Client feedback is one of the most important, but underutilized tools that an architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) firm can employ as an improvement strategy. As I shared in a March 2025 presentation at AIA’s Large Firm Round Table Marketing Forum, meaningful feedback can drive better internal practices, stronger relationships, and smart, sustained growth. Done right, it becomes foundational to strategic planning and business development.
Sometimes, the most important step is simply asking the question. It tells your customer, “You matter. Your input is valuable. We’re here to improve.” That act alone, even before the first answer rolls in, can shift brand perception and build trust.
Two firms that have committed to this are Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B) and Ayers Saint Gross. Each takes a different approach, but both use feedback to reflect, adjust, and evolve.
“There’s direct value just in conducting the survey,” says Scott Frank, Managing Partner at JB&B. “It sends a message to the client that you care enough about the relationship to ask them how you’re doing.”
That message proved crucial for JB&B when addressing a strained relationship. Feedback opened the door to honest dialogue, repaired trust, and sparked key internal conversations around expectations and delivery.
“It has been equally important as part of these interviews to hear what’s working well, so that we can continue to strengthen those behaviors and shared values,” says Maxinne Leighton, Senior Vice President of Marketing/Business Development at JB&B. “Even when the feedback is hard to hear, the willingness to listen is meaningful in itself.”
Joel Fidler, President at Ayers Saint Gross, agrees. “These conversations reinforce to our clients that we care about our business relationship, but also about them as an individual.”
JB&B focuses on in-depth conversations with one or two customers at a time. Ayers Saint Gross takes a broader view, surveying around 30 current, past, and potential customers as part of their planning cycle. Both firms conduct their surveys via phone or video, using a mix of quantitative and open-ended questions.
The biggest insights often come from follow-up questions. This highlights the importance of using a third-party facilitator who understands the AEC industry.
“Making that personal connection is important,” says Katy Hunchar, Principal and Director of Marketing & Business Development at Ayers Saint Gross. “What makes it successful is that it’s a one-on-one conversation, which allows us to get feedback that we couldn’t get if we just used [a service like] SurveyMonkey.”
Importantly, both firms seek more than just affirmation. They want the full story, including the tough stuff.
“We tell [our team]: ‘This isn’t about hearing how great we are. We need honest, constructive input, especially from clients we don’t talk with often,’” says Hunchar.
Fidler notes that this input shapes not just planning, but culture and messaging. “Client feedback has become part of how we shape the future of the firm.”
Feedback without follow-through is a fast track to skepticism. One of the biggest complaints across the AEC industry is that firms collect feedback but fail to act on it.
At JB&B, Frank and Leighton make it a priority to share what’s heard and discuss it openly. “Some people embrace the feedback, some may get defensive,” says Leighton. “Either way, we have the conversation. We work through the discomfort, focusing on the value added from transparency provided by the client’s insights.”
This kind of reflection can shift how teams engage with projects, clients, and even each other. In one case, JB&B reassessed its investment in a client contact whose expectations clashed with the firm’s culture.
“I was forced to step back and adjust my expectations about a senior leader employed by one of our clients,” Frank recalls. “We decided that we wouldn’t overcommit to pursuing more work with that leader.”
At Ayers Saint Gross, feedback is distilled into strategic themes that help shape the business plan. Whether it’s around sustainability or communication, the results help clarify priorities and flag opportunities for follow-up.
“There’s a lot of consistency in what we hear, but there are also outliers,” says Fidler. “Understanding the context around a specific question allows us to dig deeper with different clients.”
Fidler emphasizes the power of open, non-anonymous feedback. “It’s important to know who is saying what. This way, we can say, ‘this is your feedback, and we want to talk with you about it.’”
Client input also fuels content and marketing strategy. “Hearing directly from clients helps us craft stories that reflect their needs and values,” says Hunchar. “It helps our PR firm develop content that resonates.”
Firms that embrace feedback do so continuously, not as a one-off project. Even for long-standing clients, it’s an opportunity to surprise, deepen trust, and align around what matters.
“In an era when leadership is increasingly about authenticity and vulnerability, interviews are a powerful gesture,” Frank says. “They put a magnifying glass on who we are.”
At Ayers Saint Gross, the process is part of how the firm evolves. “We’ve always had a culture of debriefs and follow-ups,” says Hunchar. “Now we’re taking that a step further, tying it to our strategic vision.”
Neither firm keeps the results to themselves. At JB&B, insights are shared with project teams to spark reflection and growth, not blame.
At Ayers Saint Gross, survey participants get follow-up, whether the feedback was positive or challenging. That transparency helps ensure the process becomes part of the firm’s rhythm.
For JB&B, feedback is also a business development strategy. “The act of going through it pays for itself,” says Frank. “The impression it sends about the firm, who you are, what you value, pays for it. Any additional insights that we get, that’s gravy.”
And for both firms, listening pays off when it comes to competitive pursuits. As Hunchar puts it, “Client references are critical in proposals. Listening and trust are a big part of winning work.”
Client feedback isn’t a box to check. It’s a commitment. Done right, it builds loyalty, sharpens strategy, and strengthens your brand. But it takes more than a survey link. It takes real listening, humility, and follow-through.
The question alone can be a catalyst for change. As I’ve seen time and again, clients remember being asked. It signals that you care. And that can turn a client into a long-term partner.
Have thoughts on how to strengthen your feedback efforts? I’d love to connect. Reach out at rich@friedmanpartners.com.
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