One of our client’s largest customers, a $3 million account representing roughly 10% of revenue, was shopping for alternatives, and leadership had no idea.

Here’s what we uncovered, and what the Company did about it.

The Discovery

In 2024, a private-equity-owned maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider serving major airlines engaged Strategex to conduct a voice-of-the-customer program. Growth had stalled, and the Company needed more visibility into key customer needs. We designed the VOC study to capture the true customer experience. We interviewed the Company’s 15 largest customers, focusing on top strengths and opportunities for improvement, the customer decision journey, competitive benchmarking, and the future growth outlook. We heard a polarized story: some stations excelled in responsiveness and service quality, while others were plagued by lapses in quality and safety. The pattern was clear: The best-performing stations had strong leadership; the worst-performing stations struggled with turnover. And that $3 million relationship? None of their issues had reached leadership. The VOC was the first time they heard it.

The Response

The VOC made the invisible visible. It clearly explained which stations were underperforming and why, and gave management an improvement roadmap built on customers’ actual perceptions and expectations. The top-performing stations were used as case studies to establish best practices. The account lead focused on over-servicing the at-risk account and proactively communicated the changes the Company had implemented. Over time, quality issues dropped while satisfaction climbed. The at-risk customer renewed, preserving a $3 million contract and avoiding the 10% revenue hit.

The Return

In late 2025, the Company re-engaged with Strategex to get a pulse on customer perceptions and understand if they had earned the right to grow. We kept the methodology consistent, with a similar interview structure to allow a clean comparison. The verdict: the Company’s efforts were noticed and appreciated. More than half of the customers we spoke with cited major service improvements in the past year. The customers cited consistent execution at previously uneven stations, and trust in the Company was rebuilding.

With short-term risk contained, our recommendations shifted to a focus on growth. Customers showed increased interest in previously underutilized service lines and mentioned adjacent capabilities they’d like to see offered in the future. It was clear that the Company hadn’t just stopped the bleeding; they’d earned the right to grow.

The takeaway for PE operators: Get the truth from the customers who matter most, standardize what must never vary, and learn about emerging needs. Do that, and you don’t just keep the $3 million. You set the conditions to capture the next $3 million.