How Polestar measures the customer experience

In this episode of Datadrivet, Joni Lindgren and Jasmin Yaya talk with Fredrik Sterner Cederlof, Head of Global Customer Insight and Analytics at Polestar, about how the Swedish electric carmaker works systematically to improve the customer experience.

Fredrik leads analytics for customer experience at Polestar, which is based in Gothenburg. He has worked in digital development since 2000, with the last decade focused on analytics and building teams, and he teaches data storytelling, CX measurement, and statistics at Berghs, Hyper Island, and IHM.

His team maps the complete customer journey, from first interest through test drives, purchase, using the car, and a possible return. Across that journey they collect both qualitative and quantitative data so they can turn it into insight that teams can act on. The data comes from physical channels like retail and service centres as well as roughly 45 digital touchpoints including apps and websites.

What stands out to Fredrik is the goal itself. Customer satisfaction is the main objective at Polestar because satisfaction drives sales, and he says this is the first time in his career he has experienced a company where customer satisfaction is genuinely the main goal.

On measurement, the team uses Net Promoter Score at multiple touchpoints, splitting out an NPS for the shop experience and an NPS for owning the car. They also use Customer Effort Score to gauge how much effort an action takes, such as booking a test drive. To keep feedback close to the people who can act on it, Polestar pipes customer comments into Slack so product teams see them immediately and can respond quickly and with empathy.

The takeaway: a systematic customer experience starts with mapping the whole journey, measuring at the points that matter, and putting the feedback where teams will actually see it.

Listen to the full episode of Datadrivet for Fredrik’s full account of how Polestar runs this.