How do you define the voice of the customer in service processes?

Voice of the Customer How do you get access to the customer? In many large organizations, getting access to the customer can be challenging. If you are unable to interact with the customer of your process (there are a variety of valid reasons why this may be the case), then you need to get as close as possible to the customer such as a customer facing subject matter expert on the process. The Subject Matter Expert should not be the top performer on the team nor should they be the lowest performer. Ideally your SME wearing the “customer hat" should be an average performer. You should also aim to get VOC data from at least 3 SMEs versus only 1. The SMEs should ideally be selected randomly versus hand picked by a manager.

The key to understanding the customer voice is to hear from those closest to the customer. While a sales representative or a senior leader may be talking to contacts on their level, it's those on the front line who have the expertise. The greatest input comes from those who interact directly with the customer. I would argue the input of top & bottom performers is equally important as the average performer. Top performers will have different feedback than low performers, and the customer voice is pertinent at all levels. Similarly, when surveying customers, talk to those who are easiest and most difficult to work with.

The Voice of the Customer (VoC) in service processes refers to the feedback, preferences, and expectations expressed by customers regarding the service they receive. Here's how you can define and capture the Voice of the Customer: Direct Feedback Channels Customer Interviews and Focus Groups Observation and Ethnographic Research Customer Data Analysis Benchmarking and Competitive Analysis Customer Personas and Journey Mapping Continuous Feedback Loop By incorporating the Voice of the Customer into service processes through these methods, organizations can better understand customer needs and preferences, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately deliver a more satisfying service experience.

The voc represents customer needs, expectations and feedback& it's captured through surveys, interviews, social media & customer interactions. We all know analyzing voc data helps understand customer pain points & preferences so its imp to align service processes with voc to ensure customer satisfaction & loyalty. By actively listening to customers & incorporating their feedback, organizations can deliver exceptional service experiences i am sure .

Reviewing error logs, order trends, and internal feedback is the starting point for understanding the VOC. Determine how easy it is to do business with your company by understanding the process flow that the customer experiences. The customer's opinion is based on their interactions, regardless of the background processes the company must execute to meet the customer's needs. Reference Lean Six Sigma/Agile/ITIL 4 for different approaches to this excercise. Customer input is the number one source of performance feedback. It will range from "best in class" to "worst company". Look for common themes and identify what works well, and what needs improvement. Remember - the customer is not always right, but their feelings are always valid.

Group conversations are an excellent way to come up with the cause and effect of the root cause. After reviewing the data, analyze common trends and then present them to a broad group of business users. While the analysis will give you great insight, it is only helpful if it accurately reflects the feedback. Discuss your analysis and be open to tweaking where needed. Allow users to raise concerns, and utilize a parking lot for issues that are out of scope but should still be heard. The users will provide excellent feedback, as long as they feel heard.

Test, test, and test again. Look at the downstream impact of every change and how it impacts the customer experience. Does the change improve an internal process and thereby improve customer experience? What are the tradeoffs you may have for the change? Does the change meet your goal of understanding the VOC, and improving their experience with your company? If the changes meet your goal 90%, is that enough? All of these questions must be explored in full while testing the change.