Global Insurance Leader

How a global insurance leader scaled feedback collection from 100 to 250,000 responses annually with SmartSurvey.

In 2019, a globally recognized leader in financial services with a century-old heritage faced a pressing challenge in one of its key markets. The company’s customer insights team, responsible for gathering feedback across diverse touchpoints like claims, repairs, and renewals, was burdened with an outdated, costly, and unscalable feedback collection system. Traditional telephone surveys—once the cornerstone of their insights—were delivering only 100 responses per month and providing limited actionable data. As the organization embraced a shift toward customer-centricity and sought to measure experiences across a growing portfolio, it became evident that they needed a modern, scalable solution. Enter SmartSurvey: the key to revolutionizing their feedback strategy and empowering data-driven decisions at scale.

Problem

The need for scalable, real-time customer feedback

As this financial leader evolved into a customer-first organization, several critical barriers emerged:

• Limited Scale: Existing methods like telephone surveys yielded insufficient responses for meaningful insights.
• Cost Inefficiency: Outsourced feedback collection, including email surveys, incurred significant costs without delivering comprehensive results.
• Operational Delays: Slow feedback loops prevented timely action, leaving dissatisfied customers without resolution and eroding trust.
• Survey Fatigue and Engagement: Repetitive and static survey formats risked disengaging respondents, compromising data quality.
• Brand Complexity: Following the acquisition of another prominent brand, the organization needed a tool flexible enough to manage dual-branding requirements seamlessly.

Without a scalable, flexible platform, the team struggled to meet the rising demand for real-time, enriched insights.

Solution

A scalable, integrated feedback system with SmartSurvey

The company adopted SmartSurvey to address these challenges and redefine how they captured and acted on customer feedback. Key features of the solution included:

• Automation and APIs: SmartSurvey’s API enabled the automation of survey distribution hourly, real-time response collection, and seamless integration with existing analytics tools like Databricks and Power BI. This empowered the team to act on feedback in minutes rather than weeks.
  "We could issue a survey at midday, the customer fills it in by 12:30, and by 1:05, someone could be on the phone resolving the issue," said a member of the insights team.

• Scalability: Transitioning from telephone surveys to SmartSurvey allowed the team to scale feedback collection from 100 responses per month to over 250,000 annually, covering every customer touchpoint.
• Personalization and Design: Advanced features like variable piping and multiple-page logic enabled the creation of tailored survey journeys, minimizing fatigue and maximizing engagement.
  "We’re mindful of survey fatigue and aim to avoid asking questions we already know the answer to," shared the insights team leader.

• Branding Flexibility: With dual branding requirements, SmartSurvey offered customizable themes and dynamic variables to manage co-branded surveys without duplication.
• Insights at Scale: By integrating SmartSurvey data with Power BI, the team developed enriched, actionable insights tied to claims, repairs, and customer interactions.

Results

Measurable impact and transformation

The adoption of SmartSurvey delivered transformative results:

• Dramatic Scale-Up: Feedback collection grew exponentially to over 250,000 responses annually, enabling actionable insights at a fraction of previous costs.
• Faster Response Times: Real-time data integration allowed the organization to respond to customer issues within an hour, creating a proactive customer service model.
  "By the time feedback comes in, someone can already be on the phone making it right," noted a product owner.

• Enhanced Customer Centricity: Feedback became central to decision-making, influencing claims processes and supplier performance metrics. Customer scores directly impacted supplier payments, driving accountability.
  "Customer feedback is now the leading metric for determining how much our suppliers get paid," explained a team lead.

• Cost and Efficiency Gains: Eliminating external agencies and automating workflows significantly reduced costs and manual effort.
• Resilience Against Global Pressure: Despite global mandates to shift to a different survey provider, the market’s success with SmartSurvey enabled them to retain it as their primary platform.
  "We’re the only region in the group still using SmartSurvey, and that’s a testament to how well it works for us," said a senior manager.

Why SmartSurvey Was the Best Choice for Scaling Feedback Collection

The decision to partner with SmartSurvey wasn’t just about solving immediate problems – it was about finding a solution that could grow with evolving needs.

• User-Friendly Yet Powerful: Praised for its flexibility, ease of use, and ability to integrate into complex workflows.
  "We’re huge advocates of the flexibility, ease, and cost-effectiveness of SmartSurvey," noted a key team member.

• Customizable and Scalable: Unlike rigid, one-size-fits-all solutions, SmartSurvey adapted to the organization’s dual-branding needs and growing scale.
• Support and Collaboration: The SmartSurvey team worked closely with the organization to troubleshoot challenges and implement advanced features, fostering a true partnership.
  "SmartSurvey’s team was always there, whether it was resolving a ticket or creating a demo to guide us through new processes," shared a member of the technical team.

Conclusion

A Smarter Path to Customer Insights

For this global insurance leader, SmartSurvey was more than a survey platform – it was a partner in transformation. By enabling real-time feedback at scale, empowering data-driven decisions, and enhancing customer-centricity, SmartSurvey helped the organization achieve its vision of putting customers at the heart of every interaction. As they continue to grow, SmartSurvey remains a cornerstone of their customer insights strategy, proving that the right tools can make a world of difference.