CRM Integration with Qualtrics – Here’s How It Works
In customer surveys, experience data (X-Data) is collected, such as customer satisfaction metrics. While these insights already provide valuable recommendations for improving the customer experience, the real value emerges when X-Data is combined with corresponding operational data (O-Data). For example, linking customer satisfaction scores with recent purchases puts the feedback into context, offering deeper analytical insights. This additional “layer” of analysis unlocks new opportunities for understanding and enhancing customer interactions. In this blog post, Moritz Dietrich, XM Solution Architect, explains everything you need to know about successfully integrating Qualtrics into your existing CRM system.
Let’s Start with a Typical Use Case
A great example of combining X- and O-Data through system integration is the automation of transactional surveys. Imagine a scenario where a survey is sent via Qualtrics as soon as a support ticket is closed in the CRM system. The goal of this survey is to measure customer satisfaction with the interaction with the service agent and to determine whether their issue was successfully resolved.
Along the customer journey, there are many additional opportunities to collect valuable feedback. Even with just three strategically placed surveys, businesses can gain deeper insights into customer satisfaction at different process stages:
- Touchpoint 1: A survey immediately after the first contact with the support agent.
- Touchpoint 2: A survey during the case resolution process, ideally at a moment when the customer needs to take action – such as providing additional information to proceed with the case.
- Touchpoint 3: A survey after the final resolution of the issue, once the support ticket has been closed.
Which Data is Suitable for an Integration Scenario?
Certain types of operational data (O-Data) are particularly useful for combining with experience data (X-Data) to categorize and analyze feedback more effectively. These include ticket categories, reasons for ticket creation, processing times, service levels and resolution categories.
A key advantage of integration is the ability to link feedback directly to individual cases. For example, by transmitting the ticket ID from the CRM system to Qualtrics, organizations can track customer feedback at a case-specific level. This is especially valuable for case management, allowing businesses to follow up on negative feedback proactively. If a customer reports dissatisfaction with the resolution, support teams can reach out directly to understand the issue and take corrective action.
Benefits of Integrating CRM Systems with Qualtrics
There are many benefits to CRM-Qualtrics integration. Let’s focus on the previously mentioned use case: support tickets. By categorizing customer feedback based on ticket categories from the CRM, businesses can easily analyze satisfaction levels across different types of support requests. This allows them to quickly identify high- and low-performing categories and take targeted action where the greatest potential for improving customer service lies.
Additionally, operational data such as support case resolution time can be correlated with survey results. For example, analyzing X-Data alongside O-Data may reveal that customer satisfaction decreases when response times are longer. With these insights, organizations can optimize service processes to enhance the overall customer experience.
How Does the Integration with Qualtrics Work?
As a cloud-based solution, Qualtrics integrates seamlessly with CRM systems through direct API communication. This allows for real-time data exchange and automated workflows. However, depending on the specific use case and system landscape, integration via middleware can also be a viable option. While middleware offers greater flexibility, it also introduces additional costs and complexity due to the involvement of another system in the integration process. That said, the initial investment in a middleware-based approach often pays off, especially when considering scalability.
In addition to event-based API integrations, time-based (batch) integrations are also possible. In this case, data is not transferred in real-time but instead at scheduled intervals – such as once per day. At sovanta, we always design integration solutions tailored to our customers’ systems, use cases, business requirements, and technical infrastructure. This ensures an optimal setup that maximizes efficiency and impact. Are you interested in integrating Qualtrics with your CRM? Let’s talk!
