When Numbers Don’t Cut It: Why Verbatims Still Matter in CX.

We live in the age of instant feedback. Five-star ratings. Emojis. One-click surveys. Data at scale. But when was the last time you heard something real in all of that?

At Smoke CI, we’re seeing a growing trend: CX leaders are re-discovering the power of the unscripted. The raw. The unfiltered voice of a customer who has something to say, not just a box to tick.

That’s where CATI comes in. And here’s why those comments - captured live, over the phone, by someone trained to listen, might just be the smartest upgrade to your VOC strategy.

1. Numbers Show You the Problem. Words Show You Why.

Your CSAT score dropped. Your NPS dipped. Now what?

Quantitative metrics are crucial, but they rarely carry the full story. A score tells you what happened. A well-handled CATI interview tells you why. Verbatims unlock context: was it the hold time, the tone, the resolution, the vibe? These nuances matter.

And in a phone conversation, people tend to open up in ways they won’t in other surveys, and a trained interview is able to extract insight that a text box just can’t.

2. Human Data Feels Different - Because It Is.

There’s a reason testimonials work. Stories stick. Emotions land. And tone matters.

CATI gives your customers space to speak like humans, not data points. You hear the sighs. The delight. The hesitation. And often, it’s these emotional signals that guide better decisions than any heatmap or scorecard.

At Smoke CI, our interviewers don’t just transcribe, they listen. And they’re trained to surface the insights beneath the surface.

3. Executive Teams Want Verbatim. Period.

If you’ve ever been in a leadership review, you’ve seen it:

Slide 1: "Our NPS is 42." Slide 2: "But here’s what a customer actually said."

Guess which slide gets remembered?

Leaders gravitate toward the human element, especially when trying to understand dips, crises, or major shifts. CATI provides high-impact, quote-worthy insights that elevate your reporting and create urgency for action.

4. Verbatim Insight Doesn’t Have to Mean Complexity

You might be thinking sounds powerful but sounds like work.

That’s the magic of how we’ve built CATI at Smoke CI. It’s structured enough to keep data clean, yet open enough to let real feedback flow. You’ll get rich verbatim insight that maps to your metrics, flags red issues, and slots into your existing dashboards, without additional admin.

It’s the richness of qualitative feedback with the discipline of digital.

5. CATI Is the Modern Way to Make Feedback More Human.

In an age where empathy drives loyalty, listening well is a strategic advantage.

CATI lets your programme flex where it matters most: talking to real people in real moments, and uncovering what makes or breaks their experience.

Because when your customers speak, and someone actually listens? That’s not just insight. That’s impact.

Want more human insight in your feedback mix?