interesting concept in customer service. It says that a company can actually build more loyalty from a customer after a service failure, if they handle the recovery well.

It might sound like nonsense at first, right? How could a bad experience actually improve customer loyalty? 

The key here is that it’s not about the failure itself – it’s about how your business responds when things go wrong. If a customer’s issue is resolved quickly, with care, and maybe even a bit of extra effort, they can end up feeling even more loyal than before the problem occurred.

Take a hotel, for example. If a guest arrives and finds their room isn’t ready, the initial disappointment is understandable. But if the hotel staff quickly apologizes, offers a free drink, and upgrades the room, that guest might leave feeling more valued than they would have if everything had gone smoothly from the start.

Companies that effectively recover from failures show customers they are committed to fixing problems. When a company goes above and beyond to make things right, customers notice. It sends a message that their experience matters, even when things don’t go perfectly. 

For businesses, it’s an opportunity to turn a negative situation into a chance for deeper customer loyalty. 

In the end, how you handle mistakes can be more important than the mistakes themselves.

When Do You Need to Implement Service Recovery Strategies?

A company should implement service recovery strategies to turn a customer’s negative experience into a positive outcome. 

Here are some common situations where service recovery strategies make a big difference:

1. Direct customer communications

In direct interactions, customers may voice complaints or concerns directly to the company. These situations need immediate and empathetic responses to show customers they’re heard:

• Verbal complaints: When customers call or speak to a representative about an issue, the rep should respond quickly and offer solutions on the spot
• Written complaints: Emails or contact forms with complaints require prompt replies that acknowledge the issue and outline a resolution
• Support ticket escalations: Escalated tickets often represent more complex issues. Prioritizing these can help prevent further customer dissatisfaction

2. Public feedback channels

Public platforms amplify customer voices, so a quick response here is crucial for protecting the brand’s image:

• Social media mentions: Addressing complaints on social media promptly shows transparency and commitment to resolving issues.
• Review platforms: Following up on negative reviews demonstrates care and a willingness to improve.
• Online forums and community discussions: Engaging in online communities helps keep your brand’s reputation positive and shows you value feedback.

3. Performance metrics

Tracking customer satisfaction and other performance indicators helps identify service recovery needs before they escalate:

• Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT): Low CSAT scores signal dissatisfaction, prompting a need for immediate action to understand and address the root causes.
• Net promoter score (NPS) trends: Falling NPS scores can reveal declining loyalty, so it’s essential to identify problem areas and work on improvements.
• Service level agreement (SLA) breaches: Not meeting SLAs impacts trust. Service recovery can help repair relationships with affected customers.
• Customer effort scores (CES): High CES often indicates frustration with the service. Reducing this effort can improve the customer experience.

4. Observable service failures

Sometimes, service failures are evident without direct customer feedback. Addressing these quickly shows a proactive commitment to quality:

• Product defects: Fixing defects and compensating affected customers can help restore trust.
• Service delays: Communicating delays and offering remedies demonstrates accountability.
• System outages: Providing clear updates and compensating affected users can ease frustration during outages.
• Billing errors: Correcting billing issues and communicating transparently helps maintain trust.

In these moments, each response is responsible for the company’s image. A customer experience platform like ClearlyRated can quickly address these issues and deliver insights to turn such feedback into actionable steps. This ensures every interaction results in a positive experience in the end.

What are the Best Service Recovery Strategies?

Below are the 7 best service recovery strategies businesses must implement during a customer service crisis.

1. Make the service fail-safe

The first step in effective service recovery is to prevent problems before they happen by making your service as reliable as possible. This requires a commitment from leadership and should be a core part of your company’s culture.

To make your service fail-safe:

• Quality control processes: Regularly test products or services to catch issues early. This reduces the chance of customer-impacting errors
• Staff training: Equip employees with the skills and knowledge to deliver consistent quality. Well-trained teams can prevent common mistakes and handle issues before they escalate
• Service standards: Set clear guidelines for service performance and response times. This ensures that everyone on your team understands the level of quality customers expect

By focusing on these preventive measures, you build a strong foundation for service reliability and reduce the likelihood of service failures.

2. Track complaints

Research suggests that 91% of customers prefer switching to a competitor than making a complaint.

To retain customers, you must make it easy for them to voice their concerns. Use feedback tools like QR codes, helplines, or social media. A ticketing system can track these complaints and ensure they are handled swiftly.

3.Take immediate action

Customers expect fast responses when they reach out with complaints, and long wait times can drive them away. Studies show that up to 75% of customers are likely to abandon a brand due to slow response times. Respond quickly to reassure them that their issue is a priority. Aim to acknowledge their complaint within 15 minutes to 1 hour and, if possible, resolve the issue within 24 hours.

To further improve response speed:

• Set escalation procedures: For complex issues, establish clear steps for escalation to ensure higher-level support gets involved without delay. This helps prevent prolonged wait times for urgent cases
• Leverage automation: Use automated responses to acknowledge complaints immediately and keep customers informed throughout the resolution process. Automation tools can also route cases to the right teams, speeding up overall response times

When offering a solution takes time, provide regular updates to keep customers in the loop. This approach shows that you're actively working on their concerns and builds trust.

4. Explain the situation to the customer

When a service failure occurs, it’s important to be clear and transparent with the customer. An honest explanation can help them understand and even empathize with your situation. 

However, balance is crucial—be informative without overburdening them with too much detail. Here’s how:

• Be transparent but concise: Instead of saying, "Our system had a technical error," give a more thoughtful response, like, "Our payment system temporarily went offline, which caused a delay in processing your transaction." This is clear, direct, and specific without diving too deep into technical jargon
• Avoid blame or excuses: A poor explanation might sound like, “It wasn’t our fault; another department caused the delay.” Instead, try, “We encountered an unexpected delay, and we’re working on a solution to prevent this in the future.” This approach shows accountability
• Show smpathy and commitment to resolution: For example, say, “I understand how frustrating this must be. We are actively resolving the issue and ensuring it doesn’t happen again.” This statement shows you value the customer’s experience and are committed to improvement

By clearly explaining what went wrong, taking accountability, and providing reassurance, you help rebuild trust and encourage understanding without oversharing.

5. Demonstrate empathy and commitment

There’s no excuse for making a customer feel like their issue isn’t important. Always show that you’re doing everything possible to resolve the problem quickly. 

If they’ve gone through a lot of trouble, consider offering something extra as a goodwill gesture to rebuild the relationship. For example, you can give customers an exclusive offer, like early access to a new product or a VIP customer service line. 

Or, a personalized, sincere apology (email or handwritten note) can make a big difference. For instance, a hotel might send a note with a small gift to a guest who had a disrupted stay.

These gestures show appreciation and can make the customer feel valued.

6. Forge a strong relationship with customers

To build a strong relationship with your customers, focus on specific actions that show you care. Personalize your communication by using customer data to offer tailored recommendations and rewards. This makes customers feel valued and understood.

Incorporate a loyalty program to encourage repeat business. Offer rewards, exclusive deals, or early access to products for loyal customers. This keeps them engaged and shows appreciation.

Listen to your customers and respond to their feedback. This builds trust and shows you are committed to meeting their needs. By being transparent and consistent, you turn a simple transaction into a lasting relationship.

7. Customer experience after service recovery

Once the service recovery process is complete, it’s important to gauge how the customer feels to ensure their satisfaction. You can use surveys, follow-up emails, or direct conversations to gauge their experience. 

Additionally, tools like Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) surveys can provide valuable insights into how well the recovery met their expectations.

Control charts are a useful tool to track the consistency and quality of your recovery efforts over time. They help you visualize the performance of your service recovery process and identify any deviations from expected outcomes. These charts show data points over a period, allowing you to spot trends or issues that need attention.

To track recovery effectiveness, focus on metrics such as resolution time, customer effort score, repeat incidents, and the customer’s likelihood to recommend your business. These specific metrics will help you monitor the success of your service recovery and identify areas for improvement.

What are the Benefits of Having Efficient Service Recovery Strategies?

Given below are the benefits of having robust service recovery strategies in place:

Improves customer retention

Along with fixing issues, service recovery also strengthens relationships. When you treat customers with respect and fulfill their needs, even longtime customers feel validated in their loyalty. Plus, new ones become more likely to stay. 

A Zendesk study indicated that almost three out of five customers feel loyalty towards a brand that offers good customer service. 

You can also customize these strategies to each customer type to add a personal touch. This can have a long-lasting impact.

Increases loyalty

A strong bond with your customers means more opportunities. Loyal customers are often easier to upsell or cross-sell to, and they’re less likely to be affected by price changes if your service remains excellent. 

Even if things don’t go well, good service recovery strategies nurture this bond and maintains commitment of customers.

Creates brand ambassadors

Happy customers spread the word and become ambassadors for your brand. Companies that excel at service recovery create a lasting impression. This makes customers eager to share their experiences. 

Service recovery also highlights your brand values, which makes it evident tour business cares about its promises.

Troubleshooting service failures

Inefficiencies and failures can happen, especially in complex processes. Recurring issues, such as high cart abandonment or customer churn, indicate that your business needs adjustments in its processes. 

In these cases, you can use customer feedback surveys to find out what went wrong, track trends, and identify common issues for improvement.

Increases customer satisfaction

Service recovery strategies also significantly improve customer satisfaction. When customers see you have addressed their concerns professionally, they feel valued and respected. 

In contrast, satisfied customers are more likely to stay loyal. This can turn a challenging situation into a chance for stronger connections.

What are the Steps a Business Should Take to Build a Service Recovery Team?

Here’s how you build a team that focuses on providing the best customer care.

Involve the leadership team

Involving the leadership team is crucial for successful service recovery. Start by clearly defining the roles of key leaders. 

For example, the CEO should support the overall vision for customer satisfaction, while customer service managers ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly. The IT or operations leader might help provide the necessary tools for tracking and managing customer complaints.

Each leader has a key responsibility in making service recovery work, such as: 

• The CEO or senior executives should set the tone, demonstrating they’re committed to customer satisfaction
• Customer service managers need to oversee recovery processes, ensuring staff are trained to handle complaints effectively
• Other leaders, such as IT or HR, should provide the resources, like tools or training, needed to resolve issues quickly

To secure executive buy-in, present clear data on how customer dissatisfaction impacts the bottom line. Show how investing in service recovery can lead to higher customer loyalty and retention, which ultimately boosts profits. Make the case that improving service recovery is not just about solving problems but about growing the business.

Write down recovery criteria

To effectively manage service recovery, set clear criteria to determine when action is needed. 

• First, define priority levels for different types of issues. For example, issues that cause significant disruption, like a service outage, should be marked as high priority, while minor concerns can be low priority
• Next, establish response time standards. For high-priority issues, your team should aim to respond within hours, while lower-priority concerns might have a longer response window, like within one business day
• Set escalation thresholds to ensure timely action. If a problem isn't resolved within the agreed-upon time, it should be escalated to higher-level staff. This keeps issues from getting ignored and ensures customers receive the attention they need 

As your business grows, these criteria should be reviewed and adjusted to meet new needs and challenges.

Start a service recovery team

If you want your service recovery strategies to succeed, you must establish a specialized team. This team should be highly trained in handling complaints and resolving issues. 

The team should have essential skills like strong communication, problem-solving, and empathy. They should be trained in how to manage difficult situations and offer solutions quickly. Offer regular training sessions to improve their skills, focusing on customer service best practices and conflict resolution.

Team size will depend on your company's needs. For smaller businesses, a team of 3-5 people may be enough, while larger organizations may need 10-15.

The team should report to the customer service manager or a senior leader to ensure recovery efforts are aligned with overall business goals. Additionally, encourage cross-functional collaboration with departments like IT, operations, and product development. This will ensure the team has the support they need to resolve issues and continuously improve the service recovery process.

Build a process

Create clear processes to handle different types of customer issues effectively. These steps help the team respond consistently and keep the customer experience smooth: 

• Step 1: Start by defining service level agreements (SLAs) that outline how quickly the team should respond to and resolve different types of issues. For example, high-priority issues should be addressed within hours, while lower-priority concerns may have a longer resolution time
• Step 2: Document each step of the process so that the team can follow it consistently. This ensures no detail is overlooked and helps maintain a smooth customer experience. For example, document the process for handling software onboarding feedback, including working with sales to explain the product’s benefits and answering any questions quickly
• Step 3: Establish communication protocols to ensure the team coordinates effectively. Set guidelines for how team members should communicate with customers, other departments, and leadership. Use clear, empathetic language and keep the customer informed throughout the process
• Step 4: Choose the right technology and tools to support the process. A CRM system can help track customer issues and ensure timely follow-ups. Automated workflows can help assign tasks and keep things on track
• Step 5: Finally, define handoff procedures to ensure smooth transitions between team members or departments. For example, if a customer issue requires technical support, make sure the customer’s information and issue details are passed to the right team without delays. This will improve efficiency and keep customers satisfied

Measure the impact of your service recovery strategies

After resolving an issue, reach out to the customer for feedback. This follow-up helps you understand what went well and what needs improvement. It also strengthens the positive experience by showing the customer that their satisfaction matters.

To measure the impact of your service recovery strategies, set benchmark standards. Compare your results against industry best practices or previous performance to see where you stand. 

For example, if your goal is to improve customer retention, track whether customers return for future purchases after their issues are resolved.

Identify success indicators such as customer satisfaction scores, repeat purchases, and referrals. If these indicators improve after service recovery, it shows your strategies are working.

If the results are poor, create an action plan to address the gaps. This might include additional training, better tools, or updated processes. 

Lastly, regularly review the service recovery process to ensure it evolves with customer needs and continues to deliver positive outcomes.

Best Practices for Implementing Effective Service Recovery Strategies 

Here are some best practices to ensure your service recovery strategies remain effective.

Make feedback easy

Make it easy for customers to share feedback. Many companies miss out on valuable insights because they don't provide clear ways for customers to voice concerns. This is where an online survey tool like ClearlyRated comes into the picture by offering simple feedback methods such as surveys, live chats, or support tickets. 

The platform allows you to integrate feedback forms with your support channels, email, or website. This makes it easy for customers to share their thoughts anytime.

You can focus on keeping the feedback process easy to access and understand. Ensure that feedback requests reach the right people at the right time. This increases the quality of responses and helps you gather meaningful insights.

It’s also important to take action on the feedback you receive. Let customers know their input leads to improvements. This shows them that their opinions matter and helps you build stronger, long-lasting relationships.

The platform also integrates with your CRM like Salesforce, Bullhorn, and Erecruit to ensure that surveys reach the right people at the right time so that the responses are more meaningful. 

Plus, with features like customizable workflows and AI-driven sentiment analysis, ClearlyRated allows you to convert negative experiences into positive ones.

Keep surveys at every interaction touchpoint

Customers often reach out through various channels, and social media is becoming more and more popular for expressing concerns. Nearly 47% of all customers will call out brands on social media to gain attention. 

To stay ahead, make feedback surveys available at all key touchpoint,  like during customer support interactions or after service experiences. You can place feedback forms on your website, in emails, or even through your customer service channels. 

Personalize them and send them by text or email at the right times so customers feel heard before issues escalate.

Develop a culture where complaints are welcome

To develop a culture where complaints are welcome, encourage customers to voice their concerns. Each complaint is a chance to improve and resolve issues. Build a process that lets you handle complaints in a structured yet flexible way. Train your team to listen with empathy and focus on finding solutions. 

Moreover, encourage employees to see complaints as opportunities to grow and improve the customer experience. When customers see their feedback valued, it strengthens trust and loyalty.

Additionally, ensure your team is empowered to resolve issues quickly and efficiently. Give them the tools and authority they need to address problems in real time. This not only shows customers you care but also helps turn negative experiences into positive ones. 

By creating a supportive environment where feedback is welcomed, you build stronger relationships and improve your service overall.

Be proactive in communication

Being proactive in communication can prevent problems from escalating and improve customer satisfaction. 

When an issue arises, respond quickly. Acknowledge the customer’s concern immediately to show that you are aware and actively working on a solution. 

For example, if a customer reports a delay in service, send a brief message like, “We’ve received your concern and are currently looking into it. We’ll keep you updated.”

Additionally, provide clear timelines for resolution. If you expect a delay, let the customer know when they can expect an update or solution. For instance, "We’re working on this and will update you by the end of the day."

You can also use automated messages to acknowledge receipt of a query. For example, a simple confirmation like, “Thank you for reaching out. We’re reviewing your issue and will get back to you shortly,” helps customers feel heard right away.

Proactive communication isn’t just about quick responses—it’s also about being transparent. If the issue will take time to fix, let the customer know, and keep them in the loop with regular updates. This approach reassures customers that their concerns are being handled and that they are valued.

Real-Time Examples of Excellent Service Recovery

1. Uniti Med + ClearlyRated

Uniti Med, a medical staffing agency, helps healthcare facilities fill staffing needs. The company had trouble gathering feedback from its talent. Before working with ClearlyRated, Uniti Med had no reliable process for collecting feedback from healthcare professionals. Leaders couldn’t measure talent experience or know how to improve it. Gathering feedback from traveling healthcare professionals was especially difficult.

ClearlyRated’s solution led to a 33.8% response rate, above the industry average. For the first time, Uniti Med received valuable feedback on services, priorities, and areas for improvement. This feedback helped boost internal morale and supported external marketing efforts. It also encouraged more healthcare professionals to join the company. Uniti Med earned an NPS score of 86.6% in the first year.

2. Cross Country Healthcare + ClearlyRated

Cross Country Locums wanted to improve its talent experience and customer experience but lacked a way to collect feedback and track performance. 

Before partnering with ClearlyRated, the company used manual processes. Teams sent individual evaluation forms to clients and talent after each assignment and tracked results using spreadsheets. While the feedback was positive, the process was slow and prone to mistakes. Additionally, they couldn’t easily share the results.

With ClearlyRated, Cross Country Locums launched a formal NPS program targeting both clients and talent. ClearlyRated provided a survey platform, expert guidance, and ongoing support. 

Cross Country now runs monthly surveys with detailed reports, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of their feedback process.

The Future of Service Recovery

The future of service recovery will focus on predictive solutions, real-time data analysis, and automation. The use of these advanced technologies will transform how businesses handle customer dissatisfaction.

Predictive analytics will allow companies to predict issues before they arise, using data-driven insights to identify patterns and common problems. 

On the other hand, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants will manage simpler recovery tasks instantly, providing 24/7 support. This will allow human agents to handle complex cases with a personal touch. 

Social media will play a more significant role as brands respond swiftly to complaints on public platforms. This will ensure transparency and brand reputation.

What’s Next?

When you use service recovery strategies correctly, you truly understand your customers and build loyalty. 

By training employees to handle issues with empathy and professionalism, you create a team that can address challenges confidently and consistently. These strategies help close service gaps, improve customer satisfaction, and strengthen your relationships with customers.

When you adopt these strategies, it reduces service gaps and allows your team to address issues confidently. To take your service recovery strategies to the next level, use tools like ClearlyRated!

These tools go beyond surveys and NPS and offer advanced features like automated follow-ups and analytics to help you track and measure the impact of your recovery strategies. You can target the ideal customers based on their interaction with your business. This ensures you receive valuable feedback. 

Advanced tools, like AI and machine learning, will further enhance these strategies and make them smarter and more responsive. 

And finally, refine your process, set clear goals, and ensure your team is well-prepared to act quickly and effectively. With these actions in place, you can continuously improve the customer experience and keep your customers loyal.

So, what are you waiting for? Start by booking a free demo with ClearlyRated today!

Client expectations are evolving rapidly, and professional service firms must adapt to stay competitive. Join ClearlyRated Founder and CX Strategist, Eric Gregg, as he unveils the latest  CX trends shaping the future of client experience. Discover how to leverage these insights to drive growth, boost client retention, and position your firm for long-term success.

Key Takeaways:

• The top client experience trends impacting professional service firms
• How to measure and improve client satisfaction
• Strategies for building strong client relationships
• The role of technology in enhancing client experiences
• Actionable steps to implement a world-class client experience program

Presenter

Eric Gregg, Co-Founder & CX Strategist

With two decades of research experience in B2B professional services, Eric Gregg and the team at ClearlyRated have analyzed more than 7.2 million surveys with the goal of determining what drives success for professional services firms.

Eric has served as an adjunct faculty member in Portland State University’s marketing program, and has published numerous articles, business cases, and technical notes in the field of marketing, client loyalty and employee satisfaction. His research and consulting have been featured in articles and as a noted industry speaker.

A world-class experience awaits

Get the recognition you deserve and grow your business with ClearlyRated.

Companies that use customer feedback are 2.5 times more likely to outperform their competitors in revenue growth. Yet, 75% of organizations struggle to turn customer insights into actionable business decisions. 

Voice of the Customer (VoC) programs are designed to help you collect feedback from multiple channels. They have become important to industry leaders like Amazon and Apple as they boost business performance. 

In this article, we will help you design and improve a VoC program that achieves meaningful results for your business.

What Is the Voice of the Customer?

Voice of the Customer (VoC) is a systematic process of capturing, analyzing, and acting on customer feedback and behavioral data to drive business decisions.

Customers share their thoughts through different channels, such as:

• Community forums
• Support interactions
• Feedback forms
• Social media posts
• Customer surveys

However, it’s important to have support from all departments to create an effective VoC strategy. Every team plays a key role in enhancing the customer experience. It’s important for everyone to agree on how to gather feedback, share insights, and apply those findings to improve their part of the customer journey.

The Benefits of a Voice of the Customer Program

Many businesses without a VoC program depend heavily on sales data alone. Sales data shows what products perform well but misses why customers make these choices. This gap limits understanding and ignores key details about customer satisfaction and preferences.

VoC insights offer a complete picture and help businesses understand customer needs more deeply. It captures direct feedback for companies to make targeted improvements. 

Here are some major benefits of a strong VoC program:

Enhance Customer Loyalty

Retaining loyal customers is often easier than winning new ones. A Bain & Company study found that a 5% increase in retention rates can raise profits by 25% to 95%.

When you run a VoC program, customers can share concerns openly. This direct feedback lets your business respond quickly, improving customer satisfaction. As a result, you can reduce customer churn and increase loyalty.

Research from Oracle highlights this impact on customer experience with these interesting statistics:

• 46% of consumers felt positive when a company responded to a negative comment
• 89% of consumers turned to a competitor after a poor experience
• 24% of consumers who faced bad service shared their experiences on social media 

A great example of loyalty through VoC is Sephora’s "Beauty Insider" program. Members use points to try sample products and special experiences, like makeovers. This approach works well in beauty, where creativity and testing products are key.

Sephora also taps into beauty communities, like Reddit’s "r/makeupaddiction," which has over 6.3 million members. It created a "Beauty Insider Community" where members get advice and ideas from each other.

Sephora keeps its program fresh by updating rewards based on feedback, meeting changing customer needs, and keeping loyalty high.

Beauty Insider’s hybrid model mixes points and loyalty tiers, such as "Insider," "VIB," and "Rouge." In 2024, Sephora added new levels in the UK: "MySephora Bronze," "MySephora Silver," and "MySephora Gold." This tiered approach keeps conversations going online, with many Reddit threads on using Sephora points.

Improve Brand Reputation

A strong VoC program can greatly improve your brand’s reputation. When you respond quickly and thoughtfully to customer feedback, you show that you value their opinions. This builds trust and shows commitment to customer satisfaction.

Research supports this. For instance, companies with active VoC programs saw a 55% increase in customer retention rate and a 23% decrease in yearly customer service expenses.

A good VoC program can also prevent crises. By resolving issues early, your business can stop small problems from growing into public issues. For example, Delta Airlines uses VoC to catch negative feedback early. By acting quickly, they avoid bigger issues and build positive customer relationships.

Social proof is another key benefit. Positive reviews and testimonials strengthen brand reputation and draw new customers. According to Nielsen, 92% of customers trust recommendations from others. If you create a VoC program, it will encourage satisfied customers to share their positive experiences.

Reduce Customer Complaints and Faster Resolutions

Gathering customer feedback in a structured manner enables businesses to identify issues before they escalate. And early detection means you can tackle problems proactively, which is essential for keeping customers happy. 

A VoC program will also help you assess the severity of different issues. By prioritizing based on urgency and impact, you can resolve high-priority concerns quickly, leading to faster resolutions.

Encourage Product Innovation

VoC insights help companies keep up with changing trends and customer preferences. Understanding what customers want encourages innovation in products and services.

For example, Microsoft used VoC data to develop Office 365 features based on user requests. This allowed them to launch new features faster. Fast response to VoC insights also builds a competitive advantage, showing that you adapt quickly to customer needs. VoC data can reduce R&D costs by focusing only on needed features. 

When you align products with customer expectations, you create a better user experience. This strengthens customer loyalty, boosts sales, and helps you stay competitive in a fast-changing market.

Increase in Revenue

Retaining customers and growing your base directly raises revenue. A strong VoC program lets you track what customers want and are willing to pay for.

VoC insights also reveal cross-sell and upsell opportunities. Amazon uses VoC feedback to recommend related items, increasing sales by 35% through targeted product suggestions. Aligning your offers with customer desires leads to more purchases, helping your revenue grow.

3 Questions to Consider Before Building a Voice of the Customer Program

While building an effective VoC program, you must ask the right questions to make a big difference. 

These three questions can help guide companies in their efforts to enhance the customer experience, boost retention, and increase revenue.

Question #1: What Is the Goal of the Voice of the Customer Program?

Having a well-defined purpose is crucial for any voice of the customer program. The strategies you choose should align with your business goals. Before diving into the program, it's helpful for companies to explore potential objectives and identify which will be the most beneficial for their unique requirement.

Objectives for a VoC program typically fall into two categories: benchmarking and continuous improvement.

Benchmarking

Benchmarking focuses on comparing performance across different metrics. Some survey providers claim to serve both benchmarking and continuous improvement, but a closer look at their survey structures reveals the truth. 

Benchmarking surveys often contain numerous rating questions and are heavily metrics-oriented. For instance, one vendor uses the first 13 questions solely for benchmarking, sometimes including just one open-ended question in a 30- or 40-question set.

To make benchmarking effective, it’s important to maintain consistency in the survey experience. Every respondent should receive the same set of questions, regardless of their website journey. Otherwise, the survey can feel lengthy and irrelevant. When questions are too long or not directly related, the quality of responses tends to drop. 

Ultimately, the value of benchmarking surveys lies in comparative performance. 

However, understanding why scores rank as they do often requires a further, more granular voice of the customer research.

Continuous Improvement

On the other hand, continuous improvement goals can be tailored to specific customer interactions. These surveys may include rating questions along with open-ended ones that encourage respondents to explain their ratings. This approach provides deeper insights into what drives customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

Companies should select their objective based on the type of information they wish to gather. Some common goals include:

• Customer Research
• Customer Retention
• Acquiring New Customers
• Improving Brand Image
• Cost Reduction
• Increasing Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)

Question #2: What Metrics Should Be Measured Throughout the VoC Program?

After defining the goal of the VoC program, the next step is to determine which metrics will effectively measure progress. Some commonly used metrics include the Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Effort Score (CES), and Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT).

When selecting these metrics, consider how they fit into the broader business picture. You should also combine quantitative data with qualitative insights from customer feedback for a well-rounded understanding. 

Regularly reviewing and adjusting your metrics ensures you stay responsive to both evolving customer needs and shifting business objectives.

Question #3: How Should the Success of the VoC Program Be Measured?

Last but not least, your VoC program needs to inspire action. 

Evaluate success by evaluating what has changed since the program's implementation. Success measurement relies on setting clear goals and selecting specific metrics that align with those objectives. Companies should keep track of whether their metrics improve over time. 

The adjustments made to enhance these metrics should guide the company toward its primary goals.

Building a Voice of the Customer Program: Best Practices

Building a VoC program gives you direct access to your customers’ needs. Their feedback provides valuable insights and warnings that can influence your business's success. 

These five essentials can set your VoC program on continuous improvement.

Identify Customer Touchpoints

Understanding how your customers experience your brand means recognizing the various touchpoints they encounter along the way. Customers may first notice your brand through an online search or an ad. They might browse your blog, explore customer reviews, or visit your website. Some may visit a physical store and, later on, connect with your customer service team.

Mapping out these touchpoints within a customer journey map helps you see the full scope of their experience. By combining insights from all touchpoints, you can gain a complete view of customer experiences, which helps inform your decision-making and identify where improvements will make the most difference.

Collect and Connect Feedback Across Data Channels

Relying on just one or two channels to gather feedback often doesn’t cover the complete picture of customer needs, behaviors, and preferences. Without a comprehensive approach, VoC programs miss valuable insights and deliver a limited view of customer satisfaction. 

To capture the whole story, you need feedback from every channel your customers interact with.

Client feedback and reputation management platforms like ClearlyRated make it easier to capture insights across multiple channels. By deploying customized surveys, ClearlyRated gathers responses that reveal how likely customers are to recommend your services. 

It then categorizes them into promoters, passives, and detractors, giving you a clear snapshot of overall customer sentiment and areas where improvements can be made. With this data, you’re not just collecting feedback; you’re building a foundation for a seamless customer experience across channels.

Analyze Customer Data

Collecting data is only half the story—you need to understand it. To make sense of customer insights, standardizing your approach to data analysis is essential. 

Tools like natural language processing (NLP) and sentiment analysis can help decode customer sentiments, emotions, and preferences.

By translating raw data into actionable insights, you gain a clearer view of what customers value or find frustrating. These insights go beyond surface-level satisfaction, helping your team understand the deeper needs, wants, and feelings that drive customer choices. With this data, your organization can more accurately measure and improve the customer experience.

Collaborate with Teams Across the Entire Organization

Building an effective VoC program requires teamwork across departments. Different teams must join forces to gather, analyze, and act on the insights. By using collaborative action-planning tools, departments can align on customer-focused strategies. 

ClearlyRated, for example, allows you to tag project owners, set deadlines, and provide step-by-step guides to ensure everyone knows how to make customers happy.

Take Action and Deliver Insights to the Right People

It’s also essential to connect the right people with the right insights. Configurable dashboards make it easy to share relevant data across roles, from frontline staff to leadership. 

With ClearlyRated’s automatic alerts based on location, feedback type, or behavior, teams can quickly address concerns and track feedback over time. This data-driven collaboration helps foster customer loyalty, as clients see that their feedback is valued and acted upon, creating a culture of continuous improvement.

You can automatically involve the right stakeholders based on feedback from the leadership team on the frontline.

Monitor and Act on Customer Experience Trends

Regular monitoring helps companies track their progress over time. 

Often, companies get confused while choosing the right metrics. Instead, focus on one key metric. Create a system that encourages smooth feedback flow. 

As employees respond to feedback, you will see that metric improve over time.

How to Collect VoC Data

When it comes to gathering VoC data, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Different methods provide unique benefits, so many companies combine several techniques to provide a fuller picture of customer perspectives. 

Let’s look at some key methods and how each adds value to understanding customer experiences.

Customer Interviews

Direct interviews are one of the most simple ways to gather customer insights. Whether conducted face-to-face, by phone, or via email, interviews allow for in-depth exploration of customer opinions. 

This method remains popular because it allows companies to capture the unique perspectives and specific feedback customers provide in their interactions with a brand.

Surveys

Surveys are essential for gathering Voice of Customer (VoC) data, offering an efficient way to collect targeted feedback at specific points in the customer journey. Surveys can be delivered in many ways—by email, SMS, or directly on a website. The structure and types of questions can vary widely, from multiple-choice to open-ended formats, allowing companies to tailor questions to specific insights they need. 

ClearlyRated’s NPS surveys are a highly effective way to measure customer loyalty and satisfaction by categorizing responses into promoters, passives, and detractors. Promoters are highly satisfied customers who are likely to recommend the brand. At the same time, passives are satisfied but not enthusiastic, and detractors are unhappy customers who might discourage others from engaging with the brand. 

This system provides a quick, intuitive view of how customers feel about the brand, helping companies identify strengths and areas that need improvement.

The platform’s survey approach works because it focuses on creating tailored survey experiences that resonate with clients. By customizing survey questions, companies can dive deeper into specific areas, gathering insights not only on general satisfaction but also on the finer aspects of their services. This feedback allows businesses to respond more effectively to customer needs. 

Additionally, ClearlyRated’s dashboard calculates your Net Promoter® Score and gives insights into your customer’s perceptions of optimism, community, fairness, recognition, advancement, feedback, pride, belonging, meritocracy, and diversity.

Live Chat

Live chat on a website has become a go-to tool for real-time feedback. This feature offers a window into the customer experience as it’s happening. Live chats can also provide an opportunity to schedule follow-up surveys, so companies can track satisfaction levels over time. 

Responding instantly to customer concerns helps prevent negative experiences, reducing the chance of dissatisfaction before they leave the site.

Online Reviews and Social Media

For a modern approach to gathering VoC data, online reviews and social media interactions are invaluable. This approach allows for two-way communication, helping businesses understand customer needs and anticipate trends.

Maintaining a positive brand reputation is crucial for customer retention. Responding to online reviews shows that a company values customer opinions. A solid review management strategy helps businesses identify customer frustrations and take steps to address them.

Website Behavior 

Understanding customer behavior on a website can reveal a lot about their experience. Tools like heat maps track where users click, scroll, and linger, helping businesses optimize the site’s layout and functionality. These insights allow companies to test changes and adjustments to enhance user experience. 

Plus, tracking on-site behavior is a powerful way to make the website more user-friendly, directly responding to customer interaction patterns.

Focus Groups

Focus groups bring together a small, diverse group of people to discuss their thoughts on a product, service, or topic. 

Unlike surveys or interviews, focus groups provide qualitative data that offers depth and detail. Participants can share their thoughts openly, providing context that often isn’t captured in quantitative data. 

By using focus groups, businesses can access a more nuanced understanding of customer perceptions and preferences, which can be especially useful for fine-tuning products or marketing strategies.

How Companies are Changing the Business Landscape With VoC

Customer-perceived quality and above-average service drive business success. When customers share their feedback, they expect action and updates on progress.

To build customer loyalty, you need a clear view of customers, markets, and employees.

As one of the largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the US, Woodruff Sawyer protects the people and assets of more than 4,000 companies. Customer experience was a key priority for them. 

In 2014, they invested in a data-driven approach to enhance their services. Their commitment to client experience and unique service needs set them apart. They sought measurable data about client experiences and wanted direct feedback.

Although Woodruff Sawyer’s client ratings were excellent from the start, they found some detractors.

They needed a Net Promoter Score (NPS) solution to harness actionable data. This led them to ClearlyRated. The ClearlyRated program uses NPS methodology, providing more than just survey data.

Melinda Miu, Woodruff Sawyer’s Assistant Vice President of Marketing, said: 

“From a communications perspective, NPS has provided us with a metric to credibly demonstrate the level of service we provide. Every single NPS survey that we’ve launched since 2014 has scored us in the world-class range for service. Our most recent NPS based on our 2021 survey was 86.1%—far exceeding the insurance industry average of 34%. These metrics make it possible for us to tell our story in a way that provides proof of our claims of excellence.” 

Woodruff Sawyer is an excellent example of a brand that incorporates the voice of the customer into their marketing and communications to help tell their story of service excellence. 

Their story highlights the transformative power of VoC in shaping business strategies and fostering lasting customer relationships.

Use ClearlyRated to Fuel Your VoC Program

Today, businesses don’t need to rely on feedback from just a few customers. They can be a part of every customer interaction, gaining insights across all stages of the customer journey. This opens up an entirely new level of understanding, giving companies the power to make smarter decisions that enhance customer experiences.

ClearlyRated brings a unique mix of award-winning technology and specialized services to the table, making Voice of the Customer (VoC) programs more effective, manageable, and scalable. With ClearlyRated, interpreting VoC data becomes very easy, helping businesses identify where their focus should be to make a lasting impact on both customers and overall success.

Moreover, ClearlyRated's customizable survey designs, automated workflows for different NPS segments, and AI-driven sentiment analysis empower you to transform detractors into promoters, creating a more positive experience all around. Book a free demo with ClearlyRatedto get started!

Make sense of the last 2 years of staffing economic headwinds and what it means for growth in 2025 and beyond. In this interactive, fast-paced session, noted industry speaker, Eric Gregg will help make sense of the industry data, and share insights into proven strategies for accelerating growth during uncertain economic times. This session will be a must attend for you and your leadership team as you solidify your 2025 business plan.

Key Takeaways:

• The industry trends most impacting the staffing industry and your firm.
• Key solutions to help your firm grow during uncertain economic times.
• Techniques to differentiate your firm and break through the noise.
• Insight into how buyers decide which staffing firms to utilize and why they buy.

Moderator

Eric Gregg, Co-Founder & CX Strategist

With two decades of research experience in B2B professional services, Eric Gregg and the team at ClearlyRated have analyzed more than 7.2 million surveys with the goal of determining what drives success for professional services firms.

Eric has served as an adjunct faculty member in Portland State University’s marketing program, and has published numerous articles, business cases, and technical notes in the field of marketing, client loyalty and employee satisfaction. His research and consulting have been featured in articles and as a noted industry speaker.

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Get the recognition you deserve and grow your business with ClearlyRated.

As of 2024, the US labor shortage is 70%, 5 percent below the global average due to low labor market participation, aging populations, declining birth rates, and a skills and talent mismatch.  Employee retention is now more crucial to organizations than ever before.

Employee referrals have increased the hiring rate by 30% and reduced hiring time by 55% compared to traditional recruiting methods. More importantly, referral programs yield a 49% increase in employee satisfaction, with many referred candidates being a great cultural fit.

Measuring employee satisfaction can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Fortunately, eNPS simplifies this process so organizations can easily gauge and improve employee satisfaction. Increasing your eNPS score makes your business an attractive workplace and can drive more referrals and ultimately easier talent acquisition. 

This guide will break down:

• What is eNPS 

• How eNPS compares to NPS

• How to structure eNPS surveys

• How to measure and calculate your eNPS score.

Plus, you'll learn what constitutes a good eNPS, the benefits of regular surveys, industry benchmarks, and proven strategies to improve your score. 

What Is eNPS?

eNPS measures how likely employees are to recommend their organization as a place to work.eNPS is calculated by asking employees a simple question : “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend this company to a friend or colleague?”

Based on their responses, employees are categorized into Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), and Detractors (0-6). The final eNPS score is obtained by subtracting the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters.

eNPS vs. NPS

As the acronym suggests, NPS, or Net Promoter score, measures customer loyalty and engagement rather than employee loyalty and satisfaction that eNPS measures. Here’s a table to highlight the key differences between the two: 

Criteria eNPSNPSAudienceEmployees of an organizationCustomers who have used the company's products or servicesStrategyMeasures how likely employees are to recommend the workplaceAssesses quality of products/servicesInfluenceEvaluates internal environment and employee engagementEnhances service/product quality and customer satisfactionAnonymity Anonymity is crucial for honest feedbackAnonymity is less of an issue for feedbackPurposeImproves employee engagement, satisfaction, and retentionImproves customer loyalty and competitiveness

However, there are similarities between eNPS and NPS. For example, both use the same calculation system which categorizes employees as Promoters, Passives and Detractors. The survey questions are similar to—NPS will ask customers about recommending a product or a service and eNPS will ask employees about recommending a company or organization.

How To Measure eNPS

As we mentioned earlier, employees’ responses to the eNPS survey fall into three distinct classifications:

• Promoters: those providing ratings of 9 or 10 signify strong satisfaction and commitment,
• Passives: individuals giving scores of 7 or 8 indicate moderate contentment without deep-seated loyalty,
• Detractors: respondents with scores up to 6 represent displeased staff members who might adversely affect organizational morale and standing.

How to Interpret Your eNPS Score

eNPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors (those who score 0-6) from the percentage of promoters (those who score 9-10), giving a score between -100 and +100.

Utilize the eNPS formula which states: eNPS = % promoters - % detractors. Take for instance, should you have 80% of employees as promoters and 15% as detractors, then your resulting eNPS would stand at +65. and commitment.

Interpreting Promoter Feedback

Promoters respond with a score of 9 or 10. These employees are highly engaged and enthusiastic about the company, and their input can highlight key strengths that should be maintained or further amplified. By recognizing and celebrating the positive experiences of promoters, leaders can strengthen these areas, creating a ripple effect that enhances overall morale and encourages others to become advocates for the organization.

Interpreting Passive Feedback

Passive employees respond with a score of 7 or 8. These employees are moderately satisfied but lack the enthusiasm or loyalty of promoters. Their feedback often points to areas that, if addressed, could push them toward becoming stronger advocates for the company. Taking time to analyze passive responses allows leaders to identify opportunities for improvement that may not be as immediately obvious as those highlighted by detractors or promoters.

Interpreting Detractor Feedback

Detractors respond with a score of 0 to 6. These individuals are notably discontent with the organization, and their insights can be critical in pinpointing root causes of unhappiness. Demonstrating responsiveness to such feedback makes employees feel heard and valued —potentially boosting eNPS scores as time progresses.

To make this section flow better within the context of the article, you could introduce it as a recommended tool for simplifying and managing eNPS efforts. Here’s a revised approach that feels more integrated:

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eNPS Case Studies: Employee Satisfaction Across Key Industries

Similar to the way customer loyalty metrics operate, elevated eNPS scores suggest that employees harbor positive sentiments toward their company. Take for example a tech firm revealing an impressive eNPS of 40. This suggests strong employee commitment and allegiance. Conversely, a retail enterprise with an eNPS score of -5 would be indicative of having more staff members as detractors than advocates. Let’s take a closer look and analyze some industry examples of eNPS: 

1) Tech Industry: Salesforce

Salesforce recently reported an eNPS of 48 rated by 457 employees. This score is well above the tech industry average of 25, indicating a highly engaged workforce. Factors like flexible work policies and career growth opportunities likely contribute to this high score.

Salesforce can maintain momentum by investing further in employee development and well-being initiatives. They should also focus on keeping lines of communication open to sustain employee satisfaction over time.

2) B2B Industry: IBM

IBM recently reported an eNPS of 32, based on feedback from 1,200 employees. This score sits above the B2B industry average of around 20, reflecting a generally engaged and motivated workforce. Key factors driving this positive rating likely include IBM's emphasis on continuous learning opportunities, flexible work arrangements, and a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion.

To maintain or even improve this eNPS, IBM could focus on personalized career growth paths and further enhancements to work-life balance. Additionally, keeping open communication channels and regularly gathering employee feedback on leadership and team dynamics can sustain high engagement levels over time.

3) Retail Sector: Walmart 

Walmart’s eNPS has recently scored -21 in surveys from 9009 employees.This is below the retail industry average, which ranges from 15 to 20. Such a score reflects dissatisfaction, likely due to high turnover and perceived low wages.

Walmart could improve by enhancing employee benefits and recognition programs. A focus on management training and employee well-being could help increase engagement and satisfaction.

4) Manufacturing: General Electric (GE)

GE’s eNPS is around -3, with the industry average sitting around 20 and 30. This suggests there is room for improvement, particularly in areas like workplace safety and benefits.

GE should focus on enhancing safety protocols and offering better development programs to boost engagement and retention

While eNPS is a valuable indicator of employee sentiment, it should not be used in isolation. Companies should pair eNPS data with qualitative feedback and other metrics like employee turnover to get a comprehensive view of engagement and satisfaction.

What Are the Benefits of eNPS Surveys?

The primary benefit of eNPS surveys is that organizations can quickly gather employee feedback, enabling rapid responses to concerns and improving morale. However, the advantages go beyond this, with additional benefits such as:

Reduces Escalating Issues

Addressing concerns promptly through eNPS surveys helps prevent problems from worsening, maintaining a positive and efficient workplace. Companies with high employee engagement experience 65% lower employee turnover

Cost-efficiencies and Savings

eNPS is a more affordable option compared to comprehensive employee satisfaction surveys, making it suitable for businesses of any size. More importantly, a study from The Engagement Institute found that disengaged employees cost companies between $450 and $550 billion a year—highlighting the importance of eNPS .

Easy Comparison with Industry Averages

The quantitative nature of eNPS facilitates straightforward comparisons with industry benchmarks, clarifying an organization’s position with competitors. 

Deeper Insights from Qualitative Responses

Open-ended questions in eNPS surveys provide a deeper understanding of the reasons behind employee ratings, enabling tailored actions for improvement.

How to Improve Your Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS)?

Improving your eNPS score requires a focused, action-oriented approach in a few key areas that directly influence employee satisfaction and engagement.

1. Enhancing Workplace Culture

Create a positive environment by establishing regular feedback channels, promoting team-building activities, and fostering inclusivity through diversity training. These actions strengthen connections, boost morale, and keep employees engaged.

2. Implementing Recognition Programs

Instituting programs that acknowledge employee achievements can serve as a potent instrument for elevating both employee satisfaction and retention rates. Offering formal rewards, facilitating peer recognition, and delivering impromptu accolades, all help to lift employees’ spirits.

3. Strengthening Leadership

Effective leadership is critical. Provide leadership training that emphasizes empathy, communication, and transparency to build trust and increase employee loyalty.

4. Supporting Career Development

Invest in career growth by offering mentorship, training, and clear advancement paths. Employees who see potential for growth are more likely to stay and promote the company.

5. Promoting Work-Life Balance

Encourage flexibility through remote work options, reasonable workloads, and time-off policies. A balanced approach helps reduce burnout and improves overall job satisfaction.

6. Aligning Compensation and Benefits

Ensure competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and regular salary reviews. Fair compensation is a foundational element of employee contentment.

7. Embedding Company Mission and Values

Communicate your company’s mission and values clearly. Employees who align with the company’s purpose are more engaged and motivated to contribute positively.

Tips for Successfully Using eNPS

To effectively leverage eNPS, it's important to not only gather feedback but also take meaningful action based on the results. Here are some key tips to help you maximize the impact of your eNPS strategy.

Tactical Approach 

Guaranteeing respondents’ anonymity stands as an indispensable factor—employees must feel confident in sharing their real perspectives without the concern of negative consequences. This safeguard promotes authentic responses, crucial for uncovering true issues and potential enhancements.

Consistent Measurement 

Executing these evaluations on a quarterly basis keeps the feedback pertinent and provides insight into employee sentiment trends over time. A routine schedule affirms an organization’s commitment to addressing employee needs promptly while integrating ongoing feedback channels enhances sustained engagement and progress.

Engage with Employees Post-Survey

By actively responding to survey insights and bridging experience deficits, companies affirm their dedication to refining the overall employee journey. Ensuring executive buy-in and establishing actionable plans before deploying eNPS surveys leads to swift reactions that elevate both employee morale and participation levels.

Survey Design

Craft surveys that are simple and focused. Use clear, concise questions, mixing quantitative (0-10 scale) with open-ended questions to gain deeper insights. For example, ask, “What’s one thing we could do to improve your experience?” This ensures you gather both numerical data and actionable feedback.

Data Analysis

After gathering feedback, analyze the data to identify trends and patterns. Segment results by departments or roles to spot specific issues. For instance, if a particular team scores consistently lower, it could signal management or workload concerns that require immediate attention.

Action Planning

Turn insights into concrete action plans. Involve leadership to ensure quick implementation of necessary changes. For example, if feedback highlights concerns about work-life balance, consider introducing flexible work schedules. Communicate these changes to employees to show that their input leads to real improvements.

Measure eNPS with ClearlyRated

ClearlyRated’s platform is built around three essential steps for effective employee experience management. It starts by helping you understand your workforce through sophisticated, tailored surveys, giving you a comprehensive view of your team’s engagement and satisfaction.

Next, activate and drive immediate ROI with ClearlyRated’s Automated Actions, ensuring seamless and efficient measurement of both past and future employee experiences. Building a positive workplace culture becomes effortless—generate validated feedback and testimonials from your top performers and seamlessly incorporate them into your employer branding efforts using custom EX (Employee Experience) playbooks.

Find out more about how ClearlyRated works here or book a demo here

Client retention remains a top challenge for accounting firms. A recent study shows that 36% of accounting firms struggle to keep clients loyal amid rising competition and shifting expectations. Ensuring client satisfaction and loyalty is vital to firm success.

The challenges extend beyond retention. Firms also need to stand out and meet increasingly complex client expectations in a digital-first world. Clients want seamless, hassle-free experiences and consistent, high-quality service.

How can accounting firms ensure they meet these expectations? The first step is understanding client satisfaction levels. One effective tool for this is the Net Promoter Score (NPS®), which measures client loyalty and highlights improvement areas. Simple and widely used, NPS helps firms boost retention, improve reputation, and differentiate their services.

In this article, we’ll cover NPS—what it is, why it’s useful for accounting firms, and how to use it to measure and enhance client satisfaction.

What is NPS? A Primer for Accounting Firms

Even if you’re not familiar with the concept of NPS, you’ve likely participated in an NPS survey.

NPS is a powerful tool for measuring client loyalty. You ask clients one question: “How likely are you to recommend our firm to a friend or colleague?” They respond on a scale from 0 to 10. This quick survey helps gauge satisfaction and identify areas needing improvement.

This quick survey helps you gauge client satisfaction and identify areas for improvement.

However, the true power of the NPS methodology lies in reporting. To calculate NPS, responses to the survey question are divided into three categories:

• Promoters (9-10): Your most loyal, enthusiastic clients. They're likely to refer new business and remain long-term clients.
• Passives (7-8): Satisfied but not enthusiastic clients. Competitive offerings might sway them.
• Detractors (0-6): Unsatisfied clients who may leave and potentially share negative feedback.

Your firm’s NPS “score” is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.

For example, ClearlyRated’s lifetime NPS score is 84%, which is derived from the 86% of promoters across our company survey history minus the 2% detractors across our company survey history. 86% – 2% = 84% NPS.

Importance of NPS for Accounting Firms

Where the competition is high, retaining clients is just as crucial as acquiring new ones, and NPS helps accounting firms understand where they stand in terms of loyalty. It measures how likely clients are to recommend your services, directly affecting your firm's growth.

For instance, Perkins & Co., a Portland-based accounting firm, used NPS to enhance their client services. By identifying areas where clients felt supported and where they saw room for improvement, the firm could make data-driven decisions to elevate their client experience. This approach led them to earn the “Best of Accounting” award, an honor given to firms with exceptional client satisfaction. Perkins & Co. achieved a remarkable NPS score of 84, far exceeding the accounting industry’s average. This accolade has boosted their reputation, attracted referrals, and helped build long-term client relationships.

For accounting firms, where trust and long-term relationships are vital, NPS can highlight hidden pain points. For example, if several clients rate your firm low due to slow response times, it signals the need to improve communication efficiency. By addressing these issues, firms can enhance service quality, boost retention, and increase referrals—leading to more stable revenue streams.

Regular NPS surveys provide a clear view of how clients feel about your services. By acting on this feedback, accounting firms can refine their approach, build stronger relationships, and grow through client loyalty and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Why Accounting Firms Should Focus on NPS

By prioritizing NPS, companies can effectively gauge client satisfaction, leverage promoters, and make data-driven improvements to their services. 

Here's a detailed breakdown of why accounting firms should focus on NPS:

Client Retention and Growth

A strong NPS directly impacts client retention and future growth. According to recent surveys, 94% of accounting clients are likely to make a referral with their “highly trusted” advisors if asked.​

This highlights the importance of creating a positive experience that leads to word-of-mouth marketing. Promoters are more likely to provide testimonials, which can help both retention and acquisition efforts​.

Furthermore, regular feedback from NPS surveys helps firms identify detractors and areas of improvement This proactive approach allows them to address issues before they lead to client churn. Keeping existing clients satisfied in an industry where relationships are crucial can have long-term financial benefits.

Competitive Edge in a Crowded Market

According to a survey, more than 85% of buyers consider online reviews and ratings as trusted sources when determining whether to engage with a firm​.

Accounting companies can gather positive reviews and testimonials by maintaining high NPS scores. This creates a powerful reputation that differentiates them from competitors. Negative reviews can significantly hurt a firm's credibility, as it takes twice as many positive reviews to reverse the damage caused by just one negative one​.

However, a high NPS can help mitigate this impact. Firms with a strong NPS demonstrate a loyal client base, which can be leveraged in marketing efforts. 

For example, an accounting firm might highlight its NPS score in promotional materials, showcasing it as evidence of client satisfaction and trust. In fact, 72% of respondents say that peer testimonials significantly influence their decision when choosing a firm, and an actionable NPS strategy can fuel this with authentic reviews and referrals​.

This can help reassure potential clients, strengthening the firm’s reputation even in the face of occasional negative feedback.

What is a ‘Good’ NPS Score for an Accounting Firm?

When it comes to NPS, you have a few options for determining what constitutes a “good” score for your firm. 

• Look at global NPS standards – which categorize 50% NPS as “excellent” and 70% NPS as “world class.” These benchmarks apply across industries and give a general sense of where your firm stands.
• Compare your NPS score to others within the accounting industry. For instance, the 2023 Accounting Industry NPS Benchmark sits at 41%, which gives you an idea of the average. Notably, service leaders—those recognized as 2023 Best of Accounting award winners—achieved an average NPS score of 81%. This difference illustrates the gap between average firms and top performers in the industry.
• Look to service leaders across industries. While broader industry comparisons can be helpful, it’s important to focus on your own accounting firm’s trends over time. Regularly measuring and improving your NPS can ensure you're not just meeting industry standards but pushing toward becoming a service leader.

How to Implement NPS in Accounting Firms

For accounting firms, implementing NPS can be a game-changer. It offers a straightforward way to capture client feedback, uncover valuable insights, and enhance service delivery. By acting on the data gathered, firms can make targeted improvements that boost client satisfaction and foster long-term loyalty. 

And when clients are loyal, the impact extends beyond improved relationships—firms can see higher retention rates, increased referrals, and ultimately, revenue growth.

Here's how you can implement NPS in your accounting firm:

Setting up NPS Surveys

An effective NPS survey consists of two key elements:

• The core question: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our firm to a friend or colleague?"
• An open-ended follow-up: "What's the primary reason for your score?"

This combination provides quantitative data and qualitative insights crucial for understanding client sentiment.

Choose a survey tool that integrates with your firm's existing systems and automates follow-ups. Integrate survey data with your CRM to track responses over time, identifying trends that inform service improvements.

Choosing the Right Time to Send Surveys

Timing is crucial for obtaining actionable feedback. For accounting firms, optimal survey moments include:

• After completing a tax return
• Upon finalizing an audit
• Following the conclusion of a consulting engagement

For ongoing client relationships, consider quarterly or bi-annual surveys to monitor long-term satisfaction without causing survey fatigue.

Analyzing NPS Data for Accounting Firms

Once you’ve collected NPS survey responses, the next step is to make sense of the data. 

Interpreting the Scores

While we've covered the basics of Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), and Detractors (0-6), the key lies in understanding the implications for your firm:

• Promoters: Focus on what delights these clients and replicate it across your practice.
• Passives: Identify what's preventing them from becoming promoters. Often, small improvements can make a big difference.
• Detractors: Prioritize addressing their concerns to prevent client churn and negative word-of-mouth.

Remember, your NPS is the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors.

Segment Your Analysis

Break down NPS data by:

• Service lines (tax, audit, advisory)
• Client size or industry
• Partner or team handling the account

This segmentation can reveal areas of excellence or concern within specific parts of your practice.

Identify Patterns in Feedback

Look for recurring themes in the open-ended responses. For accounting firms, common areas might include:

• Timeliness of deliverables
• Clarity of financial explanations
• Proactivity in tax planning or financial advice

Understanding these patterns helps prioritize improvement efforts.

Correlate NPS with Financial Metrics

Link NPS data to financial outcomes such as:

• Client retention rates
• Revenue per client
• Referral business generated

This correlation can demonstrate the tangible impact of client satisfaction on your firm's bottom line.

💡 Pro Tip: Establish a regular review process where partners and team leads discuss NPS. 

Pairing NPS data with other metrics like customer lifetime value (CLV) or client churn rates can provide a more holistic view of client loyalty and retention efforts.

Improving NPS Scores in Accounting Firms

Now that you’ve gathered your NPS data and analyzed it, the next step is to take action to improve your score. 

Here’s how accounting firms can respond effectively and ensure feedback drives positive change:

Responding to Promoters

Engaging with feedback—both positive and negative—is critical for improving your NPS score. 

When you receive praise from Promoters, it’s a great opportunity to strengthen relationships. A simple “thank you” goes a long way, but you can also take it further by asking them for testimonials or referrals.

These satisfied clients are your best advocates, and their recommendations can help attract new clients.

Addressing Detractor Feedback

Detractors, on the other hand, provide the most critical feedback, and this is where you can make the most impact. 

For example, the Detractor might leave a harsh comment, such as, "I’ve been frustrated with your customer service team’s lack of availability during critical moments of the tax season." This client is at risk of leaving your accounting firm unless you address their concerns quickly.

Reaching out to dissatisfied clients directly to resolve their concerns not only helps turn their experience around but also shows that your firm values client relationships.

Personalized responses that acknowledge their pain points—whether it’s service delays or communication breakdowns—help rebuild trust. Swift follow-ups and showing a genuine willingness to improve can potentially turn a Detractor into a Promoter over time.

Implementing Systemic Changes

Improving your NPS score isn’t just about reacting to individual feedback—it’s about implementing systemic changes that prioritize client needs. 

For instance, if multiple clients mention slow response times or inefficient processes, it may signal the need to improve your internal processes. This could involve implementing more efficient communication tools or adopting new technology to enhance service delivery. 

Additionally, you can offer more personalized services or flexible billing options to make clients feel heard and appreciated. These systemic changes help improve your service delivery and ensure your firm adapts to evolving client expectations. 

Real-Life Examples/ Case Studies of NPS in Accounting Firms

Let’s explore some real-life cases where firms leveraged NPS to improve client relationships, boost retention, and drive growth.

1. American Express Credit Cards

With an impressive NPS of 32, it’s clear that American Express is doing something right. A big part of their success comes from positive interactions and excellent customer service, which really makes cardholders feel valued.

Their generous rewards program adds even more appeal, showing customers they’re getting a great deal. This approach has effectively discouraged account switching, as many prefer to stay with American Express rather than chase after introductory offers elsewhere.

Derek Martin, the director of global consumer card sales at American Express, emphasized in an interview that NPS isn't just a superficial measure. Instead, it plays a crucial role in driving significant improvements in customer experience and positively impacting the company's bottom line.

“People who say you can’t correlate the data to actual revenue items—it’s not true, at least not in my case,” says Martin. “I can show you data that says that as Net Promoter Score rises, customers spend more money, they’re more loyal, they’re putting more dollars on an American Express card, and they’re leaving us less.” — Source

2. Perkins & Co. + ClearlyRated

At Perkins & Co., the leaders recognized how crucial good data is for an accounting firm. 

However, until 2011, they didn’t track any metrics related to their service performance. Their client satisfaction data was inconsistent, mainly coming from casual chats with clients. This created a bias, as they usually engaged with clients they already had strong relationships with. 

Furthermore, without service benchmarks from the accounting industry, they couldn't accurately gauge how they compared to competitors.

It soon became evident that they needed a genuine understanding of their service leaders’ relationships with clients. They required a way to verify their assumptions rather than just relying on gut feelings.

By leveraging NPS, Perkins & Co. gathered quantifiable data and anecdotal feedback that helped them refine their client service approach. They used this feedback to improve internal processes, enhance their communication standards across the firm, and celebrate service wins through ClearlyRated's "shout-out" feature. 

The firm has also used positive client testimonials from the NPS process to support its marketing efforts. Their dedication to client feedback through NPS earned them ClearlyRated's "Best of Accounting" award for multiple years, highlighting their commitment to excellent service.

Moreover, they are also the first-ever ClearlyRated Best of Accounting 10-Year Diamond Winner for client satisfaction.

Read the entire case study here.

Why Does NPS Work?

NPS works because of the following reasons:

• It’s simple. Because it’s a single metric, NPS is easy to measure, track over time, and use to benchmark your firm’s client satisfaction and service quality against the rest of the industry.
• NPS is a data-driven approach that relies on insights directly from the client. The concise format of the survey allows you to focus on the information that really matters while taking the guesswork out of assessing how your clients feel about you.
• Time is everything (it’s short!). People tend to turn and run when they see long surveys. And as much as your clients are ready and willing to provide you with feedback – they are protective of their time.
• It promotes transparency. By quantifying intangible concepts like client satisfaction and service quality, NPS provides accounting firms with a singular metric to weigh performance, set improvement goals, and rally the team around. When everyone in the organization clearly understands how their behavior can inform NPS, they’ll begin to obsess over client satisfaction and service quality as a practice and a philosophy.

Check out the best NPS software to capture and understand your customers’ loyalty towards your brand!

How to Encourage Clients to Participate in NPS Surveys

To enhance participation in NPS surveys, it’s essential to create a seamless experience for clients, making their engagement as effortless as possible.

Simplifying the Process for Clients

According to research, surveys that are concise tend to yield higher response rates. This makes it crucial to keep surveys short and straightforward. To enhance participation, utilize digital platforms that simplify client engagement.

Tools like email and SMS not only offer quick access to surveys but also cater to the on-the-go nature of clients today.  

In fact, mobile-optimized surveys can be completed 30-40% faster than those designed for desktop use. This approach not only increases convenience but also maximizes the likelihood of receiving timely feedback.

Offering Incentives for Feedback

An incentive could be anything from a small discount on future services to entry into a prize draw. 

Research indicates that incentives can significantly increase survey completion rates. Moreover, a study published by Giftogram indicates that incentivizing participation can increase response rates beyond 20%.

Similarly, encourage clients to share their feedback by clearly communicating how their input can enhance your services. By framing participation as a way for clients to help shape their own experiences, you foster a sense of involvement and ownership in the process. 

Using NPS to Attract New Clients

Attracting new clients requires more than just traditional marketing tactics, and leveraging NPS is a powerful way to do just that. Here’s how accounting firms can showcase their strengths and build credibility with potential clients:

Marketing with Positive NPS Scores

When you showcase your firm’s NPS, it sends a clear message to potential clients about your commitment to customer satisfaction. Accounting firms can effectively incorporate their NPS into marketing materials, such as brochures, websites, and social media posts, to emphasize their dedication to delivering exceptional service.

For example, including your NPS score in a prominent position on your website can reassure prospective clients of your reliability and quality. Research shows that businesses with high NPS scores often enjoy a reputation for reliability and quality, attracting new clients looking for trustworthy service providers.

Additionally, displaying testimonials from satisfied clients alongside NPS scores can create a compelling narrative that enhances your firm’s credibility.

Building Trust Through Transparency

Transparency is crucial in establishing trust with potential clients, and sharing your NPS publicly reflects that openness. 

When clients see that you are willing to discuss both your strengths and areas for improvement, it builds confidence in your ability to meet their needs. 

By openly discussing your NPS results, you demonstrate accountability and position your firm as a proactive player in the industry. This level of trust can significantly influence a prospective client's decision-making process, ultimately paving the way for new business opportunities.

Leverage ClearlyRated as a Solution for Accounting Firms

As we saw above, understanding client satisfaction through NPS can provide invaluable insights that shape business strategies and improve service offerings. By collecting and analyzing this feedback, firms can enhance client relationships, boost retention rates, and attract new clients.

If you’re ready to enhance your client feedback initiatives, ClearlyRated offers tailored solutions for accounting firms.

It enables accounting firms to create NPS surveys and questions, set up follow-ups, and collect detailed responses, providing clear insights into client sentiment.

Our veteran team of survey experts has compiled a Satisfaction Survey Checklist specifically for accounting firms to ensure your client survey initiative is successful. This resource will help you avoid common pitfalls and build a roadmap for your survey efforts.

Moreover, ClearlyRated offers comprehensive analytics and benchmarking features, allowing firms to track their NPS against industry standards. You can access valuable resources, including the latest benchmarks for the accounting industry, to see how your firm stacks up against competitors.

So why wait? Book a free demo with ClearlyRated and get started today!

The perception often is the shelf life of company founders comes with an expiration date as it relates to leading and scaling from start-up to a large company. But many founders, across many industries, have bucked this trend. But what are the skills needed to transition from high-growth startup to sustainably growing enterprise? While hiring a new CEO might not be necessary, evolving to a CEO mindset is.

In this session, four staffing industry founders representing four different staffing industry segments share their stories evolving from founders to CEOs of large staffing companies. They’ll describe their experiences and lessons learned successfully leading alongside private equity partners, their mindset in making the decision to do so, and what it took to position their organizations to combined market valuations and multiple exits in excess of $2 billion.

Moderator

Eric Gregg, Co-Founder & CX Strategist

With two decades of research experience in B2B professional services, Eric Gregg and the team at ClearlyRated have analyzed more than 7.2 million surveys with the goal of determining what drives success for professional services firms.

Eric has served as an adjunct faculty member in Portland State University’s marketing program, and has published numerous articles, business cases, and technical notes in the field of marketing, client loyalty and employee satisfaction. His research and consulting have been featured in articles and as a noted industry speaker.

A world-class experience awaits

Get the recognition you deserve and grow your business with ClearlyRated.