Short answer
Clients of agencies, consultancies and other service firms are polite. They rate you 4 out of 5, say the project went well, and then put the next piece of work out to tender. To get feedback you can use:
- ask about specific moments in the work;
- have someone other than the account lead ask;
- ask what they put up with, as well as what they value;
- include clients who left.
Then report how many clients described each point. If you have a client question ready, ask it now.
Why client satisfaction scores stay high until the client leaves
A client survey or an NPS question arrives from a firm the client still works with, often from a person they like. Three things follow:
- Politeness. Criticising a team you will meet on Thursday is uncomfortable.
- Averaging. A client who loves the lead consultant and dislikes the invoicing gives a 4.
- No obvious use. If earlier feedback changed nothing, the quick answer is the rational one.
The result is a score that sits around 4 for years and tells you little about renewals. A net promoter score has the same limit: "7 out of 10" is a number without a reason attached.
What to ask clients
Good client feedback questions are concrete and cover both sides of the relationship.
| Topic | What it can reveal | Example opening question |
|---|---|---|
| Value | What they would miss | "If we stopped tomorrow, what would you notice first?" |
| Moments that mattered | Where the work changed a decision | "Tell me about a time our work changed what you did." |
| What they put up with | The cost of working with you | "What do you work around when you work with us?" |
| The team | Continuity, seniority, chemistry | "Who do you call when something is urgent, and why them?" |
| Deliverables | What gets used and what gets filed | "What happened to the last report after we sent it?" |
| Money | Surprises, and perceived fairness | "Was there an invoice that surprised you?" |
| Renewal | How the decision is really made | "Who else has a say in whether we continue, and what do they ask?" |
"What do you put up with?" is the most useful question on the list. Clients answer it readily, because it assumes the relationship is good and asks about its price.
Who should ask
Clients say less to the person whose work they are describing. Common options, with their trade-offs:
| Who asks | Advantage | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| The account lead | Knows the context | The client softens everything |
| A partner not on the account | More candour, shows the firm cares | Time, and still the firm |
| An external researcher | Most candour | Cost and scheduling |
| A written conversation the client completes alone | Client chooses the moment and has time to think | No voice or tone; needs a clear introduction |
Whoever asks, tell the client who will read the answers and what will happen with them. Do not promise that an answer cannot be traced back to them if you have twelve clients and each one is recognisable.
A fictional example: a consultancy with flat scores
A fictional operations consultancy has scored between 4.0 and 4.2 on client satisfaction for three years. Two long-standing clients did not renew this year.
The managing partner invites nine client contacts, including one from each lost account, to answer one question in a short written conversation: "What do you value most about working with us, what do you put up with, and what would make you renew?"
- Seven of the nine say the weekly call is where the value is. Decisions get made there.
- Five say the final report is read once.
- Four describe a team that changed mid-project, and having to brief new people.
- Three mention an invoice with costs they had not expected.
- Both contacts from lost accounts are among those who described the changing team.
The firm had been investing in longer, better-designed reports. The conversations point elsewhere: protect the weekly call, keep one senior person on the account, and warn before any extra cost.
These are nine invented people, and the pattern is a lead to test, with no proof behind it yet. It is still far more specific than "4.1 out of 5".
Turning feedback into a renewal conversation
Feedback that stays inside the firm is wasted. Close the loop:
- Share a one-page summary with the clients who took part: what you heard, with counts.
- Name one or two changes you will make, and by when.
- Raise it at the next review meeting, before the renewal discussion.
- Ask again in six months with the same question.
Clients notice when their words turn into a change. That is often worth more than the change itself.
How often to ask
- After a milestone, while the detail is fresh.
- Midway through a long engagement, when there is still time to adjust.
- Three months before renewal, never during the negotiation.
- After a loss, once the decision is final and nobody is selling.
A short annual survey can still run alongside for the trend. The conversations explain it.
Where Lontra fits
With Lontra, you write the question in one sentence and review the topics it proposes. Each client contact gets a private link, answers in writing on a phone or laptop with no account, and Lontra follows up on what they say. You read findings with how many clients described each point, where they disagree, and the quotes behind them. It is free to try with 10 conversations. This is a conversational AI survey: one open question and follow-ups, in place of a form.
It does not replace the relationship, or the call a partner should make to a client who is clearly unhappy. With a small client list, people may be recognisable from what they say, and participants are told before they start that you will read their answers.
Ask before the renewal meeting
Pick the clients whose renewal falls in the next two quarters. Ask them what they value and what they put up with. Start with your question and read the answers before you write the proposal.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you get honest feedback from clients?
- Ask about specific moments, ask what they put up with as well as what they value, have someone other than the account lead ask, and include clients who left. Tell them who will read the answers.
- What questions should I ask clients for feedback?
- If we stopped tomorrow, what would you notice first? What do you work around when you work with us? What happened to the last report after we sent it? Was there an invoice that surprised you?
- When is the best time to ask clients for feedback?
- After a milestone, midway through a long engagement, and about three months before renewal. Avoid asking during the renewal negotiation itself.