Customer service is the new battlefield where many large corporations are striving to get ahead of their competitors with their customer-focused mindset. You, as a business owner, should also not be falling behind, which is why in this article, you will learn why the voice of the customer is an incredibly important aspect of your business.

In the contemporary era of immediacy, more and more consumers are getting demanding and that is where the Voice of Customer comes in. It includes a platform or a program that is merely focused on customers’ feedback about products or services. Voice of Customer collects information about customers’ needs, expectations, and understandings that are all targeted towards their improved user experience with the products or services. When such feedback is followed through, businesses can gain customer loyalty and satisfaction which, in turn, generate positive results for them in the long run.

Methods of Voice of Customer

Several methods that can be used to collect data for Voice of Customer;

  • Surveys can have questions that will provide an in-depth review of how customers feel about the product or service
  • Companies can conduct interviews by going from door to door to collect data from a personalized point of view
  • Interviews can also be done through phones or video chat
  • Social media is the up-and-coming resource for collecting VoC data. A company should look out for Twitter tags or hashtags to listen to that customers are saying about their products
  • When customers call on the assigned customer service number, that is also an important way to collect information; reviewing these calls provide both macro and micro information that might have been missed out on the first time

An Example

Xfinity, which is one of the most widely available internet service providers in the US, has several methods to collect customer feedback. Xfinity subscribers can reach out through the Xfinity customer service number, or send an email. They can even tag Xfinity's Twitter account to get their attention or post a query on the Xfinity feedback page. All of these methods are aimed towards improving their products and services to contribute to user experience.

Benefits of Voice of Customer

The insights collected from VoC collect feedback for the brands to work on for improved user experience of their customers. Other benefits can include;

  • Service Improvement. Customers' opinions can be used by brands to augment their services and communication strategies. For instance, they can introduce faster delivery services or online transfer payment methods instead of cash on delivery, etc. Large brands like Amazon rely on such customer feedback to manage their services.
  • Product Development. Brands can avoid making costly mistakes during the process of product development. For instance, in 2003, Porsche paid attention to focus groups and customer surveys for their product development and this resulted in the most profitable car in their lineup.
  • Marketing Efficiency. The data collected from VoC can be used to pick up a lot of information that can be used to improved efficiency in marketing techniques to attract new customers. Through that data, you can identify buying patterns, learn about trends, the current climate affecting customers’ buying habits, etc. You can target your audience more effectively in your marketing efforts.
  • Brand Management. Not to forget, VoC is also an important tool for brand management. When you have insights about what people honestly think about your brand, their frustrations or excitements with your products or services, you are more willing to identify trends and work towards improving your brand management.

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of business success stories that will show how the main focus of their success was the Voice of Customer platform. This platform can build a relationship between brands and their consumers, bring them closer, and help the brands to have a realistic and comprehensive picture of their targeted and existing customers.

The Voice of Customer program might not be a quick fix, but it does offer good results in the long run. When customers feel that their opinions are being valued, they start to trust your brand. Along with buying your products and services, your loyal customers become brand ambassadors and help towards promoting your company’s products or services. Hence, gathering information and feedback from the Voice of Customers will help definitely help brands achieve success and generate revenue in the long run.