The environment is full of success stories of how unknown businesses got to the top for some unforeseen reason. It could be an extraordinary product or a funny ad that promised nothing at first glance. Every entrepreneur would like to know in advance what will rock their clients. Customer data analytics promises this. It says that if you collect, process, and interpret client information, you will sell like never before. Does it work? What is the voice of the customer, and how to handle the task? Let’s dive into that!
Collecting customer data and CoV principles
First of all, it requires a systematical approach. Indeed, the essence is as simple as it sounds: collecting data and its analysis. Consider what you can improve. It lets you make informed business decisions.
Second, it also requires critical thinking. You have a vision of your product and your team. You can’t change or fix everything people ask about. So, you should brainstorm and check what you can afford. Then, implement the insights step by step.
Third, use trustworthy tools for collection and analysis. We will write some down later. Numerous tools go far from questionnaires and suggest you get as much information as possible.
What makes VoC unique?
Traditionally, people used paper-printed data. It contained information on sales volume, region, and demographics. With the new Voice of Customer approach, businesses are also interested in feelings, expectations, and feedback. This concept delves into the subtle aspects of the customer experience. It has numerous benefits for all kinds of enterprises (check statistics)
Unlike general numerical indicators with silent and soulless numbers, VoC widely uses qualitative methods. It puts clients in a chair for interviews. It checks reviews and conversations on social networks.
1. Data collection
To start with, think about where you can communicate with clients. Do you have offline spots or online platforms? It could be your shop, your hotel, or your workshop. Besides, use social media, website, and customer support with a convenient CRM. Analyze what you have and use it.
Collect and write down the information to see the stats later. With structured data (purchases, demographics) or unstructured data (reviews, comments), you gain a multifaceted perspective on your customer experience.
2. Data cleansing and preparation
At this stage, it is necessary to remove unnecessary or incorrect information. Depending on what you run, leave what is relevant to your case. Make sure the analysis results are reliable and accurate.
Structure the VoC results into categories:
- Pain points: What causes the most dissatisfaction? What do people treat with your product or services?
- Positive insights: What do customers value and love about the product/service?
- Requests: What do people want to change or add?
For example, if the team received 500 comments, they could be divided into groups by topic to avoid excessive detail and focus on the key aspects.
3. Analysis and interpretation:
People’s opinions can be subjective, but analytics can help you find patterns. You may pick the analysis method you prefer:
- customer segmentation,
- behavioral analysis,
- customer churn analysis,
- forecasting.
Find trends and insights. Do not forget that not all feedback is created equal. If customers complain about shipping speed and product color palette but shipping impacts sales more, that would be your priority.
4. Visualize results and set tasks.
You may have a big team with departments and daily ongoing tasks. At some point, you should speak to them. To make it more convenient and easy-to-follow. Prepare graphs, charts, and reports. Good tools have options to represent data, so you will have less to do.
Set the tasks for the following steps. Explain the role of your employees. What actual actions could make the difference? Do not run for all. Instead, start with reachable things. Sometimes, small changes, like removing an irritating pop-up or redesigning your Buy button, can make a big difference in the customer experience. It allows the company to focus on customer expectations and be more flexible when responding to their needs.
5. Monitoring results
Check if the result is worth trying. Do it according to SMART goals principles and compare the metrics to see if you are moving to your goal.
Tools for VoC
Here is a list of popular tools for collecting voice of the customer (VoC), divided into categories:
1. Email tools
It is a convenient way to keep in touch. Ask people what they think, and find a new audience and contacts.
- Klaviyo: Especially popular among e-commerce businesses, this tool and Klavio alternatives allow you to collect feedback from customers through automated email campaigns. It tracks customer interactions and reactions, allowing you to segment your audience by behavioral characteristics.
- SurveyMonkey: a platform for creating and sending questionnaires directly to email. It provides the ability to collect feedback through surveys and analyze the data received as reports.
- Mailchimp: Along with standard mailings, it offers features for collecting feedback, including integration with surveys. Mailchimp tracks how customers respond to campaigns. It does analytic reports on people engagement.
2. Social media tools
We go online, and people express themselves via TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and other platforms.
- Sprout Social: tracks reviews and comments on social networks, allows for sentiment analysis, and convenient data visualization. The system helps to see how customers perceive the brand.
- Hootsuite Insights: allows you to collect feedback on social networks, monitor keywords, and analyze the tone of mentions. The tool also provides analytics on trends and sentiment among customers.
- Brandwatch: Allows you to deeply analyze customer feedback and the tone of mentions on social networks. The tool conveniently processes large amounts of data and tracks the emotional background of customers regarding a brand or product.
3. CRM Data Tools
You already have a lot of unprocessed information from the current clients. It’s time to find, structure, and use it!
- Salesforce Service Cloud: Allows you to collect and analyze customer feedback by integrating data from various channels, including social media, email, and direct support calls. The system offers analytics features to identify key issues and customer satisfaction.
- HubSpot CRM: Allows companies to store customer communication history, questions, and feedback. It integrates data from email, social media, and the website. It helps you get a complete picture of the customer interaction.
- Zoho CRM: A customer relationship management system that allows you to collect customer feedback, store their comments, and analyze touchpoints. Zoho integrates with chat and email, giving you a complete picture of customer feedback.
4. Benefits from VoC
Here is a reminder of what you get with doing all the VoC tasks.
1. Increased loyalty
A more convenient and personalized approach creates a positive experience and increases customer satisfaction.
2. Increased sales
Data analysis helps identify new opportunities and trends that can be responded to promptly.
3. Product improvement
By understanding what does not suit customers, a business can optimize the offer and be competitive.
4. Behavior prediction
Using statistics and machine learning allows you to predict needs and plan the next steps.
Conclusion
VoC helps create real change and adapt to customer demands more quickly. It gives businesses more accurate information to optimize products. In today’s competitive environment, this gives companies a significant advantage. Now, they can make changes with confidence. They are no longer based on hypotheses but live customer feedback and expectations. Good luck with your business!
