AEC Client Research Myths

Most AEC firms feel confident about the relationships they’ve built through quality work, strong delivery, and reliable teams. Many leaders say things like “Our clients would definitely speak up if something wasn’t working” or “We’ve worked with them for years, so we know what they want.” 

But here’s the problem. While 80% of firm leaders believe they deliver a standout experience, only 8% of clients agree. That massive gap, reported in our 2025 Benchmarks, Insights, and Trends: Client Experience in the AEC Industry study, reveals a huge blind spot. 

AEC client research means collecting real feedback across the full project cycle, not just assuming things based on repeat business. It also means listening to the parts clients rarely say out loud. Feedback like “Your team is great, but I never know what’s going on” or “You delivered, but the process felt scattered” reveals the experience behind the outcome. 

We’re here to unpack the myths that keep firms stuck and how ClearlyRated helps solve them.

Common AEC Client Research Myths

Most AEC firms believe they have a strong sense of what clients think based on gut feeling. After years of delivering high-quality work, building reliable teams, and winning repeat projects, it feels natural to assume the client experience is solid. But this confidence often leads to blind spots that cost firms real opportunities. 

That’s why we’re breaking down the most common AEC client research myths holding firms back from real growth.

Myth #1. “We already know what our clients think.”

It’s easy to assume that strong project delivery and responsive teams automatically lead to happy clients. Many firms say things like, “We’ve worked with them for years, we know how they think.” But this confidence is exactly what keeps critical insight out of reach. 

One of the most common AEC client research myths is the belief that internal confidence equals external satisfaction. In reality, skipping structured feedback means firms overlook subtle friction points that clients rarely voice on their own. 

Without clear data and fresh input, many teams never see the early signs of client churn until it’s too late to respond.

Myth #2. “Repeat business means clients are happy.”

Repeat projects can feel like a clear sign of client satisfaction. However, returning clients can simply be stuck in a habit or tied by long-term contracts, not truly loyal. This common AEC feedback myth can lead firms to overestimate how satisfied their clients actually are. 

When 68% of buyers say strong communication and relationships matter as much as technical expertise, it challenges the old idea that project success alone equals happiness.

Ignoring this leads to hidden risks around client churn. Firms must dig deeper into what drives true loyalty beyond contract renewals. They need to understand if clients are enthusiastic promoters or simply passive repeaters.

Myth #3. “Clients will tell us if something’s wrong.”

Firms often believe clients will speak up if problems arise. However, a 2024 Deloitte survey reveals that only 60% of consumers are satisfied with the personalized experiences offered by brands. Even Forrester's 2025 Global Customer Experience Index Rankings reveal that 25% of brands' customer experience rankings in the U.S. declined in 2025.

This indicates that a significant portion of clients may not voice their concerns, leading firms to overlook potential dissatisfaction. Such unspoken issues can create blind spots, causing firms to miss early warning signs of client dissatisfaction.

Myth #4. “Long relationships mean a full understanding of client needs.”

Knowing a client for years does not guarantee understanding their current expectations or pain points. Client needs evolve, especially in industries like AEC, where projects change constantly. 

Many firms assume long-term relationships provide all the insight they need, but that often leads to outdated assumptions. Our research finds that only 4.2% of firms report that benchmarking CX in professional services like AEC is fully embedded into their culture and decision-making.

Relying on history without fresh data creates gaps between perception and reality. Regularly gathering feedback helps firms keep pace with evolving client expectations and prevents surprises that can damage relationships.

Myth #5. “Feedback is too expensive or time-consuming.”

Collecting client input can feel tricky or costly, especially for busy AEC firms with complex projects. Yet modern survey tools tailored to AEC make it easier and more affordable than ever to gather meaningful insights at scale. Our customer experience management platform provides automated, user-friendly ways to collect and analyze feedback without disrupting workflows.

Sterling Engineering provides a clear example of how feedback drives credibility and growth. Serving nearly 300 employers annually with a 90% repeat business rate, Sterling’s client-centric approach is backed by structured feedback collected through our surveys. 

As Kevin Bass, Director of Operations, explains, “Our growth is due to our existing relationships taking us to other places. In fact, 90% of our business is from repeat clients.” 

By systematically collecting and responding to feedback through ClearlyRated and AviontéBOLD, Sterling maintains strong relationships, re-engages promoters, and ensures clients feel valued throughout the engagement.

Myth #6. “Negative feedback damages reputation.”

Many firms fear that asking for honest feedback will expose flaws or harm reputation management in the AEC industry. The opposite is true. Avoiding tough conversations erodes trust over time. A recent Cisco study shows that 75% of consumers refuse to buy from companies they do not trust with their data.

Clients appreciate transparency and responsiveness, which strengthen reputations and foster loyalty. Handling negative feedback openly creates opportunities to turn critics into advocates. It proves that the firm cares about continuous improvement and client success.

Myth #7. “Surveys done years ago are enough.”

Relying on outdated surveys or occasional feedback fails to capture shifting client needs. The 2025 CX trends for AEC firms and professional services reveal that many companies lag behind competitors due to infrequent updates of client insights.

Regularly collecting feedback with relevant, timely questions helps firms avoid blind spots and make informed decisions. This ongoing feedback keeps leadership connected to real client experiences instead of assumptions.

Myth #8. “Feedback won’t lead to actionable change.”

Some leaders doubt whether feedback truly changes anything. Yet firms that use tools like an NPS dashboard with targeted survey questions find measurable benefits. For instance, ServiceNow shortened case resolution time by 52% in two weeks by integrating AI feedback tools, proving that client insights fuel faster, smarter action.

With the right approach, feedback becomes a powerful driver for improving project delivery, team performance, and overall customer experience in AEC.

The Risks of Believing These Myths

Most firms underestimate the cost of believing client feedback myths. Accepting false assumptions about clients can lead to severe, unseen damage that quickly derails growth. Let’s see the real risks.

• Silent churn: Clients often withdraw without telling anyone when they feel unheard. That kind of exit hurts retention when no one notices until contracts end. Leaders often lose clients without knowing what triggered their departure.
• Misaligned priorities: When firms rely on assumptions instead of real feedback, they invest in the wrong areas. Teams focus on technical tweaks rather than improving communication or responsiveness. That misdirected effort wastes time and budget.
• Lost referrals & reputation risks: Unhappy clients seldom advocate for firms. A damaged experience spreads quietly in industry circles. That limits inbound opportunities and undermines reputation management in the AEC industry from trusted sources.
• Competitive disadvantage: Firms that skip structured client feedback fall behind rivals who listen. Those competitors respond faster, win trust, and grab the clients that you assumed were secure. That gap widens steadily as you fail to catch up.

ClearlyRated’s Role in Busting These Myths

Many firms recognize the risks of poor client feedback habits, but they often lack the right tools to address them. Our platform, built for the AEC industry and professional services, helps close the feedback loop, measure real impact, and track performance over time. 

Here’s how we do it.

Industry-specific feedback platform

Most generic survey tools were never designed with the client journey in mind for professional services. Our platform solves that. We designed it specifically to handle the AEC client feedback challenges firms face every day. From milestone-based touchpoints to automated triggers, everything is designed to work around how AEC firms already operate. You don’t have to force-fit feedback into your systems. We work with how you already manage your projects and clients.

We’ve seen that firms using our platform discover 380% more client pain points than when they rely on NPS alone. That’s not a typo. It comes from a smarter survey design, clear feedback channels, and industry-tested questions.

Our client experience indicator (CXI) scale is patent-protected for a reason. It goes beyond basic scores and captures what actually matters in the client’s experience before things go south.

Real-time dashboards and benchmarks

We collect feedback and turn it into actionable insights for your team. Our real-time dashboard lets you see what clients are saying as soon as they say it. Whether you want a quick view of project-level data or need to zoom out to see firm-wide trends, you get both.

You can also benchmark your performance against industry peers using our CX tools designed for professional services. Our system supports measurable NPS in AEC, which is great, but it also does much more than NPS. We tag feedback by project, manager, office, and service type, allowing you to break down the data however you want.

Integration with Client Savvy expertise

With our recent acquisition of the Client Savvy platform, we’ve doubled down on AEC. Their expertise helps us support firms that want a complete voice-of-client solution without overcomplicating the process. We now offer proven frameworks, managed services, and training that let your team take ownership of your feedback program or hand it off to us if that’s easier.

This combination of smart tech and deep experience helps us guide firms through setup, design, and deployment. Whether you need help setting up feedback rules, choosing the right metrics, or tracking results, we have a plan that fits. You can measure and act on feedback at every stage, eliminating delays and manual work that typically hinder progress.

Turning feedback into action

Collecting feedback means nothing if you don’t act on it. That’s why our system bakes accountability into the process. Your team receives real-time alerts when feedback calls for a response, and our platform tracks follow-ups to prevent anything from getting ignored.

We also make it easier for your team to respond well. Built-in coaching and AI-powered response tools help them write thoughtful replies quickly. Some of our clients use this feature to turn negative experiences into second chances. Others, like Sterling Engineering, use the platform to strengthen high-performing relationships. 

As Kevin Bass, Director of Operations, shared, “Our contractors and clients consistently value personal communication, which inspired our anniversary program. We take recruiters, clients, or talent out for lunch to celebrate milestones or send anniversary gift boxes to those who are remote. These gestures have a lasting impact and remind our recruiters and sales teams that these personal touches do matter, especially as we grow.”

You can also set up milestone-based feedback, automated approvals, and batch requests to manage hundreds of client interactions at once. The system tracks every response, scores engagement, and provides detailed reports so your team knows what’s working and what needs work.

Your CX Decisions Shape Your Future

Misinterpreting client feedback can stall growth and pose significant risks to your firm. We broke down some of the most common AEC client research myths, explained what actually happens when firms ignore the voice of the client in AEC, and showed how clearly seeing feedback protects reputation, revenue, and relationships.

Benchmark your client experience with ClearlyRated today. Get started now for an accurate view of where you stand compared to peers, track what clients really think, and turn insight into action.

Grammarly: https://app.grammarly.com/ddocs/2911158752