If you’re drowning in surveys and NPS scores but can’t make heads or tails of what customers in different regions or accounts actually think, you’re not alone. Segmenting feedback data in AskNicely is supposed to help, but setting it up well is trickier than it looks. This guide is for folks who want to make their feedback data useful—whether you’re in customer success, ops, or just the poor soul stuck exporting CSVs every week.
Let’s get right into how to break your data down by account or region—without making a mess you’ll regret later.
Why bother segmenting feedback?
Before you start fiddling with fields and filters, ask yourself: what do you want to do with your feedback data? Segmenting by account or region only makes sense if you act on what you find. Otherwise, you’re just slicing and dicing for the fun of it.
Real reasons to segment: - Spot trends or issues with specific customers, teams, or geographies - Give account managers actionable insights - Prioritize fixes or features by region - Avoid “one size fits all” responses that annoy your users
What not to do:
Don’t segment just because you can. If you don’t actually use the data, skip the extra work.
Step 1: Clean up your source data
Segmenting only works if your customer data is in good shape. Garbage in, garbage out. If account names are inconsistent, or regions are missing, your fancy dashboards won’t mean much.
Checklist before you start: - Standardize account names (no “ACME, Inc.” in one place and “Acme Inc” in another) - Make sure every feedback record has the right account and region info - Use clear, unambiguous region names (avoid “East” if you have “East US” and “East Europe”) - Fill in the blanks—missing fields make for useless filters
Pro tip:
If your data lives in a CRM, sync it with AskNicely and fix the data there first. Don’t try to patch it up inside AskNicely—it’ll just get overwritten next sync.
Step 2: Decide how you want to slice things
AskNicely lets you segment by any field in your contact data (account, region, product line, whatever). But more isn’t always better. Pick your segments based on what actually matters to your business.
Some real-world segmentation options: - Account: For B2B, this is the big one. Lets you see feedback per customer. - Region: Useful for companies with geographic coverage or international teams. - Team or department: If you’re supporting different internal groups. - Product/service line: If you offer more than one thing.
What to ignore: - Don’t go overboard with segmentation. If you have 15 different fields, you’ll end up with a mess of tiny, useless data buckets. - Avoid “miscellaneous” categories—they’re a black hole where feedback goes to die.
Step 3: Get your data into AskNicely—properly
You can load customer data into AskNicely a few ways: manual CSV upload, CRM integration, or API. Whatever you pick, make sure the fields you care about (account, region) are included and stay up to date.
Tips for each approach:
- CSV upload: Fine for small orgs or one-off imports. Just double-check your columns and formatting. Easy to mess up.
- CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.): Best for ongoing syncs. But you’ll need to make sure the right fields are mapped. Don’t assume the default mapping is right—check it.
- API: Great for tech-savvy teams. Gives you total control, but also means more ways to break things.
What to watch out for: - Field names in AskNicely need to match what you use elsewhere, or your filters won’t work. - Don’t “hard-code” regions or accounts into free-text fields. Use dropdowns or IDs if possible to avoid typos.
Step 4: Build smart segments in AskNicely
Once your data is in, use AskNicely’s filters and segments to break it down. Here’s how to make segments that actually help:
Building useful segments
- Use the “Segments” or “Filters” feature to create views by account or region.
- Save common views so you don’t have to rebuild them every time (e.g., “Europe accounts” or “Top 10 enterprise clients”).
- For B2B, consider segments like “Churn risk accounts” or “Strategic regions.”
- Don’t just segment for the C-suite—think about what your frontline teams actually need to see.
How much segmentation is too much?
A good rule of thumb: if you can’t name a person or team who will use each segment regularly, you probably don’t need it.
Step 5: Make feedback visible (but not overwhelming)
It’s easy to set up beautiful dashboards no one ever looks at. The trick is surfacing segmented feedback where it matters—without flooding inboxes or Slack channels.
Best practices: - Set up email digests or notifications for key segments (e.g., “send weekly summary for North America region”) - If you use Slack or Teams, pipe in feedback only for the teams who own that region/account - Keep dashboards simple. Fewer charts, more action.
What to avoid: - Don’t send every piece of feedback to everyone. People will tune it out. - Avoid “wall of metrics” dashboards. Pick 1-2 key numbers per segment.
Step 6: Actually do something with the data
This sounds obvious, but it’s where most teams trip up. Segmentation is only worth the trouble if it changes what you do next.
How to close the loop: - Assign owners for each segment (e.g., “EMEA Success Team” owns Europe feedback) - Use feedback from key accounts or regions to prioritize fixes or follow-ups - Track if acting on segmented feedback actually improves NPS or CSAT in those groups - Don’t forget to tell customers you’ve acted on their feedback—especially if you want them to keep giving it
Troubleshooting: Common mistakes and how to dodge them
You’ll run into snags. Here’s what to watch for, and how to fix it:
- Inconsistent data: If segments look weird, go back to your source data. Standardize those fields.
- Tiny segment sizes: Don’t try to analyze groups with only a handful of responses. Combine them or ignore until you have enough data.
- Too many segments: Focus on what drives action. Archive or delete unused segments.
- Overcomplicating filters: When in doubt, keep it simple. Complex AND/OR logic usually breaks or confuses.
Pro tips for better segmentation (from people who’ve been there)
- Automate your data imports. Manual uploads are a recipe for mistakes and stale info.
- Review segments quarterly. Your business changes. So should your segments.
- Document your field names and logic. Saves you a headache when someone else takes over.
- Don’t chase perfection. It’s better to have a few clean, actionable segments than dozens of half-baked ones.
Keep it simple, and keep iterating
Segmenting feedback in AskNicely isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overthink. Start with what you need, fix your data at the source, and build segments that drive real action. Over time, tweak what’s not working and cut what no one uses.
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of “good enough to act.” Set it up, test it, and improve as you go. Your future self (and your customers) will thank you.