If you’re sending out customer surveys through Delighted, you’ve probably noticed that all the raw feedback in the world doesn’t mean much unless you can slice and dice it. That’s where tags and properties come in. Used well, they help you spot trends, fix problems, and make decisions. Used poorly, they turn your reporting into a mess. This guide is for anyone who wants to actually use survey data instead of drowning in it—whether you’re in product, CX, or just trying to prove to your boss that feedback matters.
Why Segment at All? (And Why Delighted Makes It Easy to Screw Up)
You can’t fix what you can’t see. Segmenting feedback means you can answer questions like:
- Are certain teams or products getting more complaints?
- Do customers in Europe feel differently than those in the US?
- Did a recent feature release tank your NPS?
Delighted gives you two main ways to segment: tags and properties. Both are useful, but they’re easy to misuse if you’re not careful. The trick is knowing when to use each—and not letting your tagging system spiral out of control.
Understanding Tags vs. Properties
Before you start, let’s get clear on what each does:
- Properties (sometimes called “attributes”): Structured data you pass into Delighted when you send a survey. Think “plan type,” “location,” “customer success manager,” or “signup date.” They’re set when the survey goes out and stick to that response.
- Tags: Labels you apply after the survey comes in, usually when reviewing open-ended feedback. They’re flexible, but also easy to overdo.
When to use which?
If you know the data before the survey is sent, use a property. If you’re categorizing feedback after the fact, use a tag.
Pro tip:
Don’t use both for the same thing. That’s how you end up with “Enterprise” as a property and a tag, and your reports make zero sense.
Step 1: Decide What You Need to Segment (and Ignore the Rest)
Start with your actual reporting needs. Ask yourself (or your team):
- What questions do we want to answer with survey data?
- Who will use these reports, and how granular do they need to be?
- What segments do we care about right now? (Not “someday.”)
Make a short list—really short. Most teams only need a handful of properties and 5-10 tags to get 90% of the value.
What to ignore:
Don’t try to capture every possible detail “just in case.” More data isn’t better if no one uses it.
Step 2: Set Up Properties Before You Send Surveys
This is where most teams get tripped up. Properties are only useful if you set them up before the survey goes out.
Best practices:
- Pick stable, useful properties. Good examples: Customer type (free/paid), product line, region, account manager.
- Use consistent naming. “Plan_type” is better than mixing “Plan,” “planType,” and “Subscription.”
- Automate it. If you can, fill in properties from your customer database or CRM, not by hand.
- Limit to what matters. More than 6-8 properties and things start to break down.
What doesn’t work:
Don’t try to set properties after responses come in—you can’t retroactively add them. And don’t use properties for things that change constantly, like “last login date.” That’s more trouble than it’s worth.
Step 3: Tag Responses Thoughtfully (and Sparingly)
Tags are your friend when it comes to open-ended feedback. They’re great for:
- Marking up themes (“Shipping delay,” “Broken feature”)
- Identifying requests (“Feature request,” “Integration needed”)
- Flagging urgent issues (“Escalate,” “Churn risk”)
But tagging can easily get out of hand. Here’s how to keep it under control:
- Create a tag list. Decide on your main tags before you start. Don’t make a new one for every tiny thing.
- Train your team. If more than one person tags responses, agree on what each tag means.
- Batch tag. Don’t feel like you need to tag every single response—focus on the ones that matter.
- Review tags every quarter. Prune anything that’s not useful or is a duplicate.
What doesn’t work:
Tagging every single response with a unique issue or creating tags like “Not happy” and “Unhappy customer” for the same thing. You’ll never be able to report on it.
Step 4: Use Both (But Don’t Double Up)
The magic happens when you use properties and tags together—but for different jobs.
- Properties help you slice by known segments: “Show me NPS by product line.”
- Tags help you dig into themes: “Show me all feedback tagged ‘Shipping delay’ for enterprise customers.”
If you find yourself needing to tag something that’s already a property, step back. Either your properties aren’t set up right, or you’re overthinking your tags.
Step 5: Keep Your System Clean
Over time, things get messy. Here’s how to keep your segmentation useful:
- Audit regularly. Set a reminder to review properties and tags every quarter. Kill off what’s not used.
- Document your system. Keep a simple doc: what each property/tag is, when to use it, who owns it.
- Resist the urge to add more. If you’re not using a segment, drop it.
What to ignore:
Don’t bother tracking every single customer touchpoint or creating a property for every possible team. More complexity doesn’t mean more insight—it just means headaches.
Step 6: Use Segmentation to Drive Action (Not Just Reports)
All this work is useless if it doesn’t change how you operate. Use segments to:
- Route feedback to the right teams (e.g., “All negative responses from Enterprise customers to Account Managers”)
- Spot systemic issues (“Why is NPS dropping for EU customers?”)
- Prioritize fixes (“Feature request tags up 30% this quarter—time to act”)
If nobody’s doing anything with a segment, it’s probably not worth tracking.
What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t)
What works:
- Fewer, well-chosen properties and tags
- Consistency—everyone uses the same definitions
- Automating properties from your CRM or database
- Regular clean-up and review
What doesn’t:
- Letting everyone invent their own tags
- Duplicating the same data as both a property and a tag
- Tracking data you never look at
- Forgetting to update your system as your business changes
Pro Tips and Common Pitfalls
- Don’t use tags for stuff you already know. If you know someone’s on a “Pro” plan, that’s a property.
- Don’t try to tag every response. Focus on ones with useful comments or that need action.
- If you’re not sure, leave it out. You can always add tags or properties later, but removing them (and cleaning up old data) is a pain.
- Keep naming simple. Avoid jargon or internal terms no one outside your team understands.
Wrapping Up: Simple Beats Perfect
It’s tempting to build a segmentation system that covers every edge case. Don’t. The best setups are simple, easy to use, and easy to update. Start with a few key properties and tags, see what works, and adjust as you go. If you’re not using a segment, axe it. Your future self (and your team) will thank you.
Focus on what helps you take action, not what looks impressive in a spreadsheet. That’s how you actually get value out of Delighted—and out of your customer feedback.