I’ve been a big proponent of getting feedback from customers and prospects throughout my career. The voice of the customer (VOC) is where you get consumer insights that enable you to improve communications, products, service and revenue.
Based on my experience, having a one-on-one conversation with a customer or prospect will yield much deeper consumer insights that will have a greater, more positive impact on the business.
Here are the top 12 reasons companies use VOC programs according to research conducted by Peppers & Rogers:
- Improve the customer experience
- Gauge the overall health of the business
- Retaining customers
- Selling on their successes
- Driving innovation
- Increasing demand
- Evaluating specific customer touch points
- Improving or creating products
- Improving marketing effectiveness
- Capturing customer referrals
- Evaluating marketing claims
- Understanding brand perceptions
Customers want to give feedback. It is critical that we let the customer know we appreciate their feedback and let them know what we’re going to do with what they told us.
Given the rapid growth of electronic VOC solutions, I also think it’s critical to still have a dialogue with the customer to fully understand why they provided the feedback they did — that’s where you’ll get the real consumer insights.
Have you or your firm implemented a VOC program?
What have you learned?