Fran Brzyski and Matt Ring started Hark about three years ago with the mission to turn voice of the customer from a checkbox into a true growth lever. Hark works with brands like HexClad, Terra Kaffe, and HigherDOSE to help them grow through customer feedback. Hark’s approach is video-first and multimodal, aiming to capture the customer's story in the moment, rather than relying on traditional surveys that often yield vague comments and low response rates. It results in deeper context and more engagement.

Fran chatted with Gabe Larsen during the CX Summit about redefining customer feedback. Let’s hear from the expert:

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Gabe: Let’s dive into something I’ve seen you post about—this idea that customers want to be heard, not surveyed. Was that part of the original idea behind the business?

Fran: Absolutely. We noticed a shift in how people were communicating—Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok—everyone was using asynchronous video and audio. But when you contacted a brand, you were still met with a static form or a five-minute survey. It felt completely disconnected from modern behavior. And when we looked into the traditional voice of customer landscape, it was mostly plain text. That makes it really hard to analyze sentiment, especially for DTC brands trying to understand their customers better than ever.

Also, attention spans are shrinking—just look at the changes in Major League Baseball. Our goal was to capture context in that exact moment when someone is willing to engage with your brand, and use AI to turn that into actionable stories. That’s where Hark comes in.

Gabe: That makes a lot of sense. As you’ve helped brands rethink how they capture feedback—especially through video—are there a few best practices that stand out? What’s working?

Fran: Not everything needs to be a video. If someone’s asking, “Where’s my order?” they’re not going to send a selfie. But for moments with more complexity or emotion—like product issues, warranty claims, or onboarding experiences—video or audio creates a much richer interaction. People naturally talk more, and that helps guide you through what you need to know.

Also, personalization goes a long way. Instead of blasting out a generic survey, try inviting a VIP customer directly: “Hey, I’m reviewing feedback personally and would love to hear about your experience over the past 30 days.” People are far more willing to share, and the insights are far deeper.

We’ve had cases where a customer says their product was damaged, which might be flagged as negative in text. But in video, they start with “I love your brand,” explain the issue, and even offer context like “my friend had the same thing happen.” You pick up loyalty signals and trends you’d never get from a static survey.

Gabe: Yeah, you just don’t get that kind of nuance from a scale or checkbox. Are there specific areas where this type of communication is especially valuable or where you’d recommend brands start?

Fran: Definitely. The sweet spot is things like damage claims, warranty issues, product questions—especially for higher AOV items or where there’s emotional investment in the purchase. We also see a lot of value in the pre-purchase funnel, like skincare consultations. Then after purchase, just checking in after 15 or 30 days—“How’s it going?”—opens up so much insight.

It also builds empathy on the backend. Agents who might find a customer frustrating now see their face, hear their tone, and better understand what they’re going through. It changes the dynamic completely.

Gabe: We’ve done some of that internally—talking to customers about why they bought or didn’t. I try to join those calls myself, and the insights are always fascinating. I imagine that richness of data can be used to influence the business beyond solving the immediate problem. Have you seen that?

Fran: Absolutely. One recent example: a skincare brand had pump issues with their lotion bottles. They thought they solved it by offering replacements and had created a macro for support agents. But through Hark, they discovered it was a manufacturing or packaging issue. They took that insight to their 3PL and fixed the root cause—saving tens of thousands of dollars.

On top of that, the marketing team started picking up new use cases and messaging from the feedback. Customers were using the product in ways the brand hadn’t anticipated. So it’s not just about CX—it’s a growth lever when support data gets shared across departments.

Gabe: That resonates. I’m guilty of contributing to the gap between support and marketing. Even though I know it’s a goldmine, I don’t always know how to access it. Tactically speaking, how do you bridge that?

Fran: We think about how to make voice of the customer more dynamic. It’s not just a slide in an all-hands once a month. We automate stories into Slack—heartfelt moments, brand champions, complaints—whatever’s relevant. When people see that daily, they start to pay attention.

In our platform, we back every insight with what we call customer-generated content. No one has time to watch thousands of videos, but AI now lets us extract and summarize the context. We surface the trends that are increasing and provide real-world stories to go with them. That makes it easy to act—and harder to ignore.

Gabe: That’s so smart. Zooming out a bit, beyond customer feedback specifically—what trends are you watching in CX over the next year?

Fran: Two come to mind. First is personalization. Surveys and questions need to be more specific and relevant—no one wants to click through 10 generic questions. The second is redefining how we measure brand loyalty.

Right now, we rely on a 0–10 score that predates social media. That kind of subjectivity doesn’t cut it anymore. We’re focused on finding more objective ways to track loyalty and behavior by combining qualitative and quantitative insights. That shift—bringing emotion and context into the data—can completely change how teams make decisions.

Gabe: Yeah, that 10-point scale has been around forever, and I never really know what number to pick. Last question. Any final advice for CX leaders trying to navigate this moment of change?

Fran: If you oversee support, you’re sitting on the most insightful data in the organization. Use it. Take the time to dig into the feedback and turn it into a story that you can share with product, marketing, or leadership. It’s time-intensive, but when you start those cross-functional conversations and drive change, you become a critical part of the business. There’s a lot of talk about CX being a revenue driver, but this is how you make it real. Use your data to move the business forward.

Closing thoughts

Fran Brzyski’s approach to customer feedback reminds us that true insights come from real conversations—not just checkboxes. Looking to elevate your strategy? Consider these takeaways:

  • Capture context, not just scores: Video and audio unlock emotion, nuance, and deeper understanding.
  • Bridge departments with stories: Share customer insights across teams to drive product and marketing impact.
  • Turn support into strategy: Your frontline is a goldmine—use that data to influence growth, not just resolution.

A robust CRM is critical to help you make most of this valuable data and deliver a great customer experience. Are you evaluating which CRM tools will help you get an edge over the competition? Check out our guide to help you know what to look for in a customer experience CRM platform.