Why Every Credit Union Needs a Survey Strategy

Credit unions thrive on relationships. Whether you're trying to improve the onboarding experience, understand why members close accounts, or measure satisfaction after a loan closes, the only way to truly know how you're doing is to ask.

A well-defined survey strategy helps you:

Gather real-time feedback from members across key touchpoints.
Improve service delivery by identifying pain points early.
Track trends over time like Net Promoter Score (NPS) or satisfaction levels.
Empower departments (Lending, Member Services, IT) to act on insights
Strengthen retention by showing members their voices matter.

Without structured feedback, you're relying on assumptions. But with the right surveys and tools to power them, you can make data-driven decisions that improve the member experience, increase loyalty, and drive long-term growth.

Choosing the Right Survey Strategy for Your Credit Union in HubSpot

Surveys are essential for gathering meaningful feedback from your members. But with so many available tools and options, how do you choose the right solution, especially if you already use HubSpot?

If your credit union uses Marketing Hub Enterprise and Content Hub Pro, you're already off to a great start. From here, you have three main paths to consider when it comes to implementing surveys that connect to your CRM:

Use HubSpot Forms and Workflows (No Additional Cost)
Upgrade to Service Hub Pro for Native Survey Tools
Integrate a Third-Party Survey Platform

Let’s break down each option with its pros, cons, estimated costs, and ideal use cases.

Note: The pricing listed here is based on publicly available information as of publication. HubSpot pricing is subject to change.

Option 1: Use HubSpot Forms with Marketing Hub Enterprise

How it works:

Create surveys using HubSpot Forms.
Host forms on Landing Pages.
Automate follow-ups with Workflows.
Store responses in Custom Properties.
Analyze with Custom Reports/Dashboards.

Pros

No additional cost.
Fully integrated with your existing HubSpot CRM.
Enables basic segmentation and personalization.
Branded experience via landing pages.

Cons

No native NPS, CSAT, or CES templates.
Limited survey functionality (no branching logic, skip logic).
Manual setup and limited analytics.
No anonymous survey capability.

Estimated Cost:

$0 additional (uses existing tools).

Best For:

Basic surveys and data collection.
Organizations looking to avoid additional costs.

Option 2: Upgrade to HubSpot Service Hub Pro

How it works

Unlock HubSpot's native survey tools (NPS, CSAT, CES, Custom Surveys).
Surveys sent via email or embedded on web pages.
Responses tied to contact records in the CRM.
Automate workflows based on responses.

Pros:

Seamless integration with HubSpot CRM and workflows.
Ready-to-use NPS, CSAT, CES survey templates.
Centralized reporting and insights.
Enhanced targeting capabilities (based on custom properties, static lists, website activity, time on page, scroll depth, recurrence, etc.)
Automated actions based on member feedback.
Consistent, branded member experience.
Anonymous survey capabilities when sent via link (form/survey lives on an LP and people are directed to this LP)
Multiple NPS surveys for different products, use cases, services, etc. and then aggregate the scores

Cons:

Additional subscription cost.
Limited design flexibility compared to third-party tools.
Limited anonymous survey capability.

Estimated Cost:

$450/month, includes Service Hub Pro with 5 users, $90/mo per additional user

Best For:

Teams focused on member satisfaction, retention, and service improvement.
Organizations wanting an all-in-one CRM and service tool.

Expanded Use Cases Beyond Surveys:

Department	Use Cases
Member Services	Ticket pipelines, SLAs, live chat, knowledge base for FAQs, feedback loops.
Lending Teams	Loan ticket pipelines, post-loan feedback surveys.
Branch Operations	Issue tracking (ATM down, staffing), post-visit feedback, internal SOP knowledge base.
IT/Digital Banking Teams	Member tech support tickets, digital banking troubleshooting, live chat.
Business Development	Commercial account support tickets, business member surveys.

Benefits for Other Teams:

Improved member and staff communication.
Streamlined issue tracking and resolution.
Consistent knowledge base for staff and members.
Analytics for continuous improvement.

Option 3: Use a Third-Party Survey Tool Integrated with HubSpot

Vendors to Consider:

SurveyMonkey (native integration, advanced features, NPS/CSAT/CES, anonymous surveys).
Typeform (engaging UX, conditional logic, easy HubSpot integration).
Qualtrics (enterprise-level, complex logic, deep analytics, integrations).

Pros:

More advanced survey features (logic, branching, piping).
Anonymous survey capabilities.
Highly customizable UX and design.
Multi-channel survey delivery.
Robust analytics and dashboards.

Cons:

Additional cost.
Integration setup may require middleware or APIs.
May not sync data into HubSpot as seamlessly as native tools.

Estimated Cost:

Vendor	Estimated Cost
SurveyMonkey	$25/user/month (Team Plan), $5K+/year (Enterprise)
Typeform	$83/month (Business Plan)
Qualtrics	$15K–$30K+/year (Enterprise Features & Integration)

Best For:

Organizations needing complex surveys and deeper analytics.
Teams that value survey design flexibility and anonymous responses.
Larger budgets and teams needing robust feedback programs.

Recommendation Summary

Option	Use If...	Cost	Complexity	Best For
Option 1: Service Hub Pro	You want integrated member feedback and automation	$450/month	Low-Med	Satisfaction surveys, automation, ticketing
Option 2: 3rd-Party Vendors	You need advanced features and design flexibility	$1K–$30K/year	Med-High	Complex surveys, anonymous feedback, robust data
Option 3: HubSpot Forms	You need simple, no-cost surveys	$0	Low	Basic surveys, data collection

Next Steps for Your Credit Union

To make the best decision, we recommend:

Define your goals. Do you need NPS? Post-loan feedback? Onboarding surveys?
Evaluate survey volume and delivery needs.
Decide if anonymous surveys are required.
Determine how many team members need access (editing vs. viewing).
Assess your budget for HubSpot upgrades or third-party tools.
Explore opportunities to use Service Hub Pro beyond surveys.

Final Thought:
Surveys aren't just about collecting data, they're about improving member experience and deepening relationships. Whether you're just getting started or ready to scale a full member feedback program, the right tool will align with your goals, team needs, and tech stack.

Signals from the Field

Ready for marketing that actually delivers?