Sometimes, you simply need a real, on-ground opinion from customers on what’s working and what isn’t. This is exactly what Voice of the Customer (VoC), surveys and analytics try to achieve, enabling organisations to have a finger on the pulse of real-time customer sentiment. And this can be surprisingly effective – by using VoC surveys, McDonald’s was able to reinvent its breakfast menu and boost sales by 5.7%.
So, how do you get to grips with Voice of the Customer analysis and leverage this data for meaningful results? Here are our recommendations.
- Understand what exactly a VoC survey is
VoC is a very specific kind of customer feedback, where you test out a hypothesis or ask for customer opinion on a certain aspect of the CX or a particular stage of the customer journey. Unlike NPS or CSAT, these are not broad questionnaires. Your VoC initiative must have a clear goal (improving sales, reducing call queues, retiring unpopular products, etc.) to be successful.
- Collect VoC data through a variety of channels
Voice of the Customer data doesn’t have to come in only via formal surveys. You can use speech analytics in a call, you can analyse customers’ online behaviour, you can have a focus group at a trade show – remember to keep it focused on a single business problem to get holistic but targeted information.
- Use contact centre analytics as your starting point
Contact centre solutions will typically include a VoC module, implementing speech analytics to pick up on key trends, themes, and pain points from telephonic conversations. These can serve as an effective starting point for your hypothesis. For example, if customers frequently mention their dissatisfaction with the pricing of a product, you can conduct a VoC survey to identify the ideal pricing segment.
- Apply the A/B testing principle
In A/B testing, we collect data before and after making a transformation to understand how effective the change has been in improving outcomes. Similarly, you can apply the A/B principle when acting on VoC survey insights. Observe metrics like NPS, CSAT, sales, online engagement, before the survey. Conduct the survey, and initiate action in response – like McDonald’s reinventing their menu. Once the change has been implemented, conduct the survey and document metrics once again to benchmark the results.
- Leverage the power of social media
Social media can reveal a wealth of data on customer sentiment, opinion, needs, and aspirations – often without even asking for it. You can use an analytics tool or service to study brand buzz on your social media page, Google review page, Yelp! page, and on other parts of the internet to arrive at a clear, objective picture of market standing.
- Involve multiple stakeholders across the VoC initiative
A successful Voice of the Customer program – from hypothesis to data gathering, transformation, and final review – requires marketing, customer service, online reputation management, and in-store teams to work closely together. Collaboration is central to obtaining an accurate, 360-degree view of the customer that leads to meaningful results.
