“We will use your feedback to improve future experiences.”
It is a phrase we have all seen at the end of customer surveys, splashed across landing pages, or embedded in transactional emails. It is a promise—a commitment to listen, learn, and act. But if we are being brutally honest, it is a lie. In fact, it is one of the biggest lies we tell our customers.
Do not get me wrong. I am not suggesting that every organization is deliberately deceptive. Most businesses genuinely want to improve, and they believe customer feedback is critical to that process. Yet, despite the good intentions, most organizations struggle to capture, interpret, and effectively act on the survey data they collect. The result? Customers keep giving feedback, and organizations keep missing the mark.
The Real Problem
At the heart of the issue is this: most organizations are ill-equipped to handle the complexity of customer feedback. Here is why:
- Surveys are poorly designed. Too often, the focus is on the wrong questions. Many surveys are long, tedious, and riddled with questions that either validate assumptions or collect data that no one will use. Instead of uncovering insights that can lead to actionable improvements, they gather superficial metrics that make executives feel good about the status quo.
- Data gets trapped in silos. Even when surveys are well-designed, the data often ends up in a vacuum. Different departments collect feedback from their own channels—marketing, customer service, product teams—yet no one sees the full picture. There is no unified approach, and as a result, important insights slip through the cracks.
- Analysis paralysis. When organizations do capture valuable feedback, they struggle to interpret it. It is not that businesses do not care—it is that the data can be overwhelming. Without a clear process or the right expertise, businesses drown in metrics without understanding what really matters.
- Action is often too slow or nonexistent. The biggest gap is not in collecting feedback—it is in acting on it. Too many businesses treat customer feedback like a box to check. They collect it, analyze it, and then…nothing. Initiatives to improve the experience get deprioritized, lost in the noise of day-to-day operations.
So, what is the solution? How do we stop lying to our customers and start delivering on the promise of using their feedback to improve the experience?
A New Approach for CX Leaders
If you are a business leader or someone with influence over survey design, it is time to rethink how your organization approaches customer feedback. Here is how to get focused and action-oriented:
- Design surveys with a purpose. Every question should be tied to a clear business outcome. What decisions will the data inform? What actions will it prompt? If you do not have an answer, cut the question. Surveys should not be about vanity metrics—they should be about uncovering actionable insights.
- Get rid of silos. Customer feedback is an enterprise-wide asset. CX leaders must work to unify feedback across all departments, ensuring that everyone from marketing to product to frontline teams has access to the insights. This cross-functional view is essential for understanding the full customer experience and driving meaningful change.
- Use technology to automate analysis. Invest in tools that help you make sense of the data quickly. AI-powered solutions can identify patterns, detect sentiment, and even suggest actions. This reduces the time spent on manual analysis and ensures that insights are not lost in the data deluge.
- Create a bias toward action. It is not enough to collect and analyze feedback—you have to act on it. Build a culture where feedback is a catalyst for change. Set up processes that ensure customer insights directly influence business decisions, and hold teams accountable for delivering results. Remember, customers are not giving feedback for fun—they expect you to do something with it.
- Close the loop. When you do act on feedback, let your customers know. If they took the time to share their thoughts, the least you can do is show them the impact of their input. It builds trust and reinforces the value of their voice.
The Bottom Line
The biggest lie we tell our customers is that their feedback will lead to meaningful improvements. It is time to stop paying lip service and start making real changes. To do that, CX leaders must focus on designing surveys with purpose, breaking down silos, leveraging technology, and, most importantly, taking swift and deliberate action. Only then can we turn feedback into the fuel that drives exceptional customer experiences.
If we do not, we risk more than just frustrating our customers—we risk losing them.
Justin has over 20 years of experience in customer experience and contact center operations, helping organizations improve interactions and drive measurable growth. As the Founder and Principal Analyst of Metric Sherpa, he delivers strategic insights that bridge the gap between CX solutions and real customer needs.
