Between the Builds: Why Listening to Customers (and Your Team) Fuels Growth

Summary:

In this second installment of Between the Builds, host Chris Fay digs deeper into a theme that resonated in a recent conversation with Ryan Suydam and Tim Asimos from Client Savvy; the power of listening. Drawing from industry data, personal practice, and practical tools, Chris explores why so many leaders miss the mark on client and employee feedback, and what it really takes to bridge the gap between perception and reality. From annual surveys to personalized follow-ups, he lays out actionable ways leaders can humanize feedback, validate their teams and customers, and, most importantly, take action. Whether you lead in architecture, manufacturing, tech, or beyond, this episode is a blueprint for building stronger relationships and creating lasting loyalty.

Key Takeaways:

• Listening is one of the most underutilized growth strategies in leadership.
• Only 1 in 26 unhappy customers will speak up, yet most expect their voices to be heard.
• Structured feedback programs can boost net promoter scores by 10–25 points.
• There’s often a massive gap between what leaders think they deliver and what clients actually experience.
• Feedback must be humanized. Emails and surveys should come from people, not faceless systems.
• Leaders who acknowledge both good and bad feedback build trust and loyalty.
• Taking visible action on feedback is what turns insights into impact.
• Simple steps, like annual surveys, project follow-ups, or personal phone calls, can transform client experience.
• Feedback loops should be iterative, quarter by quarter, improving how you listen and respond.
• Organizations that truly listen and act create enduring partnerships and stronger cultures.