Feature
The Gist
- Industry evolution. Voice of the customer analysis best practices now prioritize voice and text interactions.
- Insightful analysis. Collecting and analyzing data is pivotal for actionable product and service refinement.
- Active engagement. Customer feedback loops and interactivity are crucial for genuine VoC insights.
In today's digital landscape, understanding the customer's voice has never been more crucial. With traditional methods like surveys losing traction, businesses are pivoting toward innovative approaches that delve into voice and text communications with voice of the customer (VoC) analysis. Through these channels, marketers aim to decode genuine customer insights that can be translated into actionable strategies. Here, we’ll dive into the latest best practices that are reshaping the way brands interpret the voice of the customer.
In fact, surveys are considered “dead” by many marketers, and even if still used, their ability to truly capture the voice of the customer is limited at best, so companies have turned to culling information from voice and text interactions to get a better handle on VoC.
These are the best practices marketers are using today.
Create a Voice of the Customer Analysis Feedback Loop
“Extracting genuine Voice of the Customer (VoC) from voice and text interactions offers a more dynamic and actionable perspective,” said Ankit Prakash, Sprout24 founder.
“There's a saying we often use: ‘Feedback without action is like a car without wheels,’” Prakash added. “It's not enough to just collect and analyze data. The real value comes from channeling these insights directly into product development or service refinement. We have set up bi-weekly review sessions where VoC insights are discussed with the relevant teams, ensuring that feedback doesn't get lost in the shuffle.”
Related Article: Voice of the Customer (VoC): Much More Than a Satisfied Customer
Employ Visualization for Better VoC Feedback
There has been a spike in visualization deployments to help measure VoC, according to Bob Brauer, Interzoid founder and CEO.
“A storytelling approach is more engaging for a user. Complex information is more digestible and memorable in a narrative form, Brauer explained. “Otherwise, raw, isolated data in a series of unrelated, disjointed charts can be overwhelming and impersonal. Storytelling provides context. A narrative framework provides a holistic view, helping the audience understand the significance and implications of the data, guiding them through it in a structured manner. This ensures they don’t miss critical insights or misunderstand the presented information.”
A well-told story captures attention, engages emotions and fosters a deeper connection with the content, Brauer added. “When users are emotionally engaged, they are more likely to invest time in understanding, remembering and making use of the insights gleaned from the data.”
Innovations in the visualization sector, spearheaded by advancements in AI and immersive technologies, are redefining the way users interact with and comprehend data, Brauer added. “As these technologies become more integrated, businesses and individuals can anticipate a more intuitive, immersive, and insightful data experience in the years to come.”
Related Article: What Are Voice of Customer (VoC) Tools?
Humanize Data With VoC Stories
Data can be cold, Prakash pointed out. “To make it resonate, I always encourage my teams to craft stories or analogies around the numbers. For instance, rather than saying ‘40% of users found the signup process confusing,’ we might say: ‘"Imagine four out of every ten people walking into a store and struggling to find the front door.’ It makes the issue tangible and drives urgency.
The real strength of voice and text interactions lies in harnessing their depth, creating an actionable loop, and humanizing the insights for better relatability and urgency, Prakash said.
Leverage VoC Interactive Communications
Another voice of the customer analysis metric is interactivity because it complements storytelling by enabling users to become active participants, Brauer said. “They can delve deeper into areas of interest, manipulate views and test different scenarios. This dynamic exploration helps cater to varied learning styles and allows for personalized insights. It creates an immersive experience, turning passive viewers into relevant contributors, enhancing comprehension, and fostering meaningful engagement with the data.”
Use Open-Ended VoC Questions
One way to increase the interactivity of customer interactions is to use open-ended questions, said Casey Jones, CJ&CO head of marketing and finance.
“Structure the conversation to cover different parts of the customer journey — awareness, consideration, purchase, onboarding, retention etc.,” Jones added. “This provides a more complete view of the customer experience.”
Combine quantitative structured data (CSAT, NPS scores etc.) and qualitative unstructured data (comments, transcripts) to get a balanced perspective, Jones recommended. The two data sources complement each other.
Jones added that companies should focus on measuring outcomes, not just activities. For example, track if a customer's issue was resolved, not just if they were transferred to an agent. This shows real business impact.
Leverage Natural Language Processing (NLP) to Understand the ‘Why’
Voice and text are intrinsically rich data sources. However, their sheer volume can be overwhelming, Prakash said. “Our team uses NLP to analyze these interactions. The key is to not just focus on the ‘what' but also understand the ‘why.’”
For example, if a customer says the checkout process is tedious, it is essential to drill down and understand the specific pain points, Prakash explained. “NLP can identify patterns, sentiment, and even nuances that a manual process would miss. In one of our recent quarterly reports, we found that 67% of our dissatisfied customers mentioned issues related to navigation. That's not just a statistic; it's actionable intel.”
Related Article: AI in Decision Making: The Revitalization of Voice of the Customer
Final Thoughts on Voice of the Customer Analysis
Surveys can still provide some insight, especially if used in conjunction with data from voice and text interactions, according to Kamil Rejent, Survicate CEO. But many marketers agree that survey measurement of VoC is limited at best, so they will continue using interactive communications, natural language processing, open-ended questions and other techniques in order to get a better handle on VoC.
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Generative AI will also become a more prominent factor in voice of the customer analysis, predicted Brauer and Yan Zhang, PolyAI COO.
While traditional methods like surveys have their place, the future of capturing the voice of the customer hinges on embracing technology and innovative practices. The emphasis is shifting toward dynamic and human-centric approaches, which can provide in-depth insights and lead to actionable results. Marketers and businesses must stay agile and open-minded, adapting to these evolving techniques to ensure they stay attuned to their customers' true needs and sentiments using voice of the customer analysis. Embracing change is not just an option; it's a necessity in today's fast-paced digital landscape.
