How do you identify trends and patterns in customer service feedback?

An extra layer here is to ensure that clients from different tiers are included in your feedback round. You need multiple perspectives to build a rich and realistic list of what your improvement areas are, as well as where your customers perceive the most value. Negative feedback help us improve and work on our image, positive feedback helps us maintain our strengths and address our target audience more efficiently. I, personally, don’t like the question “would you refer us to a friend”, instead I love asking “would you work with us again/buy from us again? Why?”. What motivates your customer to buy more from you or to switch vendors? This is pure gold!

In my experience its important to continuously find new ways to gain customer feedback in the most effortless manner possible for the customer. Using the approach of multiple responses to choose from in an app to a quick positive or negative button press on a phone call after the call is done. If you don't make feedback collection effortless, your customer feedback will be overwhelmingly negative rather than constructive.

Net promoter score is a powerful metric. The best way to use the data efficiently is to categorise detractor reasons and prioritise based on the amount of responses attributing to the relevant category. Then invest time and resources on resolving the big ticket item - that is what is going to eventually satisfy your biggest customer cluster as quickly as possible.

Consider using word clouds which can be a great visualization clue. Once you know which terms occur more frequently, take a deep sincere dive into why.

An interesting way of looking at it would be actionable insights and impact of acting on these insights. By taking this approach you will learn first hand which efforts or feedback when addressed gives you a maximum positive impact. To start off focus on easy wins and go in for a followup feedback loop. In doing so you will learn what efforts internally have large resonating positive feedback with your clients. In my experience I have seen the smallest unimaginable change in process and service make the most positive impact on client relationships.