p-gap

P-GAP – mind the gap

The smile is the shortest distance between two people, Entertainer Victor Borge said. But it’s hard to feel the dimples on the phone

And the smile may also be a little stiff with Andreas in customer service, while Mrs. Frederiksen sheds all her accumulated outrage. Over the weather, her bad hair day, and the frustration that the slow juicer she has waited almost 10 days to receive is not in the color she has ordered. Andreas listens, holds his patience, and explains how Mrs. Frederiksen returns the item in order to get a new one in the right color … The missus gives her thanks, hangs up. And then everything is fine. Or?

Andreas believes the conversation went well, he solved the customers problem and rates the conversation an NPS score of 9. Mrs. Frederiksen rates the experience a 6 and clearly has a different view of the course of the conversation. Although the distance between the two numbers may not seem very significant, the employee and the customer have two different perceptions of the course of the conversation. And if the difference is not made clear to Andreas, the situation will repeat itself. Because Andreas is not aware of what he is doing wrong and thus does not understand that the customer does not have the same perception of the conversation as himself. The difference between the two numbers is P-GAP.

When numbers show emotions

P-GAP is short for perception gap and is a method that measures the emotional distance between two people in a particular touchpoint. P-GAP calculates the difference between the customer’s and the employee’s experience in the situation and generates a report with the result. This report can then be used both in relation to the individual employee and for analysis and optimization of the entire department. The purpose is to give the employee a greater emotional understanding of the customer’s situation, and insight into what parameters to work on, so that he or she becomes better at showing the dimples and empathy through the phone.

The P-GAP method was invented by Anders Rønnebech. It is targeted towards and used by companies that want to educate employees on delivering higher quality in the sales process and/or in customer experience. In addition to increased customer satisfaction, the benefits are also greater employee satisfaction, as the individual employee experiences a more significant personal contribution to making a difference through self-development.

Employee training that shows results

At nps.today, we are already implementing P-GAP at the postal service company PostNord and Norlys, Denmark’s largest energy and telecommunications group. These are two examples of companies focusing on ensuring the best possible customer service, and therefore actively engage and support customer service representatives in developing their potentials.

The starting point is an active focus on improving their own performance and increasing self-awareness in what parameters they should work on. The individual follow-up after the end of a case will give employees an insight into how they can deliver on the given parameters. The training typically takes place over a period of two weeks, where employees are measured by how well they do at putting themselves in the customer’s shoes and how high-quality service they provide. The training program is there to provide employees with the necessary guidance on how to optimize their work and thus help improve the company’s overall performance.

Facts:

Anders Rønnebech, who has developed P-GAP, is a trained sociologist and has always been interested in human interaction. Anders is the author of the book “Herregud – det er jo bare kundeservice!” (Christ – it’s just customer service!), and behind the provocative title lies a desire to make the subject more methodical and tool-based through tools like P-GAP. For several years, he has worked intensively with customer service and sales. Together with Peopleteams, Anders Rønnebech acts as a consultant and supports the implementation of P-GAP at nps.today.

Written by

Peter Tranberg Møller

Partner & CX Advisor

10 years of experience in CX, customer relationships and building CX platforms that deliver real value.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is P-Gap?

P-Gap stands for Perception Gap and describes the difference between a customer’s and an employee’s assessment of the same interaction. An employee may believe that a conversation went well while the customer experienced it very differently. P-Gap makes this difference visible and useful for training and coaching.

How is P-Gap measured?

Following a customer interaction, both the customer and the employee evaluate the experience using comparable questions and the same scale. The difference between their ratings constitutes the P-Gap. To produce meaningful results, the questions must refer to the same touchpoint and measure experiences that can reasonably be compared.

What does a large P-Gap mean?

A large P-Gap means that the customer and employee perceived the interaction very differently. This may result from communication, tone, empathy, expectation setting or factors outside the employee’s control. The result should provide a starting point for reflection and dialogue rather than automatically being treated as evidence of poor performance.

What does a small P-Gap mean?

A small P-Gap shows that the employee’s assessment is close to the customer’s assessment. This may indicate good situational awareness and an ability to recognise the customer’s experience. However, a small gap is not necessarily positive: the customer and employee could agree that the interaction was unsatisfactory.

What is the difference between P-Gap and NPS?

NPS measures a customer’s willingness to recommend the company, while P-Gap compares the customer’s and employee’s perceptions of a particular interaction. NPS reflects the customer’s relationship or experience, whereas P-Gap indicates how accurately the employee recognises that experience. The methods can complement each other but do not measure the same thing.

Why do customers and employees perceive the same conversation differently?

Employees may focus on whether the problem was solved correctly, while customers also consider waiting time, tone, empathy, expectations and earlier experiences. Employees also possess internal knowledge about policies and limitations that customers do not have. P-Gap can reveal these different perspectives and turn them into opportunities for learning.

Where can P-Gap be used?

P-Gap is particularly relevant in customer service, contact centres, sales, advisory services and other situations involving direct customer contact. It can be used following calls, meetings, chats or service cases when both parties can evaluate the same interaction. The touchpoint should be clearly defined so the responses remain comparable.

How can P-Gap support employee training?

Results can be used in individual coaching sessions to explore why the employee and customer perceived the interaction differently. Training may focus on active listening, empathy, expectation setting and clear communication. Analysing trends and recurring patterns is generally more useful than drawing conclusions from a single conversation.

Should P-Gap be used to evaluate employee performance?

P-Gap should primarily be treated as a development and coaching tool. Customer ratings may be affected by pricing, products, processes or previous experiences outside the employee’s control. If P-Gap contributes to performance evaluation, it should be combined with quality data, observed behaviour, context and multiple interactions over time.

How can a company reduce a large P-Gap?

Companies can train employees in active listening, empathy, summarising and expectation management. An employee can, for example, end the conversation by confirming that the customer’s needs have been understood and addressed. The company should also examine whether processes, systems or unclear promises make it difficult to deliver a positive experience.

How frequently should P-Gap be measured?

Measurement should continue for long enough to identify patterns without unnecessarily burdening customers or employees. The appropriate frequency depends on interaction volume and the training objective. Results should be reviewed over time and, where useful, segmented by contact reason, channel or customer type.

Which data should be included in a P-Gap analysis?

The analysis should include the customer’s and employee’s ratings, the relevant touchpoint, timing and contact reason. Comments from both parties can explain the difference more effectively than scores alone. Segment, channel and case complexity may also be useful, while personal and employee data must be protected through appropriate access controls.

How can a company determine whether P-Gap training works?

Examine whether employees become better at recognising customers’ perceptions and whether the overall customer experience improves at the same time. Supplement the analysis with quality assessments, comments, repeat contacts and resolution time. The purpose is not merely to produce matching scores, but to improve understanding and customer dialogue.

P-GAP and Customer Experience Training

Help employees see the experience through the customer’s eyes

P-GAP makes the perception gap between customers and employees visible. See how nps.today helps service and contact center teams measure customer experience, compare employee and customer perceptions, and turn feedback into coaching, self-awareness and better service quality.