Customerville PRO Resources Measuring customer experience is now part of the experience PRO Guide Series WHAT CAN KEVIN SPACEY AND HOUSE OF CARDS TEACH YOU ABOUT SURVEYS

Actors call it “breaking the fourth wall.” If you want to break through to your customers and get them to interact with your surveys, then plan on changing the way you talk to them. Kevin Spacey’s character, Frank Underwood, shows us how.

Toward the end of the first episode of the hit (the imaginary, invisible wall through which an American TV series, House of Cards, there is audience views the action of a story) for a private this great scene where the President of the United conversation directly with us. States is being sworn into office. Surprisingly, the attention isn’t on the President. It’s on the Then the camera pulls back, and there’s Under- always-maneuvering main character, Repre- wood mischievously waving to us while the rest sentative Francis “Frank” Underwood, played of the crowd — totally oblivious to our secret by Kevin Spacey. conversation — watches the president.

While he should be watching the President, Un- The reason we bring this up is that customer derwood glances to his right and starts talking experience surveys — and those of us who to us — right through the television. He’s break- deploy them — have a lot to learn from Con- ing through what actors call the “fourth wall” gressman Underwood.

Customerville · PRO Guide Series Page 2 What Kevin Spacey Can Teach You About Surveys Breaking The 4th Wall With Your Surveys

At Customerville we speak to great brand mar- keting professionals all over the world about creating engaging surveys. And we spend a lot of time talking about how important it is to create a survey that speaks directly to their customers. Surveys have to use a human voice and have a human touch. Generally, everybody can agree on this point.

But then we start talking about how essen- tial it is to reach customers in a way that’s unique from the rest of their company’s brand messages. That’s where Voice of the Customer initiatives can create some anxiety with the folks in charge of your company’s brand.

Why? Well, we want your customers to feel like they’re having a conversation with people who are listening to them. A survey that throws images of your product or marketing photos in the customer’s face doesn’t do a good job of conveying that the people behind your brand are present and listening.

Frank Underwood: Survey Guru “Power is a lot like real estate” Underwood confides. This can create some heartburn among those responsible for your brand. A vital part of their “It’s all about location, location, job, after all, is making sure that a brand speaks location. The closer you are to people with a singular voice. They ensure to the source, the higher that there’s consistency in that brand’s voice re- your property value. Centuries gardless of whether it’s radio, TV, print, online, or social media. These marketers are the ste- from now when people watch wards—the protectors, the defenders—of these this footage, who will they very valuable brands. We get that. see smiling just at the edge of the frame?”

Customerville · PRO Guide Series Page 3 What Kevin Spacey Can Teach You About Surveys But when it comes to Voice of the Customer or Sound like a challenge? Well, it can be. Even Net Promoter® surveys—when you need to have the best brand in the world would have a hard that feedback conversation—Frank Underwood time delivering this performance as expertly has got it right. Surveys need to break through as Kevin Spacey nails his role as Frank Un- that fourth wall. They need to talk directly to derwood. But then, that’s probably not a fair customers, and that needs to happen in a way comparison. that is often different—complete with a unique look and feel—than the rest of a company’s Underwood might be the character we love to carefully curated brand image. hate, but we just plain love his ability to look us straight in the eye, break through the fourth The survey needs to be a conversation not wall, and have a conversation with us. unlike one you would have were you to meet that customer personally at a dinner party or during half time at your kid’s soccer game. It needs to be human, honest, and natural. It needs to reflect a dialogue. And that probably means a survey that’s branded in a way that features employees more than product, while still respecting and adhering to your brand’s broader look and feel.

Watch House of Cards first season trailer.

Customerville · PRO Guide Series Page 4 What Kevin Spacey Can Teach You About Surveys Video: Engaging Customers in Sharing Feedback

Your CEM initiative requires healthy participation levels by your customers. Here's how we ensure this happens.

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