As AI continues to reshape marketing, it’s hard to understand what it can’t do. It seems like it can do anything these days. However, when it comes to gathering valuable feedback from customers, AI can’t capture what matters most: emotion.
In the qualitative interviews that we conduct at Ideba, we want to understand the brand perception, product gaps, and service/support experiences (and so much more). How someone says something can sometimes matter more than what they say. For example, a hesitation before answering, a laugh or smile masking uncertainty, or the joyful expression and inflection in their voice when describing a positive experience, are emotional cues that begin to tell the story.
While AI can summarize transcripts and pull together keywords and phrases, it struggles to detect the nuances. It might flag a statement as “positive” because the customer said neutral words, but what we gather could be hesitation or dissatisfaction. This is very crucial feedback we analyze for our clients so they can better their business and maintain strong partnerships. Emotions and subtexts aren’t just minor details; rather they aim to tell the whole story. They give context to feedback, uncover unmet needs, and help businesses understand how they are making their customers feel.
Our approach to qualitative interviews reflects the same care we bring to white glove service training, through active listening, emotional sensitivity, and high standards for every client interaction. While AI can be a useful tool when used correctly and with ethical practices in place, it can never replace the human connection.
If you would like to know more about our research offerings and white glove service training, please contact us at davids@idebamarketing.com
Jenna Gieszler, Research Coordinator
