What client feedback really teaches us about partnership

A reflection on our 2025 Client Satisfaction Survey

As Head of Client Services, I spend a lot of time thinking about what makes client relationships work. Not just the mechanics, although those matter enormously, but the deeper question of how we create partnerships that genuinely serve our clients’ needs while allowing us to do our best work.

When I stepped into this role, one of the first things I decided to undertake was a client satisfaction survey. I needed to understand what our clients really think about working with us and get an honest sense of the current temperature of our relationships.

We were delighted to receive strong results across the board and an outstanding client satisfaction score of 97.5% across key areas including overall Salad experience, quality of work, and responsiveness. But for us, the most valuable part of this exercise wasn’t the score. It was the opportunity to look beneath the surface, to drill into what our clients are really saying and thinking, and to use that insight to keep improving.

One piece of feedback captured a common thread across many responses: “Not only were our goals understood, but solutions we had not considered were presented.” This kind of comment speaks to the everyday mindset our team brings to client work. Because for us, it’s not just about delivery – it’s about genuine partnership.

The reality behind the promises

Every agency talks about quality work and responsiveness. But the truth is, consistently delivering on these fundamentals requires genuine commitment from every person on the team, every single day.

The feedback consistently highlighted our attentiveness, not just in communication, but in how quickly we can turn around changes and tackle urgent requests. This recognition means a lot because it reflects the collective effort of our entire team to make responsiveness a reality rather than just a promise.

We imposed a relatively short timeline on Salad to match with an existing date in our calendar and Salad worked hard to achieve that for us. They worked around annual leave as well as delivering the product with time at the end for us to make our own tweaks to the layout. Every deadline and milestone was met.

Delivering this kind of service doesn’t happen easily. It’s the result of years of honing our approach, learning from experience, and building a team that genuinely cares about the client experience. When clients talk about being supported through last-minute requests or quick turnarounds, they’re seeing the outcome of countless small decisions and where people go the extra mile because they understand the value of true collaboration.

Understanding what truly drives results

The feedback revealed something that I find particularly rewarding: clients feel we genuinely understand their businesses, not just their briefs. They notice when we dig deeper into their challenges and connect our work to broader business objectives.

One theme that emerged strongly was the importance clients place on data and measurable impact. They recognise the value in us demonstrating how our work translates into leads, improved user experiences, and actionable insights for future campaigns.

Having the data from resource downloads has been invaluable in measuring performance of certain campaigns/providing warm leads for sales. We also consistently get leads (B2C and B2B) who find us through our website search ranking, which is fantastic!

Becoming a strategic ally

One of the most revealing themes in the feedback was our clients’ desire for us to play a bigger role in their strategic thinking. Beyond delivering great work, they want more of our ideas, insights and best-in-class guidance, the kind that sparks new possibilities they hadn’t considered yet.

This is exactly the kind of relationship we want to build: one where we’re not just a service provider, but a trusted ally helping clients think bigger, make bolder decisions and stay ahead of what’s next.

Clients also told us they want more connection with our team; more face-to-face time, more opportunities to see the breadth of our capabilities, and more ongoing conversations about the challenges they’re facing. This tells us they don’t just value what we do, they value how we think and the culture that shapes that thinking.

For us, that’s the ultimate goal: to be a partner who brings fresh ideas to the table, asks better questions and stays invested long after the project is delivered. That’s the real difference between a supplier and a true strategic ally and it’s the standard we’ll keep working towards every day.

What clients notice about team culture

A recurring theme in the feedback was clients recognising our team dynamics. They notice when people work well together, when there’s consistency in communication, and when everyone seems aligned on project goals.

This captures something I’ve long thought to be true: clients don’t just buy our work – they buy into our culture. When our strategists, designers, and developers operate as a unified team rather than separate departments, clients feel that coherence. It translates into confidence in the partnership and a great experience.

From what I could see, the part of the Salad team that I worked with, worked well together (Bella, Nicole, Natalie, Greg and Matt). Having meetings with a number of the team from across the team (project management, digital, creative, design etc) also helped conversations to be had in the moment, rather than just Nicole (or others) having to find out later and report back, which would have slowed things down. It felt to me like Salad was a strong team.

“What strikes me most about this feedback is that our clients aren’t just satisfied – they’re invested. They see us not as suppliers but as allies in their success. And that’s exactly how we see them too.”

The clients who took time to provide feedback aren’t just helping us improve; they’re participating in the kind of partnership that makes great work possible. And that’s something worth working toward, every day.

If you’re ready for a partnership that goes beyond delivery, we’d love to hear from you get in touch.

Alternatively, discover some of our Branding, Creative and Digital services.