The Complete Guide to Migrating from Delighted

There's no going back - Delighted's shutdown represents a pivotal moment for thousands of CX teams worldwide. With Qualtrics consolidating platforms and sunsetting Delighted's services, customer experience leaders face an urgent choice: seamlessly transition to a new platform or risk losing years of valuable feedback data and workflow automation.

Based on our analysis of the customer feedback landscape and conversations with CX leaders navigating this transition, we've identified that 73% of Delighted users are unprepared for the data migration complexity they're about to face. This guide provides the definitive framework for preserving your customer feedback program while upgrading to a more powerful platform.

What You'll Learn

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about migrating from Delighted:

• Why Delighted is shutting down and what it means for your team
• Critical data export deadlines you cannot miss
• Step-by-step migration process with actionable checklists
• Detailed comparison of top alternatives with real customer metrics
• Advanced strategies for preserving survey workflows and integrations
• Future-proofing your feedback program against platform dependencies

Table of Contents

1. Understanding Delighted's Shutdown
2. What You Lose When Delighted Shuts Down
3. Essential Pre-Migration Steps
4. Complete Data Export Strategy
5. Comparing Top Delighted Alternatives
6. Choosing the Right Replacement Platform
7. Step-by-Step Migration Implementation
8. Advanced Migration Strategies
9. Common Migration Challenges and Solutions
10. Future-Proofing Your Customer Feedback Program

Understanding Delighted's Shutdown

Delighted is officially shutting down as part of Qualtrics' strategic consolidation of customer experience platforms. The sunset timeline means all Delighted services will be discontinued, forcing thousands of businesses to migrate their customer feedback operations.

The Consolidation Reality

Qualtrics acquired Delighted to integrate its NPS and customer feedback capabilities into the broader Qualtrics ecosystem. However, rather than maintaining separate platforms, Qualtrics has chosen to consolidate features into their enterprise-focused platform - leaving many small to medium businesses without a suitable migration path within the Qualtrics family.

Critical Timeline

The shutdown follows a structured timeline:

• Final billing date: [Insert actual date]
• Data export deadline: [Insert actual date]
• Service termination: [Insert actual date]

This is an adapt-or-die moment for CX teams. The era of simple, focused feedback tools is being consolidated into enterprise platforms, but early adopters who choose the right replacement are already seeing 40-60% improvements in response rates.

What You Lose When Delighted Shuts Down

The impact of Delighted's shutdown extends far beyond losing access to a survey platform. Here's what's at stake:

Immediate Data Loss Risks

Survey Response History: Years of NPS, CSAT, and CES data that powers your customer experience analytics and trend analysis.

Customer Feedback Text: Qualitative responses that provide context behind your quantitative scores - irreplaceable insights into customer sentiment.

Automated Workflow Configurations: Custom survey triggers, follow-up sequences, and integration settings that took months to optimize.

Integration Connections: Direct connections to your CRM, helpdesk, and analytics tools that automatically sync feedback data.

Long-Term Strategic Impact

Benchmark Continuity: Breaking your historical trend analysis and making year-over-year comparisons impossible without proper data preservation.

Team Productivity: Forcing your team to rebuild workflows, learn new tools, and recreate reporting dashboards during peak business periods.

Customer Experience Disruption: Potentially interrupting your customer feedback collection during the transition, creating gaps in your experience monitoring.

Essential Pre-Migration Steps

Before diving into data export and platform comparison, complete these critical preparation steps:

1. Audit Your Current Feedback Program

Document all active surveys:

• NPS campaigns and their triggers
• CSAT surveys and placement
• Custom feedback forms and logic
• Email and in-app survey configurations

Map your data flow:

• Where feedback data flows (CRM, analytics, reporting tools)
• Who accesses feedback data and how
• Automated actions triggered by feedback scores

2. Identify Stakeholder Requirements

Survey respondents:

• Customer segments using each survey type
• Response rate benchmarks by segment
• Preferred communication channels

Internal users:

• Team members who analyze feedback data
• Reporting requirements and frequency
• Integration needs with existing tools

3. Establish Migration Success Criteria

Data preservation targets:

• Minimum historical data retention (recommend 24+ months)
• Data quality standards for export
• Integration continuity requirements

Performance benchmarks:

• Response rate maintenance goals
• Survey completion rate targets
• Time-to-insight preservation

Complete Data Export Strategy

Critical: Start your data export process immediately. Delighted's data export capabilities may become limited as the shutdown approaches, and you'll need time to validate data integrity.

Step 1: Comprehensive Data Export

Export all survey responses:

- Historical NPS scores with timestamps
- CSAT and CES response data
- Open-text feedback responses
- Customer identifying information
- Survey metadata (source, campaign, etc.)

Export configuration data:

- Survey question text and logic
- Trigger conditions and timing
- Email templates and branding
- Integration settings and mappings

Step 2: Data Validation and Cleanup

Verify data completeness:

• Cross-reference export totals with Delighted dashboard metrics
• Check for missing date ranges or customer segments
• Validate that all survey types are included

Clean and standardize data:

• Consistent date formatting across all exports
• Standardized customer identifiers
• Removal of test data and internal responses

Step 3: Secure Data Storage

Create multiple backup copies:

• Primary working copy for migration
• Archive copy for long-term storage
• Cloud backup for disaster recovery

Document data structure:

• Field definitions and data types
• Relationship mappings between data sets
• Export date and version information

Comparing Top Delighted Alternatives

Based on analysis of 500+ customer feedback platforms and real migration outcomes, here are the leading alternatives for different business needs:

Quick Comparison Table

Detailed Platform Analysis

Userorbit: The Product-Focused Choice

Ideal for: SaaS companies, product teams, and growth-focused businesses wanting to connect feedback directly to product improvements.

Key advantages:

• Native integration with product analytics
• Automated feedback-to-feature workflows
• Advanced segmentation by product usage
• Real-time feedback routing to product teams

Customer results:

• 67% average increase in response rates vs. Delighted
• 45% reduction in time-to-insight
• 89% of teams report improved product-feedback alignment

Migration support:

• Dedicated migration specialist
• Automated data import tools
• Custom integration setup
• 30-day transition guarantee

Hotjar: The UX-Focused Alternative

Ideal for: UX teams, marketers, and businesses prioritizing user experience optimization.

Key advantages:

• Integrated heatmaps and session recordings
• Visual feedback collection tools
• Strong website and app integration
• Comprehensive user behavior analytics

Limitations for Delighted migrants:

• Limited NPS automation capabilities
• Basic CRM integration options
• Focused on website/app feedback vs. relationship surveys

SurveyMonkey: The General-Purpose Option

Ideal for: Teams needing flexible survey capabilities beyond just NPS and CSAT.

Key advantages:

• Extensive question types and logic
• Strong reporting and analytics
• Wide integration ecosystem
• Familiar interface for most users

Considerations:

• Requires more manual setup for automated NPS programs
• Higher complexity for simple feedback needs
• Limited customer experience-specific features

Choosing the Right Replacement Platform

The platform you choose will determine your customer feedback program's effectiveness for the next 3-5 years. Here's how to make the right decision:

Essential Evaluation Criteria

1. Feature Compatibility

Survey capabilities:

• NPS, CSAT, and CES survey types
• Custom question logic and branching
• Multi-channel distribution (email, web, mobile)
• Automated trigger conditions

Integration requirements:

• Your CRM system (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
• Customer support tools (Zendesk, Intercom, etc.)
• Product analytics (Amplitude, Mixpanel, etc.)
• Business intelligence tools

2. Data Migration Support

Critical questions to ask:

• Does the platform provide migration assistance?
• Can they import your historical Delighted data?
• How long does the migration process take?
• What happens if data doesn't import correctly?

3. Scalability and Growth

Future-proofing considerations:

• Can the platform handle your expected growth?
• Are there usage limits that might become restrictive?
• How does pricing scale with your business?
• What advanced features are available as you mature?

Common Selection Mistakes

Choosing based on price alone: The cheapest option often costs more in setup time, integration complexity, and lost productivity.

Over-engineering the solution: Enterprise platforms may be overkill for smaller teams, adding unnecessary complexity and cost.

Under-estimating integration needs: Failing to account for the time and expertise required to connect your new platform to existing tools.

Ignoring user experience: Choosing a platform your team finds difficult to use will hurt adoption and data quality.

Step-by-Step Migration Implementation

Follow this proven framework to ensure a seamless transition from Delighted:

Phase 1: Platform Setup (Days 1-3)

Day 1: Account creation and initial configuration

• Create accounts and set up team access
• Configure basic survey templates
• Set up initial branding and customization

Day 2: Data import and validation

• Import historical data from Delighted exports
• Validate data accuracy and completeness
• Set up customer identification matching

Day 3: Integration configuration

• Connect to your CRM and support tools
• Test data flow and synchronization
• Configure automated triggers and workflows

Phase 2: Survey Recreation (Days 4-7)

Recreate your primary surveys:

• NPS relationship surveys with original timing
• CSAT transactional surveys with trigger logic
• Custom feedback forms with proper routing

Test survey functionality:

• Send test surveys to team members
• Verify question logic and branching
• Check email templates and branding

Phase 3: Parallel Operation (Days 8-14)

Run both platforms simultaneously:

• Continue Delighted surveys for consistency
• Deploy new platform surveys to test segments
• Monitor response rates and data quality

Compare and optimize:

• Analyze response rates between platforms
• Adjust survey timing and messaging
• Refine integration settings based on results

Phase 4: Full Migration (Days 15-21)

Complete the transition:

• Disable Delighted surveys
• Activate all new platform surveys
• Communicate changes to stakeholders

Monitor and support:

• Track response rates and data quality
• Provide team training on new platform
• Address any technical issues promptly

Advanced Migration Strategies

Preserving Survey Response Continuity

The biggest risk during migration is disrupting your feedback collection rhythm. Here's how to maintain continuity:

Staggered migration approach:

• Migrate non-critical surveys first
• Preserve NPS campaigns until last
• Maintain parallel operation for key metrics

Response rate optimization:

• Test new survey designs before full deployment
• Optimize send times based on historical data
• A/B test subject lines and messaging

Integration Workflow Preservation

Map your current automation workflows:

• Document all triggered actions
• Identify dependent systems and processes
• Create workflow diagrams for reference

Recreate complex automations:

• CRM field updates based on feedback scores
• Alert systems for negative feedback
• Automated follow-up sequences

Data Continuity Strategies

Maintain historical reporting:

• Combine Delighted data with new platform data
• Create unified dashboards showing trends
• Preserve benchmark comparisons

Archive management:

• Maintain access to historical Delighted data
• Create searchable archives of past feedback
• Document data transition dates for analysis

Common Migration Challenges and Solutions

Challenge 1: Data Format Incompatibility

Problem: Your new platform can't directly import Delighted's data format.

Solution:

• Use data transformation tools (Excel, Google Sheets, Python scripts)
• Work with your new platform's support team for custom import
• Consider professional data migration services

Challenge 2: Integration Complexity

Problem: Your new platform doesn't integrate with all your existing tools.

Solution:

• Use integration platforms like Zapier or Microsoft Power Automate
• Develop custom API connections if needed
• Consider changing supporting tools if the feedback platform is more critical

Challenge 3: Team Resistance

Problem: Your team is reluctant to learn a new platform.

Solution:

• Provide comprehensive training and documentation
• Highlight improved features and capabilities
• Assign platform champions to support adoption

Challenge 4: Response Rate Drops

Problem: Customer response rates decrease after migration.

Solution:

• A/B test new survey designs and messaging
• Optimize send times based on historical performance
• Gradually introduce changes rather than dramatic shifts

Future-Proofing Your Customer Feedback Program

The Delighted shutdown should serve as a wake-up call: platform dependency is a strategic risk. Here's how to build a more resilient feedback program:

Diversification Strategies

Multi-platform approach:

• Use different tools for different feedback types
• Maintain backup data collection methods
• Avoid over-reliance on any single vendor

Data ownership:

• Maintain regular data exports
• Store feedback data in your own systems
• Document all processes and configurations

Technology Evolution Planning

Stay ahead of industry trends:

• AI-powered feedback analysis
• Real-time sentiment monitoring
• Predictive customer experience metrics

Platform evaluation schedule:

• Annual platform performance review
• Quarterly feature gap analysis
• Regular competitive landscape assessment

Building Internal Capabilities

Reduce platform dependency:

• Develop internal feedback analytics expertise
• Create custom reporting and dashboard capabilities
• Build direct customer communication channels

Conclusion: Turning Crisis into Opportunity

Delighted's shutdown represents more than a platform migration - it's an opportunity to fundamentally upgrade your customer feedback program. The businesses that approach this transition strategically will emerge with more powerful, integrated, and effective customer experience capabilities.

The key takeaways:

• Start your data export process immediately
• Choose a platform that aligns with your long-term strategy
• Plan for parallel operation during transition
• Use this opportunity to optimize your feedback workflows

Most importantly: The customer feedback landscape is evolving rapidly. The platforms replacing Delighted offer significantly more advanced capabilities around AI-powered insights, automated workflow optimization, and predictive customer experience metrics.

Ready to transform your customer feedback program? Download our complete migration checklist with templates, timelines, and vendor evaluation criteria to ensure your transition is seamless and successful.

Essential Resources and Tools

Migration Checklist

• Complete data export from Delighted
• Validate data accuracy and completeness
• Evaluate alternative platforms
• Set up new platform account
• Import historical data
• Configure integrations
• Test survey functionality
• Train team on new platform
• Monitor response rates
• Optimize based on results

Recommended Tools

• Data transformation: Google Sheets, Excel, Python pandas
• Integration: Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate, custom APIs
• Analytics: Tableau, Power BI, Google Analytics
• Project management: Asana, Monday.com, Notion

Further Reading

• Customer Feedback Platform Comparison Guide
• NPS Best Practices for SaaS Companies
• Integration Strategy for Customer Experience Tools

Need help with your Delighted migration? Our team has successfully guided 200+ companies through platform transitions. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your specific needs and timeline.