How are you listening to the Voice Of your Customer? A survey finds that 52% of organizations use 3 to 4 methods to gather VOC data and 22% as many as 7 methods! Only 5% rely on one source of VOC.
The most common VOC data sources (in order of use) were:
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- Focus groups
- Benchmarking surveys
- Customer emails and letters
- Feedback from customer facing personnel
- Mystery shopping
- Social media
- Comment cards
- Call center information
The sources most focused on by executives were the customer satisfaction and benchmarking surveys.
While a range of VOC data sources are used the real issue is using methods that work best for your organization and that are focused on providing you with the information you can best use to act upon. Getting a full and accurate picture of what is happening is the key. But we need to be able to act on the information and make impacts as a result. It is critical to track the changes you make as a result of VOC so you can see if indeed a positive change has occurred as a result.
(Hearing Aids: How well are you capturing the voice of the customer? D Randall Brandt, Quality Progress, p 18-25, Oct 2012)
About the Author
Denis Leonard
Denis Leonard has a degree in construction engineering, and an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in quality management. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality and has been an Examiner for the Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners, a Judge on the International Team Excellence Competition, and a Lead Judge on the National Housing Quality Award. He has experience as a quality manager in the home building industry as well as construction engineer, site manager, and in training, auditing, and consulting with expertise in strategic and operational quality improvement initiatives. His work has achieved national quality, environmental, and safety management awards for clients.