Your Voice of the Customer Program is Part of the Customer Journey

Tracking the Voice of the Customer (VOC) is one thing. Recognizing what actions to take based on VOC is another. 

And yet there’s a third angle rarely discussed: How do the touchpoints of asking and responding to customer feedback fit into the overall customer journey? 

Do you know the best ways to include your VOC program into your customer’s journey? 

In my webinars and workshops, I often challenge attendees to think about all the ways to build a bridge from insights to action with their VOC Program.

Now, I’d like to ask you to consider the actual touchpoints and interactions your customers have with Voice of the Customer methods. 

First, think about how inviting your VOC process is for the customers.  

Surveys have become so common some customers don’t respond at all anymore.

This means the invitations themselves must become more creative, compelling, and inviting to customers. Respect what they’re doing for you. Let them know why you value their opinions, not just that you value them. Give your customers a WHY to participate. 

Part of respecting customers in this process is sharing with them HOW things have or will change, based on their feedback.

Close the loop with customers by sharing success stories about customer suggestions that led to better experiences for everyone.

Close the loop on an individual level by sharing when a new feature or improved experience is available with those very customers who shared what wasn’t working in the past. 

While reviewing your customer feedback, look for themes to apply to the entire journey.  

If customers are saying they feel “disappointed” and using that description frequently, that tells you how the experience itself is not living up to the expectations.

So what expectations are you setting? What promises are being made?

If customers share they are disappointed with waiting times, they clearly had an expectation of waiting for a shorter period of time. How can you set better expectations until you can tackle the root cause of the problem?

These are the insights to really look for when examining the data. It’s not JUST about the numbers, it’s about what customers are really trying to tell you. 

Tracking is crucial to understanding how changes are being applied.

The beauty of a regular Voice of the Customer cycle is how it can tell you not only where to improve the experience, but also how you did once you executed on those improvements.

While collecting the feedback and acting on it are the biggest goals of asking for customer feedback, the results can be readily evaluated, as well.

This can only be accomplished if you make it a point to trackback to those original suggestions and what your organization has done about them. Only then can you see the results of the actions taken. 

Related: 3 Ideas to Make Your Voice of the Customer Plan More Meaningful

Customers tell us over and over they want to feel heard and “known” by brands today.  

Your VOC program should help you do this, but you need to connect the dots between the overall customer journey and the VOC touchpoints that interact directly with customers.

If a customer is addressed by name at every step along the way, the invitation to share feedback should be at least that personalized. The follow up to close the loop with customers should also be personalized, based on what feedback they provided.  

The best organizations see the interactions to gather VOC insights as touchpoints along the overall customer journey.

Are you including these touchpoints as part of your overall journey? If not, it’s time to start today.

Not sure where to begin? Schedule a 15-minute call with me and let's get clear.