“Feedback is a gift.” You hear that often. Nice to say. Nicely packaged. A thank you here. A compliment there. And everyone is happy.
But let's be honest:
Most companies hope it's just that kind of gift — something that caresses their egos and confirms their approach. What if it's a little less well packaged? Then we'd rather shove it under the mat.
Or we answer politely with: “Thanks, we'll take it with us.” Then classify it properly. With the rest of the unwrapped gifts.
Feedback is seldom pretty. And that's why it's valuable.
From confirmation to friction
The biggest mistake? Thinking that feedback is meant to confirm you. That it should tell you that you are doing a good job. That you keep your promises.
But real feedback does the opposite.
- She chafes.
- She wrenches.
- She reveals pain points you'd rather not go to.
And that is exactly why she is strategic gold.
Those who only listen to compliments are missing the signs to growth. Because what really affects customers is often in what they don't say. In the little silences. In doubt. In the nuance.
“The customer is happy.” So what?
A happy customer is not a loyal customer. A customer who says they are “happy” can leave tomorrow. Not with a drama, but with a silent exit.
Why?
Because satisfaction is superficial. It says nothing about engagement. Nothing about emotional connection. Nothing about the frictions he feels but is afraid to express. And so certainly nothing about your strategic strength.
Feedback shouldn't measure whether your customer is “okay” with your offer. It must reveal where he falters, collides or drops out.
Feedback is not a KPI. It is a mirror.
Too many organizations collect feedback as numbers. An NPS score here. A satisfaction rate there.
And then? Then it stops.
There is no deeper analysis. No context. No action. The feedback becomes a meter on a dashboard. One that reassures — but sets nothing in motion.
Strategic listening requires more. It requires that you not see feedback as an afterthought, but as a core input for:
- Your positioning
- Your commercial approach
- Your customer experience
- Your internal workings
- And your culture
Feedback that chafes is feedback that guides.
Strong feedback hurts. Not because customers are wrong. But because it confronts what you thought was right.
- Your story doesn't arrive the way you intended it to.
- Your approach feels distant while you think you're working “personally”.
- Your “added value” is not experienced as relevant.
- Customers drop out on details you overlooked.
That confrontation is not the problem. Ignoring it? That is the real risk.
From a loose comment to a strategic signal
Feedback is not a separate quote from one customer. It is a signal from your market.
A signal that reveals patterns:
- Where you are internally misaligned
- Where your commercial promises don't live in practice
- Where your processes are sabotaging the experience
- Where customers lose trust
And that's where your lever lies. Because every mismatch is an invitation to choose. For more clarity. More sharpness. More coordination.
Feedback is rough. But those who dare to filter will find direction.
“We'll take it with us.” But where to go?
Too often, feedback gets stuck in a statement of intent.
“Thanks, we'll take it with us.”
But then
- What's going on behind the scenes?
- Who picks it up?
- What will change in concrete terms?
Feedback without follow-up is useless. And worse: it confirms for the customer that his opinion doesn't matter. Next time, he'll just shut up.
- Those who receive feedback have a duty to do something with it.
- Not later. Not half.
- But clear. And visible.
At Holmes & Watson, we see feedback as raw material
We don't believe in dashboards full of smileys. We believe in sharp insights that provoke choices. We help you filter, interpret and translate raw feedback into:
- Commercial focus
What really affects customers? And why do they stay (or not)?
- Positioning that's right
Does your story still match your customer's language, needs and context?
- Marketing with effect
Do you use words that customers understand and feel? Or internal jargon?
- Internal reconciliation
Where is structural noise? Which silos are sabotaging the customer experience?
In short:
We don't make feedback an end point, but a strategic kick-off. Crude. Uncomfortable. Indispensable.
Feedback is not a slick advice note.
- It's raw.
- It is emotionally charged.
- It comes in unfiltered.
But that's what makes it valuable. Because raw material is editable. You can give it direction. You can build with it.
As long as you have the courage to listen. Without filter. Without defense. And with the intention to improve.
Do you get feedback but don't know what to do with it?
We help you identify the signals that really matter. No noise. No rows of data. No firm conclusions.
But sharp insights, commercial choices, strategy that works.
