Listen to this articleIn a world where online reviews and reputation management are critical, the feedback management landscape is evolving rapidly. Hamid Farooqui, CEO of Sogolytics, shared his insights in this recent interview.
Q: What is your company story?
A: A decade ago, my co-founder and I started noticing that there was a problem to be solved in the feedback market. We both have backgrounds in experience management and know how important it is to collect feedback, but we saw that the online survey software market was flooded with low-cost solutions that were virtually useless and products that were great but completely unaffordable. Seeing this opportunity, we founded SoGoSurvey in 2012 and rolled out a solid online survey tool that filled the need. Soon we recognized that companies needed more than simple data collection and analysis, and we evolved our offering into a complete experience management system. Eventually, the company name didn’t make sense, so we rebranded from SoGoSurvey to Sogolytics in 2022 to reflect our full suite of products.
Q: What can you share with us about your most recent news, including your rebrand?
A: It’s been a few months now, but I’m most excited about the rebrand. This is a lot more than a cosmetic change – it’s opened the door to better conversations with new partners who really see the value of experience management. I’ve heard from our sales team especially that being thought of as a survey company has held us back in the past, and “SoGoSurvey” just didn’t fit anymore. In one example, a prospect asked a member of our team to give a demo to their COO, but with a heads up that the exec thought it was a waste of his time to be involved in a conversation about a simple survey tool. After the demo, the COO was blown away, and he had a ton of ideas about how they could use our platform beyond the original use case. Once he saw the product, he was able to recognize the opportunities of expanding experience management across the company. I believe – and have seen already – that the new name helps us get over that initial hurdle and focus on analytics, insights, and the big picture. Beyond these conversations, we’re also excited to see recognition of the new brand, like being named Leader in Enterprise Feedback Management Software by G2.
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Q: Can you give us more insights into your offering, and how does Sogolytics compare to its competitors?
A: When you log into our platform, you’ll see the difference right away. The quality of experience that our users have is so much better because we’re constantly evolving our solutions with usability in mind. When you see the fresh and modern design of our UI and our intuitive functionality – there’s really no comparison to some of those old-school platforms that haven’t made the leap into the present day.
Another difference is that we really do offer end-to-end feedback management. Take SogoCX. You can design a customer experience questionnaire, set up automated distribution, collect results, and analyze feedback across multiple touchpoints in the customer journey – plus, close the loop with any customers who require follow-up, all in the same platform. One more difference is that our clients are consistently impressed by the support they receive from our team, from strategic consultation to 24/7 technical support. I’m really proud of the work our team does, both in building such an amazing product and supporting our clients every step of the way.
Q: What can we expect from Sogolytics in the next few months?
A: A key priority in our product roadmap is making the entire process more intuitive for our users – from design and development to distribution and analysis of results. Everyone wants more insights in less time, which means we need to continue to reduce the time it takes to complete a project. For example, rather than having to build something from scratch, our platform should be able to use users’ answers to a few key questions to generate intelligent templates automatically customized to meet their company- and project-specific goals. Better questions and faster development mean rolling out that project sooner and collecting better results sooner. Our sprint development model means we’re also rolling out updates more quickly, so it’s exciting to see and share this evolution.
Q: What should we watch for in the experience management industry?
A: Both CX (customer experience) and EX (employee experience) will continue to evolve with a focus on attracting and retaining customers and employees respectively. The impact of experience on bottom line can’t be overstated, and we’ll see more and more integrations with HRIS, CRM, and other critical software to streamline workflows and analysis. More automation means continuous feedback, so teams have a better sense of what’s happening in real time. Take a hotel, for example. When a guest checks out, they should automatically get an SMS or email inviting them to share feedback about their experience. If a guest is unhappy, that response should automatically alert a senior manager and open a ticket for follow-up. When the manager reaches out to address the issue, the guest is less likely to vent their frustrations on social media or review sites. Likewise, a positive guest experience rating should alert a different team member who can reach out to thank the guest and perhaps encourage a positive review. Online reputation management is huge, and reviews are often a significant differentiator for future customers trying to decide on their next trip or purchase. You’ll see similar flows and ticketing solutions in employee experience management, too, making it easier for employees to share concerns and questions and employers to support understanding and engagement.
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Q: What’s a secret that most people don’t know about Sogolytics?
A: To be totally honest, we’re a product-focused company, founded by engineers. This means that we’re always working to build better products, and that’s where a lot of our energy goes. Historically, we haven’t prioritized marketing as much, and so marketing-focused companies have gotten more attention. Because we’re product-focused, though, those lucky enough to find us are sometimes blown away. They can’t believe how good our products are and that they’ve never heard of us before. It’s like when you end up in an unknown restaurant that has the best food – a hidden gem. I’m a little too humble to say it myself, but it’s amazing to hear these word-of-mouth referrals where people are saying we’re the best. We might seem like the underdogs, but if you care more about the value of the product than the volume of the marketing, you’ll be glad to know that we do, too. If you’re in the market, take this as a word-of-mouth referral: See the Sogolytics difference.
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