From Gut Feeling to Facts: How to Truly Discover What Your Customers Think

Anna Cluytens
Jun 2
3 min read

Updated: Jun 10

Not just a random list of questions tucked away at the bottom of a newsletter.

We’re talking about a strategic survey — smartly designed, purposefully deployed, and properly analyzed.

Why this is an absolute must:

You uncover the real reasons why customers choose you — and why they stay.
You identify the pain points — not just in your service, but often in your communication, approach, or even your product.
You gain pure gold to level up your marketing, sales, and overall strategy.
Your customers’ answers aren’t just dry data. They’re a direct mirror of your organization. And what they say? That’s actionable:
- Which promises actually land — and which ones fall flat?
- What do they genuinely see as your unique edge over the competition?
- Where’s the hesitation or frustration they never dared to say to your sales team?
And then there are the hidden gems: Your secret ambassadors.
The ones so satisfied they’d happily promote you — if only you recognized them.

Measure your NPS — And actually use it

The Net Promoter Score isn’t just a fancy KPI for your dashboard. It’s a barometer of your customer relationships — and more importantly, a starting point to turn feedback into action.

But here’s the catch: you have to interpret it correctly.

Don’t compare yourself to just any company.

What counts as a “good score” depends entirely on your industry, market, and customer type. A 30 might be excellent in one sector and just average in another.

That’s why we always analyze your NPS in context:

What does it reveal about your customers’ actual experience?
What drives your promoters — and what’s holding back your detractors?
And how do these insights differ per segment, region, or product line?

NPS isn’t a secret number just for management eyes. Share the results and insights openly across your organization. Because everyone contributes to customer satisfaction — from reception to production, logistics to invoicing.

When the whole team understands what makes customers happy and what makes them drop off, you create shared ownership. Customer-centricity stops being a department. It becomes a mindset.

From Insight to Impact

At Holmes & Watson, we don’t believe in surveys that disappear into a drawer.

We believe in strategic listening — and translating what we hear into real, hands-on action:

Segmentation – What customer types do you actually serve? And how do their needs differ?
Positioning – What do they truly value in your offer? And how can you double down on that?
Sales & Marketing Strategy – How do you get your message across, tailored to each type of customer?
Ambassador Plan – How do you turn satisfied customers into your strongest marketing force?

So be honest:

When was the last time you really asked your customers something?

Not about an order. Not about a delivery. But about what actually matters to them:

What you mean to them.
How they experience your company.
Whether they’d miss you if you disappeared tomorrow.

Time for a different approach?

Want to grow — but not by gut feeling alone? Let’s uncover what your customers are really thinking. We’ll help you ask the right questions, analyze the answers, and act on them.

Because truly listening to your customers?

That’s not a luxury. That’s strategy.