Listening to the voice of the customer (VOC) and integrating their feedback into our processes has been a transformative focus of my work.

Over the years, I’ve explored innovative ways to break down barriers between organizations and their customers, creating opportunities for deeper understanding and accelerated results.

In an industry where relationships can define success, these strategies have proven invaluable.

In this article, I’ll walk you through my approach to customer feedback and engagement, including the workshop methodology that has reshaped how we at Siemens work with customers and partners. 

The challenge with traditional feedback methods

Let’s talk about feedback mechanisms like net promoter score (NPS). 

If you’re familiar with NPS, you know it’s often used to measure customer satisfaction by asking, “How likely are you to recommend us?” on a scale of 1 to 10. While it has its merits, I call it “NPS and other ineffective methods.” Why? Because it often fails to provide the deeper, actionable insights we’re after.

At Siemens Mobility, we still use NPS—we send out surveys annually, and they receive significant corporate attention. However, the data is often subjective. One person’s “3” might be another person’s “7,” which makes it hard to extract consistent meaning. You see, NPS scores alone don’t tell the full story.

When we started using NPS, we found it fell short in driving meaningful engagement. Sure, our customers would provide a score on how they felt, but they seldom provided any written feedback. It was limited, to say the least.

And yet, our follow-up strategy also had flaws. If someone gave us a low score, we’d follow up to ask, “What’s wrong?” But if someone scored us an 8, 9, or 10, we wouldn’t engage further. 

That was a missed opportunity.

Moving beyond scores to get actionable feedback

Our goal was to foster deeper connections with our customers and gather feedback that could drive real improvements. We had learned by now that merely measuring satisfaction wasn’t enough—we needed actionable results, and traditional methods weren’t delivering. 

That’s when we began exploring alternative strategies to get closer to our customers and understand their needs more effectively.

Stay tuned as I dive into some of the changes we’ve made, the risks we’ve taken, and how stepping outside the usual feedback methods has helped us transform the way we engage with our customers. It’s a journey that continues to shape our approach to customer success.

Creating deeper connections through workshop collaboration

To address the limitations of traditional feedback methods, we developed a workshop approach aimed at fostering true collaboration and integration with our customers. This method has transformed the way we engage, allowing us to better understand our customers and address challenges effectively. 

I’d like to walk you through this approach, share its guiding principles, and highlight the results.

We call it “project acceleration through communication and teamwork”—or PACT for short. It’s a name that encapsulates our goal but, like any method, it’s meaningless unless put into practice. Over time, PACT has become a cornerstone of how we collaborate, not just with customers but also with key suppliers.

The foundation: Off-site and tech-free environments

One of the most important elements of these workshops is location. Getting out of the office is non-negotiable. 

Holding sessions in a workplace inevitably pulls participants back into their day-to-day responsibilities. To foster focus and creativity, you need a fresh environment. 

It doesn’t have to be extravagant—any neutral, off-site location will work, whether it’s a hotel conference room or a retreat space. The key is to remove distractions and allow everyone to fully engage.

Another rule we follow is minimizing technology use. While laptops and phones are essential tools in our daily lives, they can hinder the collaborative energy we’re aiming for. Instead, we rely on tangible tools—large sticky notes, colorful markers, and plenty of wall space. 

Writing things down and physically interacting with ideas engages multiple senses, reinforcing learning and collaboration.

Building connections: Beyond roles and titles

Our workshops start with a deep dive into who’s who. This goes beyond job titles and project responsibilities. We believe it’s crucial to know the person behind the role—their interests, passions, and even hobbies. Knowing these details creates personal connections that strengthen professional relationships.

We use interactive activities to foster this understanding, blending structured introductions with informal conversations. These moments create a sense of trust and camaraderie that’s essential for meaningful collaboration.

Structured work and shared challenges

The core of the workshop involves two components: work and challenges.

  • Work focuses on problem-solving. We tackle issues head-on, breaking them down into manageable parts and brainstorming solutions as a team.
  • Challenges are designed to bring the team together in creative ways. These might involve simulations, group exercises, or fun problem-solving activities. For example, we once organized a timed challenge to construct a prototype solution—a simple yet effective way to spark teamwork and ingenuity.

These sessions are always conducted with cross-functional teams. Different perspectives fuel innovative thinking, and the interactions often lead to insights no single team could achieve alone.

The importance of play

One unique aspect of PACT is the deliberate inclusion of play. After intense work sessions, we take time to socialize—whether it’s at Topgolf, throwing darts, or simply sharing a meal. 

Play is where relationships solidify. It’s where disagreements from the workroom are set aside, and real connections are formed. Play shifts the focus from professional roles to shared humanity, creating a foundation of trust that can weather difficult conversations.

Of course, we keep safety in mind. Ax-throwing after a couple of drinks might not be the best idea!

Closing the loop: Senior management review

Workshops like these require an investment of time and money, so a senior management review is essential. 

At the end of the process, we present the results: what we achieved, the feedback received, and the actionable steps moving forward. This review ensures accountability and demonstrates the value of these sessions.

Through this workshop approach, we’ve seen measurable improvements in customer relationships and project outcomes. By taking the time to deeply engage with our customers, we’ve been able to address challenges more effectively and build partnerships that last.

Case study: Building partnerships with Brightline in Florida

One of the most transformative examples of our workshop approach involved a customer in Florida: Brightline. 

Brightline operates a high-speed rail service connecting Orlando Airport to Miami. It’s currently the gold standard of rail travel in North America, offering fast, comfortable, and luxurious service, complete with beautifully designed lounges and business-class amenities. 

However, despite the high stakes and significant investment involved, our relationship with Brightline had hit some friction points.

To address this, we decided to take the plunge and engage deeply with them through our workshop methodology. This wasn’t without resistance. 

When senior management at Siemens Mobility heard about the plan, the response was immediate: “No way. Don’t do it. You’re crazy to discuss these issues openly with a customer.” But I stood firm, knowing that this level of transparency and collaboration could yield incredible results—and it did.

Pulling back the curtain: Risks and opportunities

We began the workshop by tackling risks and opportunities together. Using color-coded sticky notes (red for high risks, green for opportunities), we filled the walls with insights. 

The results were eye-opening. Many of our risks overlapped with theirs—despite being a massive, $70 billion corporation, we shared common challenges with this smaller, private business. Their fresh, property-development-focused perspective also uncovered opportunities we hadn’t considered.

This exercise not only identified areas of alignment but also set the tone for open and honest communication. By exposing some of our vulnerabilities, we encouraged Brightline to do the same, creating a collaborative environment where both sides could freely share insights and ideas.

Accelerating work through collaboration

Another cornerstone of the workshop was the work breakdown structure exercise. We literally placed a large table in the center of the room and asked participants to write their tasks on sticky notes. 

These notes were then moved around, reordered, and discussed in real time. This process revealed dependencies, conflicts, and synergies that email or virtual communication could never have surfaced.

For example, a task planned by Brightline that we’d assumed was minor turned out to be a critical path item for their team. Similarly, some of our tasks impacted their timelines in ways we hadn’t realized. 

What would have taken weeks of back-and-forth email exchanges was resolved in hours. The dynamic interaction not only accelerated progress but also strengthened team relationships.

Understanding organizational dynamics

A key part of the workshop was fostering organizational understanding. We separated the teams into different rooms and asked each to draw the other company’s organizational chart. 

The results were fascinating and often humorous—many participants couldn’t accurately identify roles or hierarchies in the other organization. This exercise highlighted gaps in knowledge and communication that we could then address collaboratively.

We also worked on communication plans, a simple yet powerful tool. Different people prefer different methods of communication—some swear by Slack, others hate it. By aligning on preferred tools and creating escalation paths, we reduced misunderstandings and inefficiencies, setting the foundation for smoother long-term collaboration.

Surprising results and long-term impact

The outcomes of the Brightline workshop exceeded expectations. By the end of the three-day session, we had not only resolved immediate issues but also laid the groundwork for a stronger partnership. 

One of the most telling indicators of success was how seamlessly the teams integrated. Looking at a photo of the workshop, you wouldn’t be able to tell who worked for Siemens and who worked for Brightline—a testament to the unity we achieved.

This methodology has since become a cornerstone of our approach to customer engagement. We now hold similar workshops monthly with customers, suppliers, and key partners across North America. The benefits are clear: faster problem resolution, deeper relationships, and tangible improvements in business outcomes.

The Brightline experience demonstrated the power of collaboration, transparency, and trust. By bringing teams together in a focused and engaging environment, we transformed a strained relationship into a thriving partnership—a lesson that continues to shape how we do business.

Results that redefine collaboration

The results of our workshop methodology speak for themselves. The level of cross-organizational understanding we achieve during these sessions is nothing short of transformative. 

Communication improves across the board—from CEOs to on-site technicians. Decisions that previously took weeks or months are made in a matter of hours. This isn’t hypothetical; I’ve seen it happen time and again, across countless workshops over the past six years.

For instance, during a recent workshop at a hotel in Santa Cruz, there were moments of tension—raised voices and heated discussions—but that’s part of the process. By the end of the session (which ran over by nearly two hours), the customer remarked that we’d resolved an issue they’d been grappling with for six months. 

We saved significant time, strengthened relationships, and capped the day off with a shared celebration over beers.

The culmination of these sessions often leads to the creation of a single mission statement—a unifying vision that everyone, from both sides, commits to. 

At the Santa Cruz session, every participant signed the mission statement, symbolizing collective ownership and accountability. In one particularly memorable case, a customer arrived at a follow-up workshop two years later with the sticky notes from the original session, rolled up and ready to revisit. 

That level of commitment and continuity is rare—and it’s proof of the lasting impact these workshops can have.

One team, one mission

A hallmark of this approach is creating an environment where roles and hierarchies blur. By the end of the workshop, you can’t tell who’s who. 

People shed their corporate badges—both literally and figuratively—and work together as a single team. Whether it’s through shared problem-solving, a team-building ropes course, or casual downtime, these sessions foster a culture of unity and trust.

Transforming the way we work

The workshop method has become a cornerstone of how we engage with customers, suppliers, and partners. It’s a powerful tool that fosters collaboration, accelerates problem-solving, and builds lasting relationships. 

Whether it’s creating a shared mission statement, resolving months-long issues in a single day, or simply gaining a deeper understanding of each other, the results are consistently impactful.

By embracing transparency, play, and collaboration, we’ve redefined what it means to work together. This approach has not only transformed strained relationships but also set a new standard for how we approach customer success. 

If there’s one takeaway from this journey, it’s that the best solutions come not just from working hard—but from working together.