Turning customer insights into better customer service

Each year, Norfolk Southern conducts a comprehensive customer survey to gauge service performance and identify opportunities for improvement. In 2025, we achieved a world-class response rate of 42 percent, with 404 customers participating and sharing more than 500 comments – an impressive increase in engagement compared to last year.

The results reflect meaningful progress. Our Net Promoter Score rose five points overall to 32, and among our top-200 customers by revenue, it climbed to 43 – clear indicators of improving sentiment and alignment on what matters most to shippers. Overall, 80 percent of respondents reported being satisfied with NS service performance.

Customers highlighted strong relationships with our Commercial team, effective communication methods, industry-leading technology solutions, and noticeable improvements in service reliability.

Why it matters: Our customers’ feedback shapes our path forward. Their insights guide where we invest, how we operate, and the actions we take to deliver the safe, reliable service they count on to support their business.

Key takeaways

• Reliability remains the foundation of strong partnerships
• Proactive, clear communication builds trust
• Digital tools help make planning and shipping easier
• Customers value a responsive, solutions-oriented team

What we heard: Customers underscored the importance of dependable service, transparent communication, and tools that make it easy to do business with us. They also expressed that strong partnerships matter, especially when they can count on collaboration, responsiveness, and problem-solving from our teams. One manufacturing customer described NS as “the most customer-centric and visible railroad,” noting that our teams “go above and beyond” in customer service and support. A chemicals customer shared that our collaboration “feels like a partnership” and applauded our responsiveness to trends and our excellent communication.

They also shared where continued improvements would make the biggest difference. Others highlighted that “better communication any time something changes” would help them operate more efficiently, and others pointed to the need for “more visibility to help us plan better.”

How we’re moving forward: These insights guide ongoing work across our operations, commercial, and technology teams. We’re strengthening service reliability, improving communication, enhancing our digital tools, and making each interaction with NS more seamless and predictable.

We’re grateful to every customer who shared their perspective. Their feedback helps us evolve and continue building a railroad that supports their growth. We’ll keep listening, learning, and raising the bar on the service we deliver every day.

“Our customers’ feedback is essential to how we operate. It gives us clarity on where to focus and reinforces our commitment to delivering safe, reliable service. Their input helps us make decisions that strengthen our network to support their long-term success.” – Ed Elkins, Chief Commercial Officer at Norfolk Southern

Learn more about how we’re working to deliver a better customer experience with innovative solutions here.