What you need to know before selecting a Voice of the Customer (VoC) tool

When it comes to customer data, structure is everything. Let’s look at the basic framework that can make all the difference: the data model. It should be a model that doesn’t get lost in numbers, but provides answers to the questions you should be asking. Questions like: what does the data tell us about our customers? And: how can we use these insights to improve the customer experience?

Here’s an approach to developing the right data structure:

1. Frame: Selecting and setting parameters of measurements
A customer’s experience is always made up of intent, products, services, touchpoints and processes. Which customer experiences or lifecycle phases should be covered by your VoC tool? Which combinations of intent, products, touchpoints and processes should be taken into account for your voice of the customer measurement?

2. Collect: Compiling existing data and feedback
Standard quantitative measures like tNPS, CSAT and CES exist alongside qualitative insights gathered from customer comments and feedback. What is currently being measured, and what data is already available? What raw data and reports exist?

3. Analyse: Reviewing and selecting existing data
Some data is collected periodically or continuously, while other data is measured using surveys as needed. What conclusions can you draw from the data to answer your VoC questions? What data is relevant, and what can you disregard?

4. Develop: Structuring the journey
A customer journey maps the specific steps of the customer experience from the customer’s perspective. A lifecycle journey is more abstract than a customer journey and describes the customer’s progression through phases. What level of detail suits your VoC research? What are they key steps or phases in the journey? How can these steps or phases be accurately described?

5. Map: Mapping data and identifying gaps
Data can be used to measure the performance of the journey. For which steps does data already exist? What gaps are there in the big picture? What needs to be measured or collected again?

The resulting model serves as the backbone of your VoC tool. The model is necessary because it ensures that the structure is mapped in the tool and that both new and existing data points can be effectively integrated.

We believe that customer experience is not a one-off task – it’s an on-going project. The journey begins with this model and will ultimately lead to the question: who is responsible for handling problems when they are discovered? After all, collecting feedback only makes sense if it leads to change. In this context, we talk about “closing the loop”. This can mean a concrete response to a real customer with feedback; or in the case of recurring problems, adapting systems, processes or user experience.

By taking these steps, you can bring your organisation closer to your customers and build loyalty.