Voice of Customer (VoC), as highlighted in our previous blog, is an integral component of Customer Experience (CX) that leverages feedback to discern customers' expectations from a brand. It embodies a customer-centric strategy aimed at enhancing Customer Experience Management (CXM) through the utilization of technology, surveys, metrics, and analytics. In this blog, we delve into the inquiries that can be posed to customers using the Voice of Customer approach, along with insights into employing voice of customer analytics effectively.
VoC research harnesses the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to mitigate repetition, biases, and errors that may arise in human-led processes. Overall, VoC serves to augment your company's customer experience management, fostering customer retention and expanding business opportunities. To grasp the significance of VoC and its data collection methods, click here.
Now, what specific questions should you pose to your customers to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and gather valuable data during VoC research? Below are key inquiries that companies should include in their surveys to glean insights into areas ripe for improvement:
What attributes do you seek in a company or product?
This inquiry provides insight into the customer's expectations and interests regarding your brand, avoiding assumptions and demonstrating genuine attentiveness to their needs and suggestions.
What factors are most important to you when choosing a company for its product or service?
This question helps identify the customer's priorities and influences in their purchasing decisions, such as quality, price, availability, sustainability, customer service, and shipping options. Utilizing these insights, you can conduct an assessment of your offerings to ensure alignment with customer expectations and identify areas for improvement in your business practices.
What comes to mind when you think of us?
By posing this question, you can accurately gauge the customer's perception of your brand and their emotional response to it. Understanding how customers view your brand is crucial for cultivating a positive image and addressing any concerns or crises effectively. This inquiry also serves as a valuable tool for crisis management, allowing you to pinpoint issues impacting customers and devise targeted solutions.
How can we improve your customer experience?
When it comes to transforming customer experience management, both money and time are at stake. Every company has its own reservations. However, even if you do not intend to make changes soon or know it will take a long time to fully implement them, this question is important. It involves your valuable customers in your decision-making process. As we all know, retaining customers is much less expensive than finding new ones.
Which competitor would you prefer over us, and why?
This question not only identifies your competitors but also alerts you to new ones in the market. It reveals why your customers might switch brands, helping you close a significant gap. You will be able to thoroughly examine and address differences you were previously unaware of. Customers explain what caused the shift, which could be due to price, functionality, style, and other factors.
Which other company have you purchased this product from?
This question helps you identify your most formidable adversary. It differs from the previous question by pinpointing which competitor your customer has done business with. Although the questions are slightly different, they provide valuable data that you can use to your advantage.
Would you recommend us, and why?
Word of mouth works wonders, and knowing whether your customer will recommend you to their close circle can tell you a lot about your brand. This insight can help you understand your strengths and areas for improvement.
Once all your questions have been answered and you have a substantial amount of data, Voice of the Customer (VoC) Analytics comes into play.
VoC Analytics is the process by which businesses analyse data from VoC surveys. The primary goal is to identify and track trends in customer sentiment, success, and satisfaction. This analysis helps companies find logical solutions and make informed decisions in customer experience management, leading to improvements in products, services, and brand perception.
How Voice of Customer Data is Analysed
Survey Response Rate: Evaluate the number of surveys returned. If the response rate is disproportionately low, reconsider your methodology. For instance, younger generations may prefer social media questionnaires over web or mail surveys.
Demographic Insights: The younger generation often uses more concise, colloquial language. While responses may be similar across different age groups, consider operational changes such as adjusting pricing based on demographic preferences.
Identify Common Issues: Determine frequently mentioned problems among customers. For example, if many customers indicate that a chatbot alone is insufficient, consider integrating human support into your customer service. Recognize trends and address common issues.
User Persona Refinement: Include frequently encountered problems in your user persona discussions. This can help identify previously unknown target audiences and refine your marketing strategies.
Trend Visualization and Reporting: Visualize trends and create comprehensive reports. These reports can help you make real-time business decisions and improve your brand's reputation. Sharing these insights with stakeholders bridges internal gaps and aligns everyone towards common goals.
Long-term Insights: VoC research provides a comprehensive understanding of your business over time. Use these insights to make necessary changes, stay ahead of competitors, and better understand customer needs, enhancing customer success.
Customer Experience Management: Effective customer experience management is crucial. Companies like Sonata CX offer programs such as voice of the customer, mystery shopping, and pulse surveys to assist with your customer experience transformation. By leveraging these tools, you can improve customer satisfaction and drive business growth.
Our CX solutions are designed to transform the total customer experience through comprehensive surveys, metrics, analytics, and auditing, utilizing the CXM framework. By combining physical measurements with digital Platformation™ capabilities, we create a customer experience strategy that gives you a competitive edge.
Sonata CX is a global technology company specializing in customer experience (CX) measurement and platform-based digital transformation. We help businesses become connected, open, intelligent, and scalable. With a presence in over 105 markets and more than 27 years of market leadership, we offer extensive measurement capabilities and powerful, intuitive reporting and analytics platforms to enhance customer experience. Our reach spans the USA, Canada, EMEA, and APAC regions. To learn more about how we can assist you, please click here or fill out the business enquiry form below.