Ever wonder what happens to the survey responses customers submit to a company about the service they received?

The highs and lows of airline service generate plenty of opinions, and Delta Air Lines is trying to make better use of the hundreds of thousands of "free form" customer comments it receives from surveys, with the use of new software. The Atlanta-based airline aims to mine the comments for trends or themes by categorizing comments by topic and sentiment using "text analytics."

Since July, Delta has been testing customer survey software from Palo Alto-based Medallia and says with the new format it has seen response rates double -- allowing for more comprehensive results. The airline plans to expand the surveys across its system in early 2016.

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Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

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Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

ajc.com

Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

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Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi

In a world where Uber customers can rate their driver after each ride, the gap between employees and customers' comments about their service is narrowing.

Every Delta employee can access feedback from customers, the airline said.

Delta has revamped 20 different surveys it uses, asking for feedback on everything from flight attendant service to boarding to baggage claim. It also has surveys to ask about the condition of the airplane cabin and how its service was when a flight is overbooked or delayed, depending on the customer's situation.

Customer feedback has already led to changes in the airline's food and beverage program, Delta said.

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8/26/17 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia leaders, including Gov. Nathan Deal, Sandra Deal, members of the King family, and Rep. Calvin Smyre,  were on hand for unveiling of the first statue of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday at the statehouse grounds, more than three years after Gov. Nathan Deal first announced the project.  During the hour-long ceremony leading to the unveiling of the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at the state Capitol on Monday, many speakers, including Gov. Nathan Deal, spoke of King's biography. The statue was unveiled on the anniversary of King's famed "I Have Dream" speech. BOB ANDRES  /BANDRES@AJC.COM

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