Voice of the Customer
22 Best Practices
Barry Johnson
Knowledge Engineers
ke@ topher.net or 972.414.9301

Process and Outcomes
• Outline a systematic VOC process.
• Address the full customer relationship cycle
before, during, and after to integrate key VOC
listening posts.
• Present 30+ best-practices you can
– benchmark against and
– use to address the most important gaps in your
current process or to create a better process.
• Working understanding of how the Baldrige
Criteria can be used to create a
systematic VOC process.

Barry Johnson
• BA, MBA
• USAF / USAFA Asst. Professor of Management
• Entrepreneur, Consultant
• Baldrige Examiner
• ASQ-Certified Six Sigma-Lean Black Belt
• Manager, eBaldrige
• GrandDad GB in 2001. BB in 2003. Working on MBB.
• Has applied “excellence” methodologies in 98
organizations over the last 15 years.

Ground Rules
• The right people are in the room.
• We will begin and end on time.
• Everyone will be heard (be brief).
• Disagreement is tolerated.
• This is Texas. Leave your firearms outside.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
UNDERSTAND MARKETS AND CUSTOMERS
1. Identify customers, customer
groups, and market segments.
NISH Customer & Market Focus Model
• 3 Customer Groups
– Federal government,
– NPAs/CRPs,
– People with Severe Disabilities
• Segmentation method differs for each Group
– Agency, Product v Service, Value Proposition
– Type Product or Service, Size, Value Proposition
– Skills, Developmental Needs, Value Proposition

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
UNDERSTAND MARKETS AND CUSTOMERS
2. Determine which customer groups and
segments to pursue with current and
future products and services.
NISH Customer & Market Focus Model
• Products
• Services
• Custodial/Janitorial
• Grounds Maintenance
• Commissary
• Facilities Support

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
UNDERSTAND MARKETS AND CUSTOMERS
3. Include customers of competitors and
other potential customers and markets.
NISH Customer & Market Focus Model
• 8(a)
• HUBZone
• Service Disabled Veteran-owned

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER
5. Tailor listening and learning methods
to customers, customer groups, and
segments.
NISH Customer & Market Focus Model
• FED: Database services, Focus Groups
• CRP: Surveys (Written & Phone & Web)
• PWSD: Interviews, Focus Groups

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
USE VOC INFORMATION & FEEDBACK
6. Use relevant information and
feedback from current and former
CUSTOMERS, including:
– marketing and sales information,
– CUSTOMER loyalty and retention data,
– CUSTOMER referrals,
– win/loss ANALYSIS, and
– complaint data;
• to
– plan P&S and marketing,
– Improve WORK SYSTEM and work PROCESS, and
– develop new business opportunities.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
USE VOC INFORMATION & FEEDBACK
7. Use VOC information and feedback …
– To become more CUSTOMER-focused,
– To better satisfy CUSTOMER needs and
desires, and
– To identify opportunities for
INNOVATION?

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
8. Build relationships
– to acquire customers,
– to meet and exceed their expectations,
– to increase loyalty and repeat business,
and
– to gain positive referrals?

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
GIVE CUSTOMERS ACCESS
9. Create mechanisms to enable
customers
– to seek information,
– conduct business, and
– make complaints.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
USE CUSTOMER CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
10. Determine key customer contact
requirements for each mode of
access.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
USE CUSTOMER CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
11. Ensure that contact requirements
are deployed to all people and
processes involved in the customer
response chain.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
COMPLAINT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
12. Manage customer complaints.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
COMPLAINT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
13. Ensure that complaints are resolved
effectively and promptly.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
COMPLAINT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
14. Minimize customer dissatisfaction
and, as appropriate, loss of repeat
business and referrals.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
COMPLAINT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
15. Aggregate and analyze complaints
for use in improvement throughout
your organization and by partners.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
DETERMINE SATISFACTION
16. Determine CUSTOMER satisfaction,
dissatisfaction, and loyalty.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
DETERMINE SATISFACTION
17. Differ determination methods by
among CUSTOMER groups.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
DETERMINE SATISFACTION
18. Ensure that your measurements
capture actionable information for
use in:
– exceeding your CUSTOMERS’
expectations.
– securing your CUSTOMERS’ future
business and gaining positive
referrals.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
DETERMINE SATISFACTION
19. Use CUSTOMER satisfaction and
dissatisfaction information to
improve.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
FOLLOW UP
20. Follow up with customers on the
quality of products, services, and
transactions to receive prompt and
actionable feedback.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
KNOW RELATIVE SATISFACTION
21. Obtain and use information on your
customers’ satisfaction relative to:
– their satisfaction with your competitors.
– customer satisfaction levels of other
organizations providing similar products
or services, and/or
– industry BENCHMARKS.

Customer & Market Focus Best Practices
KEEP PROCESSES CURRENT
22. Keep your processes current with
business needs and directions,
including changes in your
marketplace:
• VOC listening and learning methods
• Building relationships and access
methods
• Determining satisfaction

Barry Johnson
KnowledgeEngineers
ke@topher.net
972.414.9301

Barry Johnson
Email ke@topher.net
Phone 972.414.9301
Fax 972.414.5831
Session Code: BE-T130
Session Name: Customer Satisfaction