Customer Feedback
Metric Framework
| Metric | Question | Scale | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPS | "How likely to recommend?" | 0-10 (Detractor 0-6, Passive 7-8, Promoter 9-10) | Relationship health, quarterly+ |
| CSAT | "How satisfied with [interaction]?" | 1-5 stars | Post-transaction, support close |
| CES | "How easy was it to [task]?" | 1-7 (strongly disagree→agree) | Post-task completion |
| PMF Score | "How disappointed if you couldn't use this?" | Very/Somewhat/Not | Product-market fit (target >40% "very") |
NPS Survey Design
Timing triggers (pick ONE per user journey):
- Post-onboarding: 7-14 days after activation
- Relationship: every 90 days, offset by cohort (avoid survey fatigue)
- Post-milestone: after first value moment (e.g., first project completed)
Segmentation: Split by plan tier, tenure, geography, and use-case. Compare NPS across segments — the delta tells you more than the absolute score.
Survey rules:
- Max 2 questions: score + open-ended "What's the main reason for your score?"
- Suppress if user surveyed in last 90 days
- Exclude users active < 7 days
- Send in-app for active users, email for dormant (>14 days inactive)
Feedback Collection Channels
| Channel | Signal Type | Volume | Richness |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-app widget | Feature requests, bugs | High | Medium |
| Post-support CSAT | Service quality | Medium | Low |
| Email surveys (NPS) | Relationship health | Medium | High |
| Support tickets | Pain points | High | High |
| Social/review sites | Brand sentiment | Low | Medium |
| Sales call notes | Objections, gaps | Low | Very High |
| Community/forum | Power user needs | Medium | High |
RICE Prioritization for Feature Requests
Score each request: RICE = (Reach × Impact × Confidence) / Effort
| Factor | Definition | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Users affected per quarter | Absolute number |
| Impact | Effect per user (Massive=3, High=2, Medium=1, Low=0.5, Minimal=0.25) | 0.25–3 |
| Confidence | Data backing (High=100%, Medium=80%, Low=50%) | 50–100% |
| Effort | Person-months | Absolute number |
# Example RICE calculation
reach = 2000 # users/quarter
impact = 2 # high
confidence = 0.8 # medium — have support tickets but no interviews
effort = 3 # person-months
rice = (reach * impact * confidence) / effort # = 1066
Qualitative Analysis Workflow
- Tag — Apply taxonomy:
bug,feature-request,ux-friction,praise,pricing - Theme — Cluster tags into themes (e.g., "onboarding confusion", "missing integrations")
- Sentiment — Score positive/neutral/negative per theme
- Quantify — Count mentions per theme per period; track trends
- Prioritize — Cross-reference themes with RICE scores and revenue impact
Tagging rules: Use max 3 tags per item. Maintain a shared taxonomy (see references/feedback-taxonomy.yaml). Review and merge tags monthly.
Closing the Feedback Loop
Respond → Act → Communicate
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
Acknowledge Ship fix/ Notify the person
within 48h feature who requested it
Templates: See references/feedback-response-templates.md
- Detractors (NPS 0-6): Personal outreach within 24h. Ask to understand, don't defend.
- Feature shipped: Email requesters with changelog link. "You asked, we built."
- Won't build: Be honest. "We considered this but chose X because Y."
Churn Surveys (Exit Interviews)
Trigger on cancellation. Keep to 3 questions max:
- Primary reason (multiple choice: too expensive, missing feature, switched competitor, not needed, other)
- Open-ended: "What could we have done differently?"
- "Would you consider returning if we [addressed reason]?" (Yes/No)
Analyze monthly. If >20% cite same reason, escalate to product leadership.
Beta Testing Program
| Phase | Audience | Size | Duration | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | Internal + 5 power users | 10-20 | 2 weeks | Find breaking bugs |
| Closed Beta | Opted-in segment | 50-200 | 2-4 weeks | Usability + edge cases |
| Open Beta | Feature-flagged rollout | 5-20% of base | 1-2 weeks | Scale validation |
Recruit from NPS promoters (9-10) first — they're invested and forgiving.
VoC Program Design Checklist
- Define metrics: NPS (quarterly), CSAT (post-support), CES (post-onboarding)
- Set up collection channels (in-app, email, support, social monitoring)
- Build tagging taxonomy and train support team
- Create feedback board (public or internal) for feature requests
- Implement RICE scoring for prioritization
- Schedule monthly feedback review with product + engineering leads
- Automate close-the-loop notifications when features ship
- Quarterly VoC report to leadership with trends + recommendations
- Annual program review: survey response rates, action rate, NPS trend
Tools Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Pricing Model | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canny | Public feature voting boards | Per-tracked-user | Transparent roadmap |
| ProductBoard | Feedback→roadmap workflow | Per-maker seat | Prioritization frameworks |
| Pendo | In-app guides + analytics | Per-MAU | Combines feedback with usage data |
| Hotjar | On-page surveys + heatmaps | Per-session | Visual context |
| Delighted | NPS/CSAT automation | Per-survey-response | Simple, fast setup |
Feedback→Roadmap Integration
- All feedback tagged and stored in single system of record
- Product reviews feedback board weekly (30 min)
- RICE-scored items enter backlog with
customer-requestedlabel - Roadmap items link back to original feedback threads
- Ship notifications auto-trigger to requesters via integration
See references/feedback-roadmap-workflow.md for detailed integration diagrams.