How to Use Voice of Customer to take your Business to the Next Level in 2021

There are many things that go into running a successful business. When it’s all said and done, the most important thing is that there are people who actually buy your product or service. How they get to that point is the most crucial step. Yes, there is advertising and marketing, but that’s not enough. A successful business understands its customers and potential customers, and gears their marketing and advertising efforts towards them. 

Having a deep understanding of customers means understanding why they make the purchasing decisions that they do. It means getting to the crux of why they chose a company or product, and how that information can be used to get others to do the same, and to get repeat sales. Part of it is anticipating their needs, and the other part is using what is learned about them to market to them. One way that many successful businesses are doing this is with Voice of the Customer (VOC). 

Voice of the Customer Explained

Like its name would suggest, VOC is about hearing what customers are saying. Using this market research method, a business will collect feedback and perspective from their customers to produce better marketing, product development, and service. This feedback can take many forms, from online reviews, to surveys, to analyzing behavior. All of this information is then used to create a persona of their average customer. 

Once all the information is collected, and a buyer persona is produced, the business can then make important decisions about their direction based on those findings. This allows them to get outside perspectives, see if there are any issues that need fixing, and get feedback on products and services. In the end, they can theoretically do better with customer retention and with rolling out new products, as well as have a target demographic for their marketing efforts. 

Collecting the Data

One of the vital aspects of VOC is making sure that there is a diverse selection of voices from customers. That means using various methods for collecting the data. This means using methods like interviews, email surveys, feedback forms, chats, website analytics, customer reviews, social media, and any other type of contact with customers. However, while it’s important to have a variety of contact methods, it’s also important to understand if there are limitations to some of them for any customer base.  Social media followers may not be a representative sample, for instance. Businesses need to make sure that they choose methods that work for their customers and that make it as easy as possible for them. They should always keep in mind what they are collecting the data for. This will also dictate what contact methods they use. 

Uses for VOC Data

This data can be used in several ways for a business. It puts the customers’ needs at the forefront of what a business does, which will make it easier to appeal to them, whether it’s for marketing purposes or providing better products. Here are some examples of how it can be used and what collection methods might work best for them.  

Addressing Issues

It’s never a bad idea to use customer feedback to work out any issues a business might have. When seeking the VOC for an issue, data should be collected from clients who are most likely to have come across the issue or have experience with that aspect of the business. 

For example, if a business is looking for feedback for their social media channels, then they should not ask the questions of customers who mainly communicate by phone or in-person. When it comes to website feedback, the best option may be to have a prominent button with a link to a survey. This works like a feedback box might at a brick and mortar business. A simple form submission should do the trick. Website visitors can relate their experiences and discuss any problems they have with the website. They may even have thoughts and ideas as to how to improve things. Having a user-initiated method ensures that they will get those visitors who have experienced issues, since that experience will spur them to submit their feedback. 

Customer Experience

To continue with the website comparison, it might be that the business isn’t worried about issues, but they do want to develop a strategy for how to best use the site. Instead of a feedback form that the user initiates, the business should want to get a cross-section of their website user base. This means collecting as random a sample as possible of website visitors. 

To do this, they can use a random solicitation technique. An example of this is having a popup for random users that asks if they would be willing to answer some questions. The business would initiate this interaction with the goal of capturing as diverse a population as possible. They can then use customer data, along with website analytics data, to get a better understanding of what is working for their website, and what could be strengthened. 

Perfecting Certain Aspects of the Business

If a business is looking to optimize how certain parts of their business work, then they need to target only those customers who use those specific components. For example, on the website, they might have an online shopping component. Any feedback collected that’s related to online shopping should only be targeted at those website users who shop online. The same goes for customers who call in, or use other services, such as client support. 

Marketing and Retention

All of this data can lead to two important outcomes: increased customer retention, and better marketing strategies. In terms of retention, customers feel valued when they are asked for their input and ideas. It makes them feel like a part of the business, and strengthens the customer and business relationship. As opposed to a one-way method of communication, working with customers becomes a dialogue. The customer feels more invested, and feels that the business is truly trying to understand their needs. 

With marketing, understanding current customer needs will help to appeal to new customers. For SEO purposes, website content can be better geared towards the terms that the average customer is using to search. Content can also be more helpful and engaging to those who come to the website. Social media can also be tailored to have a tone and personality that reflects what appeals to the type of consumer who would purchase that business’s products and services. 

With all of these business needs, the key is to get the data they are looking for. Understanding exactly what they need will help decide on what data collection to use, and what customers to target. 

Types of Questions

When it comes to getting the voice of the customer the questions to ask should be open-ended. “Yes or no” questions, or questions with grading systems do not really capture the context and nuance of how a customer might feel. Here are some examples of effective VOC questions. 

“What Do You Think About Our Company?”

This is a broad question, and with good reason. It gives a company an idea of how their customers react to what they do. It is a question that can work as a sign of how customers approve of the company, although it allows for more detail than just a rating system. That way, the business can get general feelings about how they are doing with some ideas as to how to proceed going forward. The company can also take a baseline for these questions at one point in time, and then see if the answers change over time for better or worse. 

“Would You Recommend Us to Your Friends and Family?

If a customer truly likes a business, then they would be willing to recommend them to their loved ones and colleagues. This question can get at the heart of how satisfied customers are with the business as a whole, or certain products and services. If they are not willing to recommend the business, then they must look at their contact points with the customer to see where the issues are arising. It could be with customer service, website function, or any number of things. The important follow-up question is to ask why they will or won’t provide a recommendation. 

“What Can We Do Better?”

This can be a very powerful question. Not just for the fact that it can help improve service. Perhaps the biggest benefit to asking how to improve is customer retention. The customer will feel engaged and appreciated for being able to help by doing more than just making a purchase. It helps them feel like a company truly cares about their experience and their opinion. Even if a business never gets a realistic idea for improving services, the customer retention benefits alone make it worth it. 

Once all of the data is collecting after listening to the voice of the customer, the business can then put into action what they feel are the best steps to take. They can create better products for their customers, build loyalty, and develop ways to better market their business.