Voice of the Consumer (VoC) programs aggregate customer feedback into a formal, unified, and actionable insights creation engine.
Such VoC initiatives have become a significant CX focus in recent years, mainly owing to their outsized influence on revenue generation and consumer engagement.
Indeed, as an example of this, Gartner reports that gathering client feedback may enhance cross-selling/upselling success rates by up to 20 percent. Companies may also invest 25 percent less in customer retention than competitors that do not gather consumer feedback.
Further research also links VoC programs to increased employee retention and engagement, alongside a dip in customer service expenses.
Here are ten best practices to remember for those looking to invest in VoC techniques and technologies in 2022 and achieve all these benefits.
- Expand the Boundaries of Customer Data Collection
The breadth of VoC data goes beyond self-reported survey results. Other types of VoC systems and technologies – such as contact center transcripts, social media interactions, and third-party reviews – add additional layers of information that help businesses better comprehend customer behavior.
Any activity or impression that CX teams can collect or study has the potential to provide an even deeper understanding of consumer motives, disappointments, aspirations, and experiences.
- Close the Feedback Loop
Customers value VoC programs much more highly if they feel that the company is actioning their feedback. Such a strategy necessitates having timely and relevant replies prepared for possible comments, from the most hesitant curiosity about a product to the angriest helpdesk outburst.
Organizations must prepare to react to any event, ensuring that agents who can interact are well-versed in appropriate responses.
- Assess Every Customer Journey Touchpoint
Customers often interact with a business at several touchpoints during their journey. For example, these may occur when the customer buys an item or deals with the sales, support, or accounting staff.
Yet, to attain a 360-degree perspective of the overall customer experience, businesses must gather insights and comments at every customer touchpoint. Doing so allows teams to determine the moments that truly matter and uncover critical improvement opportunities.
- Lean on VoC Technology
VoC solutions often feature tried-and-tested CX survey templates and may assist with managing and assessing all incoming feedback.
In addition, continuous monitoring of CX indicators will allow companies to determine whether the improvements made in response to VoC are having the desired impact.
- Drive VoC Data Across the Business
A good VoC program often fails to reach its full potential without the participation of internal teams, including sales, support, and product development.
It is crucial to involve all teams in the VoC program so that they may contribute to the collection, analysis, and implementation of consumer insights. Companies can utilize action planning tools to increase participation.
Consequently, one of the best VoC strategies includes determining ownership, establishing start and end times, and developing a transparent action plan.
- Share Dashboards and Reports with the Right Stakeholders
The ability to create and personalize a dashboard for each department is a significant feature of an effective tool for gathering client feedback. A VoC owner may provide relevant insights to stakeholders about their involvement in delivering excellent CX results.
Sharing VoC data with different teams ensures that everyone is on the same page and provides insights into how consumers view the brand.
In addition, many teams do not deal directly with the consumer. In these instances, communicate survey findings through the dashboard, so stakeholders understand the end-to-end experience better.
- Highlight Emerging Trends
When reviewing customer feedback, keep a keen eye on emerging patterns and trends regarding what consumers are saying and various indicators that suggest they are experiencing problems.
Categorize these inputs to share an accurate representation of everyday concerns, pain points, and suggestions for improvement.
- Listen to the Voice of the Employee (VoE)
While customer feedback is essential, CX teams should also solicit employee feedback. Not only are their inputs easily accessible, but by harnessing employee insights like those of contact center agents, businesses may also learn invaluable “quick fix” solutions.
For instance, consumer feedback may indicate ineffective procedures, but staff responses may provide insight into why these processes are inefficient.
- Connect VoC Tools with a Customer Data Platform (CDP)
VoC data often holds the key to mission-critical CX information. Yet, it typically lacks context from customer personas and behavior profiles stored in business data warehouses and CRM systems.
As such, by integrating VoC tools with various data sources, businesses may increase the value of VoC campaigns and finally arrive at relevant suggestions.
For this reason, connecting VoC systems with a centralized customer data platform is often helpful.
- Proactively Combat Survey Fatigue
“Survey fatigue”, “spamming”, and “junk mail” have become mainstream terms, thanks to the inefficiencies of many VoC programs. Businesses must ensure that their VoC initiatives do not fall under these categories.
Poor survey design – such as asking too many irrelevant questions, grammatical mistakes, or too many open-text replies – is also a common problem. It is essential to consider both the number of survey questions and the timing (or frequency) of the exercise to avoid such issues and minimize survey fatigue.
Read the following article to create a winning VoC strategy with the ACAF Feedback Loop.
