Introduction to Voice of the Customer (VoC)

VoC is a systematic learning method about customer preferences and incorporating feedback that helps a company deliver superior products or services. It has far-reaching positive consequences for any business. This is especially true today when customers demand tailored products from companies that need to maintain a continuing two-way relationship.

You may often get a survey link or app pop-up to rate your Uber ride or previous Zomato order. Sometimes, you may be frustrated with the quality of service where you rate 2/5, for which the company would send a quick ticket for resolution. The sooner it is, the more satisfied you will feel. The company doing this is an example of a Voice of Customer campaign. Let’s explore the mechanics behind using this strategy. 

Define Voice of the Customer

Voice of the Customer is a four- to five-step process of collecting, interpreting, and acting upon customer feedback that helps a company consistently improve the quality of its products or services. 

This process does not end with collecting data and calling it a day. It is important to interpret and use the data, considering the ultimate goal - customer satisfaction. 

Voice of the customer is an important step to realise the actual difference between what customers expect and what the business offers. Gartner mentions that feedback can be direct, indirect, and inferred. 

Companies today focus on implementing voice of the customer programmes in various ways. Their key methods are surveys, focus groups, SMS, social media listening tools, live chat, multichannel listening (from marketing emails and offline), and customer support channels. 

Various all-in-one VoC platforms, from Qualtrics XM Platform to SurveyMonkey Enterprise, offer real-time data for collecting customer feedback.  

What Role Does Voice of Customer Play For a Business?

Voice of the Customer or VoC is often associated with customer experience (CX), but it's not just used for marketing research. 

In marketing campaigns, VoC can be used to understand customer preferences and tailor messages accordingly. In product development, it can guide the creation of products that meet customer needs. 

In sales, it can inform strategies to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. It is a comprehensive strategy that can drive improvements across an organisation. 

The Voice of the Customer is also a key element of the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control) framework, a process improvement methodology. It helps measure the CTQ (Critical to Quality) metrics, the key measurable characteristics of a product or process whose performance standards or specification limits must be met to satisfy the customer. Usually, the Black Belt, a role in Six Sigma methodology, must ensure the VoC strategy is implemented across the process improvement. 

How You Can Implement a Voice of the Customer Programme

Figure out Objectives of the VoC Programme

First, determine what insights you aim to gather from customers and how you intend to use this information to drive business improvements. Align the objectives with broader organisational goals to ensure relevance and impact.

This is important because, according to Forrester, a lot of companies in the past decade or so have not been able to reap the full financial benefits of a VoC programme. One of the primary reasons this happens is the objective they choose, which may not add any value to customers. 

Identify Key Stakeholders

Identify key stakeholders across different departments and levels of the organisation who will be involved in the VoC programme. 

This may include executives, customer service teams, marketing, product development, and IT. They might even provide department-specific insights which needs to be looked at. 

Establish clear roles and responsibilities to ensure accountability and collaboration.

Select Feedback Channels

Choose the appropriate feedback channels through which you will gather customer insights. This may include surveys, interviews, focus groups, social media monitoring, online reviews, and customer feedback forms. 

Consider the preferences and demographics of your target audience when selecting channels.

Develop Data Collection Methods

Design surveys, questionnaires, or interview scripts to collect relevant data from customers. 

Ensure that questions are clear, concise, and aligned with the objectives of the VoC programme. 

Implement mechanisms for collecting feedback consistently across all touchpoints throughout the customer journey. Refer to customer journey mapping. 

Implement Feedback Collection

Deploy your chosen feedback collection methods to start gathering insights from customers. 

This may involve integrating survey tools into your website, sending out email surveys, monitoring social media mentions, or conducting in-person interviews. 

Ensure that feedback collection processes are user-friendly and accessible to all customers.

Analyse and Interpret Feedback

Once you have collected sufficient data, analyse and interpret the feedback to identify key insights and trends. 

Use statistical analysis, sentiment analysis, and qualitative methods to extract meaningful insights from the data. Look for patterns, common themes, and areas for improvement that emerge from the feedback.

Act on Insights

Translate the insights gained from customer feedback into actionable initiatives and improvements. Develop strategies to address identified pain points, enhance customer experiences, and drive business outcomes. Collaborate across departments to implement changes effectively and efficiently.

Monitor and Iterate

Continuously monitor the effectiveness of your VoC programme. 

Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), and Customer Effort Score (CES) to measure the impact of your initiatives. 

Regularly review and update your feedback collection methods and analysis techniques to ensure relevance and effectiveness.

Learn to Implement VoC the Practical Way!

Insights gathered from the Voice of the customer programme, as mentioned above, can provide the next steps to keep customers happy. If you are interested in learning more, check out Coursera’s Voice of the Customer (VoC): Enhancing Experiences. 

• You will be learning how to listen to and act on customer feedback. With hands-on learning, you will find good guidance on improving your products and services to better meet customer needs and expectations.
• With this Coursera course, you can gain fine insights into how to differentiate your brand through customer-centric strategies. The course covers a range of topics, from collecting and analysing customer data to creating a customer-centric culture.