Voice of the Customer Overview

Companies that differentiate themselves from the norm do so by consistently anticipating and satisfying the needs of their customers. In theses companies, understanding customers’ needs (also known as the “Voice of the Customer, or VOC) is a critical on-going process that defines and drives organizational strategy.

Even in companies that do not regularly collect and use VOC data, understanding customer needs is important. Organizations with process improvement programs such as Six Sigma need to understand the CTQs (or Critical-to-Quality) requirements that drive improvements. VOC data is also needed for designing new products and services that are successful in the market. Any organization that expects to survive and thrive in a competitive market place cannot do so without some sort of mechanism to understand customers’ needs.

Many companies do a poor job of using VOC data to help them excel. This is because customers’ needs are often not obvious, or easily identified through simple surveys. Customers’ needs are often hidden and complex, and understanding them requires a combination of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Customers express their needs to an organization through many sources, and a successful VOC program will seek to integrate the data from these multiple sources. Since any kind of data collection is time consuming and expensive, poor planning can result in a waste of money and organizational resources. Whether your organization is interested in using VOC data for a single project, or strategically at the enterprise or business unit level, you still need a carefully thought out, well-planned data collection and analysis effort.

VOC consultants at the STAT-A-MATRIX can help your organization improve its competitive edge by effectively harnessing VOC data. We can help you set up your enterprise or project level VOC program, we can train your staff in systematic methods for the collection and analysis of VOC data customized to your specific circumstances or we can run a program for that allows you to benefit from the results without having to invest in internal expertise. Our services include:

1. Helping you plan a VOC strategy to enhance your competitive advantage;
2. Segmenting your customers so that you can offer targeted and customized products and services that meet specific needs;
3. Designing, piloting, implementing and running a one-time or on-going VOC data collection initiative using appropriate tools and methods tailored to your organization;
4. Analyzing VOC data and helping you identify the critical requirements to guide improvement or design projects;
5. Training your organization to become more effective at collecting, analyzing and using VOC data.

Please call 1-800-472-6477 for additional information.