Client satisfaction: a profound redesign of our annual client satisfaction survey yields fruits

Wavestone is committed to delivering the highest level of client satisfaction in the consulting market. To support and achieve this goal, the firm has implemented a quality policy that is systematically applied to all its assignments.

The Wavestone client satisfaction policy is underpinned by the following components:

  • An organization structured around a Steering Committee responsible for the policy, and a network of local “Quality Champions”
  • A detection and control process for customer satisfaction risks, integrated into all the firm’s management mechanisms
  • An annual satisfaction survey conducted among existing and previous Wavestone clients
  • A compulsory customer satisfaction training course for all employees

Traditionally, we relied on an annual email survey to gauge client satisfaction. The feedbacks received from this survey allow us to calculate Wavestone’s Net Promoter Score (NPS®).

During the 2023/24 fiscal year, this approach underwent a significant overhaul. Direct exchanges with clients are now prioritized for conducting the annual survey. Beyond simply completing the survey questionnaire, this change in approach has fostered insightful dialogues with clients about the quality of the Wavestone’s services and the evaluations of consultants. In total, over 1,300 direct exchanges were conducted with clients during this three-month period.

These personalized and in-depth discussions about strengths and areas for improvement allow Wavestone to be more precise in developing action plans. Besides, this new approach has fostered collective engagement from teams, with over 500 Wavestone employees participating in these exchanges. All these elements reinforce the central role of client satisfaction in Wavestone’s client relationships.

In addition to direct exchanges, an online survey was used to reach clients who couldn’t be interviewed directly. As a result, the outcomes of this new approach are based on a foundation of 1,600 responses, compared to approximately 1,100 responses for the 2022/23 survey.

NPS® is a Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc. and, Fred Reichheld brand.

Wavestone's Net Promoter Score (NPS®) has significantly improved to 73 (compared to 45 in the previous fiscal year)

This improvement can be attributed to:

  • The results of actions taken in recent years to address previously identified weaknesses. Key focus areas in past years included managing client mission rotations, supporting junior consultants, and providing expertise
  • A change in evaluation methodology (direct exchanges instead of online surveys)
  • The redesign and simplification of the online questionnaire, which positively impacted client responses

The survey respondents are highly representative in terms of revenue distribution across major clients and mission types.

While client evaluations confirm the firm’s strengths—such as flexibility, relationship quality, and investment in missions—they also highlight areas for improvement. Specifically, Wavestone’s ability to mobilize the right level of seniority during critical mission moments, for strategic challenges, and for expertise and feedback stands out as an area for enhancement.