What is VoC?

VoC consists of the expectations, needs, and feedback of our customers regarding the product or service that we are offering. It conveys what the customers think and feel when they interact with our product. It shares a collective insight of consumers that can be used by any business that wants to align its processes and operations with the needs and expectations of its end users. VoC is also important for identifying CTQ (Critical to Quality), which is a powerful Six Sigma tool that gives us an idea about the quality of our product from the customer’s perspective.

 

Significance of VoC

Customer-Centered Approach

VoC is always focused on customers, as they are the ones who will use our products and 32

services. Every business wants to understand what their consumers expect and need from them so that they can satisfy them and ensure that they are loyal to the organisation.

 

Driving Quality Improvement

Voc provides data to the business that tells them the exact problem that is causing dissatisfaction with their customers. Keeping this in mind, organizations can improve these areas in their product or service, which will become a very crucial aspect of their operation and workflow.

 

Informed decision-making

The data provided by VoC is enough for any organization to make rational decisions for the improvement of their product, delivery service, and process. This ensures that the decision is based on actual feedback and recommendations from the customers rather than an assumption. This makes the whole process a lot more effective.

 

Integration with DMAIC

VoC is aligned with the whole DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) process. In the define stage, customer data and requirements are collected. In the measure stage, metrics according to the data are developed. In the analysis stage, the data is reviewed to find areas for improvement. In the improvement stage, significant actions are taken to improve the product. Finally, in the control stage, the whole process is repeated continuously to ensure maximum customer satisfaction.

 

Continuous Improvements

The needs of the customers are always changing. So businesses have to continuously improve their products so that they can cater to the requirements of their consumers. Brands have to always look for areas for improvement so that they can always meet customer expectations.

 

Methods of Collection VoC Data

1. Surveys

Surveys are a list of many questions that are designed in a way so that businesses can get all the relevant data, opinions, and experiences of the customers from the customers themselves.

You can use surveys to collect data by sending them through email, posting them on your website, or using social media. These questionnaires are usually multiple-choice questions, rating scales, or sometimes open-ended questions when we want detailed answers from our customers for more data. One thing to keep in mind is that the surveys are simple, short, and to the point. Your questions should not be inclined towards one single idea for honest feedback.

 

2. Interviews

Interviews are one-to-one conversations with the customer. They aim to go deeper into the experiences of their consumers. There are several ways to conduct interviews. You can conduct interviews on the phone, in person, or even by video call.

The interviewer should be skilled to handle the conversation and ensure that the participant feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and talking with him. The interviewer is supposed to ask open-ended questions for detailed responses.

Interviews cover a deep understanding of the emotions of customers that can sometimes be ignored by surveys.

 

3. Focus Groups

In focus groups, some customers are brought together to discuss our product or service. This allows us to understand the perceptions and ideas of our consumers.

These group discussions can make individuals open up and express their views about the product more comfortably, but one thing should be kept in mind: group discussions can also affect some individuals and their reactions. So it’s important to monitor where the conversions are going.

 

 

4. Direct Observation

In this process, we observe and take notes on our customers when they use our product. This helps us understand their behavior. In this method, we do not need to ask our customers for any feedback.

This information can be really useful for any business when they want to align their workflow with the customer’s needs.

 

5. Social media and online reviews

If you want some raw and real data on your customer’s satisfaction levels, this is a great place to get this data. People are usually not comfortable sharing their unfiltered perspectives in formal settings. So they post their actual experiences on social media and product pages. This will give you a wide spectrum of data about which areas are appreciated by your customers and which they don’t find really good.

 

Conclusion

VoC is a very important method when you want to understand the needs and requirements of your customers to improve your product or service. You can use one or a combination of these methods to get valuable information that can be later used by businesses in their decision-making process. Each of these methods has its own strengths and can be adjusted to best fit your needs.