Are You Listening to Your Customers? VOC Programs

Consumers increasingly choose companies based on the experiences they provide. And 75 percent of U.S. consumers have changed their shopping behavior since the COVID-19 pandemic. A Voice of Customer program helps companies understand their customers' needs across the Total Experience, align decision makers around where to invest to improve CX, and share customer experience performance throughout the organization. When drafting a voice of the customer strategy, it's important to create a clear objective for the program. This objective will help you decide when and where to create listening posts.

To build a customer experience program, you need buy-in from key stakeholders, including your CEO. Make sure people know their role in the execution of the program and communicate with front-line employees from the onset of your planning. Building a VOC program is easy, but ensuring it is connected across functional and channel groups, measuring customer KPIs with financial KPIs, and acting on the findings is much more difficult. Return to your plan for listening strategies and select those that fit best within your customers' journey.

Consider your customers' preferred communication channels and how automation can assist your VOC program. VOC programs are only as good as the actions after listening. Plan how you will process and use the information to solve the identified problem(s) and determine who will be empowered to act on insights collected through your VOC program. A VOC partner can help you implement a customized VOC program that integrates with your existing technology platforms and maximizes your results. Asking your customers what they need and want from you is easier said than done. Take a thoughtful, methodical approach to designing and deploying effective VOC for your organization.