“Customers First” Starts With Listening; What I’ve Learned From Our Clients

Making Conversations Human

One of the things I’ve been deliberate about is making these conversations human. Surveys have their place, but they rarely tell the full story. When I speak to clients directly, I get context, nuance and honesty. I hear the bigger picture; how our service feels day to day, where we’re making a difference and where we’re falling short.

The good news is that there’s a lot we’re getting right. Clients consistently talk about our responsiveness and the strength of our communication. I hear things like, “The team is very responsive and communication is excellent. They’re proactive and always follow up,” and “I really value how promptly you reply at any time of day; it’s brilliant.” That kind of feedback tells me that the foundations are strong.

It also comes through in how clients see us. One told me, “I couldn’t speak more highly of the team. I genuinely see IDX as an extension of my team,” which is exactly the relationship we aim to build. Another simply said, “Honestly, I’d describe IDX as perfect. I’mvery comfortable working with them and have no intention of ever-changing suppliers.” That’s a high bar; and one we don’t take for granted.

Going Above and Beyond

There are also moments where the team goes above and beyond under pressure, and clients notice. “When we got close to go-live and discovered an additional 400 pages of work, IDX worked round the clock to deliver on time,” one client told me. “I was so relieved because a delay would have had big repercussions.” Those are the moments that define trust.

And sometimes the impact of the work itself is clear. “The new site is an absolute gamechanger… it’s like moving from a Ford Fiesta to a Rolls-Royce.” Another client echoed that sentiment after a creative presentation: “It genuinely blows me away.” Feedback like that is brilliant to hear; not just because it recognises the outcome, but because it shows we’re delivering something that genuinely moves the needle.

But if this was only about positive feedback, we’d be missing the point.

Giving Clients Their Say

What I value most about these conversations is that they give clients a space to say what hasn’t worked as well as it should. Not everything comes through day-to-day channels, and sometimes issues slip through the net. When they do, I want to know about them; quickly, clearly and without filters.

Because I sit across all client conversations, I can also see patterns. If the same theme comes up more than once, that’s not an isolated issue; it’s a signal that we need to change something as a business. That’s where “Customers First” becomes tangible.

A good example of this is communication across different stages of a project. We received consistently strong feedback during build phases; clients valued the structure, clarity and pace. But when projects moved into the service phase, the experience wasn’t always as strong. That wasn’t something we would have fully understood without stepping back and listening across multiple clients.

So we acted. We’re now trialling new communication tools and approaches within our service teams, and early feedback has been really positive. Similarly, when clients told us our CMS guidance could be more intuitive, we developed bespoke manuals tailored to how they actually use the platform. These are practical changes, directly driven by what clients told us.

Getting the Right Data

Alongside these conversations, I also track a small number of quantitative measures to make sure we’re moving in the right direction. The most important of these is Net Promoter Score. It’s a simple metric, but a powerful one; it gives us a clear sense of customer loyalty and satisfaction over time.

After seven months of running this programme, our overall NPS sits at 50. That’s firmly in “excellent” territory. More encouragingly, our most recent monthly score came in at 82, which is considered world-class. I’m incredibly proud of that, because it reflects the experience our clients are having right now; not just what we think we’re delivering.

That said, I don’t see NPS as a finish line. It’s a checkpoint. The real value comes from understanding the “why” behind the score, and using that insight to keep improving.

There’s also something powerful about sharing feedback internally. When I hear comments like, “My DCM goes above and beyond; he’s very responsive and doing a great job,” or “I’ve never seen any errors or inaccuracies, and every deadline has been met,” I make sure the people involved hear that directly. It builds pride, reinforces what good looks like and sets a standard for others.

Equally, when feedback is more challenging, we don’t shy away from it. That transparency keeps us honest and stops us becoming complacent.

Ever-changing Customer Experience

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this role, it’s that customer experience isn’t something you design once and get right forever. It’s something you earn, continuously. It requires curiosity, humility and a willingness to act.

Or, as one client put it to me, “Please just continue doing what you’re doing; it really works for me.” That’s encouraging; but it’s not a reason to stand still. It’s a reminder to keep listening, keep learning and keep improving.

Because in the end, “Customers First” isn’t about what we say. It’s about what we do next.

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