Original article from the Flevy business blog can be found here: http://flevy.com/blog/voice-of-the-customer-internal-and-external/ We should all listen to the Voice of the Customer (VoC) in this customer centric market to improve our business operations. VoC isn’t just for your valued external customers, but also your valued internal customers, your employees or associates. What is more important than listening to your customer? Without customers there is no operation or business, is there? When you receive VoC input, review the input and use Pareto’s 80/20 principle to prioritize your VoC replies. Now, implement these customer ideas, tell your customers and become a better company. So, what exactly does VoC capture? Voice of the Customer (VOC) The needs and wants of your customers The relative importance of features and benefits associated with your product The expectations and promises that are both fulfilled and unfulfilled by your product or service What your customers need for increased satisfaction. Voice of the Customer is a term that describes your customer’s feedback about their experiences with and expectations for your products or services. Qualtrics VOC is a multi-source information tool that focuses on customer needs, expectations, and product improvement.

1. Voice of the Customer: Internal and
External
Contributed by Charles Intrieri on July 22, 2015 in Strategy, Marketing, & Sales
We should all listen to the Voice of the Customer (VoC) in this customer centric market to
improve our business operations. VoC isn’t just for your valued external customers, but also
your valued internal customers, your employees or associates.
What is more important than listening to your customer? Without customers there is no
operation or business, is there?
When you receive VoC input, review the input and use Pareto’s 80/20 principle to prioritize
your VoC replies.
Now, implement these customer ideas, tell your customers and become a better company.

2. So, what exactly does VoC capture?
Voice of the Customer (VOC)
The needs and wants of your customers
The relative importance of features and
benefits associated with your product
The expectations and promises that are both
fulfilled and unfulfilled by your product or
service
What your customers need for increased
satisfaction.
Voice of the Customer is a term that describes
your customer’s feedback about their experiences with and expectations for your products
or services. Qualtrics VOC is a multi-source information tool that focuses on customer
needs, expectations, and product improvement.

3. Gathering Voice of the Customer Information
Direct interviews of customers (site intercepts, personal interviews, focus groups, customer
feedback forms, or structured online surveys)
Indirect interviews with your representatives (sales people or customer service
representatives) who interface with the customer and report on their needs.
The voice of the customer is best heard as an ongoing conversation. The key to creating an
effective VOC program is to gather and use information in a timely way that helps you to
improve. Organizations often have multiple touch points with the customer that occur all
across the organization, including sales, support, warranty, and accounting interactions.
Don’t forget that different customer groups may exist, each having one or more voices that
can be aired to reflect experiences at the different points of contact.
Why Conduct Voice of The Customer Research?
Customize your products, services, add-ons and features to meet the needs and wants of
your customers
No one becomes an industry leader without listening to the customer. Quality (customer
perceived) is the leading driver of business success

4. Maximize your company’s profit. Higher market share companies have higher profits
Improve Customers’ Satisfaction
Identify and prioritize voiced needs and wants
Prioritize issues and development
Solicit and evaluate new concepts, ideas, and solutions
Report your new developments to help them
When your customers share their voice in real-time with you and your organization, they
expect you to listen, act, and report back to them.
The goal is to go beyond the customer’s expectations.
There is even software, like “Qualtrics Cutting Edge VOC” and iPerceptions.

5. About Charles Intrieri
Charles Intrieri is subject matter expert on Cost Reduction, Supply Chain, and 3rd Party Logistics.
Managing his own consultancy for the past 25 years, Charles has helped dozens of clients achieve leaner
and more efficient operations. You can connect with him here on LinkedIn or email him directly (
cmiconsulting93@gmail.com).

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