Poll, Don't Pester: 7 Ways to Measure Customer Experience at Key Touch Points Without Driving Customers Crazy

By Casey Freymuth

Touch points matter. As we discussed in our blog, “From Buzzword to Business Imperative: 5 Tips for Improving ‘Customer Experience,” customer experience is more than just touch points, but it’s nearly impossible for a customer to have a positive overall experience if she is dissatisfied with any touch point.

Think of it this way: If you decide to take a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway and encounter unexpected road closures, a lousy hotel experience or get food poisoning from a roadside diner, you’re not likely to enjoy your journey — even though you experienced some of the world’s most spectacular views. Similarly, the most effective product or service in the marketplace can be undermined by unsatisfactory experiences along a customer’s journey with your company. In other words, you can’t take any of your touch points for granted.

Measuring your company’s performance at these critical customer touch points is vital to determine if and when you’re falling down. How? Ask your customers. Sounds simple. It is and it isn’t.  Survey fatigue is a challenge we can all relate to, and you don’t want to fall into the trap of making your customers unhappy by perpetually asking them how happy they are. Here are some tips on how to poll, not pester.

Khali Henderson is senior partner and Casey Freymuth is managing partner with BuzzTheory Strategies, a marketing and strategy consulting firm specializing in the channel. 

Henderson has more than 25 years of marketing, communications and content development experience in the technology industry. Well known for her leadership at Channel Partners, the telecom and IT industry’s leading channel media and events brand, Henderson is one of the country’s foremost experts on channel strategy and marketing. She also has developed and managed marketing and public relations programs for a range of technology companies and trade associations. At BuzzTheory, she heads up business development and serves as the chief content officer. Henderson serves on the boards of The Telecom Channel Association, Cloud Girls and Women in the Channel. She can be reached via email at khenderson@buzztheorystrategies, Twitter @khalihenderson and LinkedIn at /in/khalihenderson.

Freymuth is a strategy and marketing executive specializing in high-tech markets, disruptive and rapidly evolving technologies and value generation. His client list includes many of the world’s best-known brands as well as emerging market leaders, their investors and the media that cover them. With deep roots in management consulting and analysis, Casey has extensive experience in identifying growth opportunities and helping clients position their companies to capture, retain and defend revenue and market share, and to bring their internal operations in line with marketing and positioning objectives. At BuzzTheory, he advises clients on a wide range of strategic and marketing matters and is responsible for BuzzTheory’s operations. He can be reached via email at cfreymuth@buzztheorystrategies and LinkedIn at /in/caseyfreymuth.