DYK # 16 (B): Did you know that the second phase of VoC maturity is all about tech acceleration?
Last month we kicked off a two part episode on VoC (Voice of Customer) maturity in our DYK (Did you know...) series. Over January and February we’re investigating VoC maturity with DYK # 16 - Did you know that VoC Maturity can be broken down into 2 phases?
Last month we discussed the foundational phase of VoC maturity in #16 (A) - Did you know that the first phase of VoC maturity is all about foundational elements?
Today, we’re continuing our VoC maturity journey by looking into the tech acceleration phase with #16 (B) - Did you know that the second phase of VoC maturity is all about tech acceleration?
So let’s get started.
Last month we learned that in order to enable success, we need to start at the beginning. While technology plays a vital role in maturing your CX practice in general, technology must always be seen as an enabler. However, we can only enable success if we have the foundations set right to start with.
Let’s check out what technology acceleration actually means.
With VoC (customer feedback programs) centered around data, there’s not much we can do without technology. Why is customer feedback = data, you ask? Well, whether it’s a survey response, a chat conversation or an online review, it all boils down to data - qualitative, quantitative, solicited, unsolicited, you name it.
Traditionally, VoC programs were survey based, and many still are today. Meaning you need survey technology to send, collect and analyze that survey feedback. Next up is your ability (and readiness) to utilize customer feedback beyond the trusty old survey. Are you analyzing your call center data? Chat logs, complaint email? Or social media, online review, CRM notes? You’ll need the right technology to help you do that.
In order to capture any customer feedback (data), analyze, and make sense of it, we need the right tools. Let’s look at the different stages of maturity to understand the role technology plays:
Beginner stage:
In the Beginner stage you’re most likely to use basic tools to capture survey feedback. It might be a survey tool or something as simple as online forms. Analyzing that data often is a manual task (hello trusty old excel file!), or perhaps you have some basic dashboards (from which you download data into excel…). Sounds familiar? Then you’re probably in the Beginner stage. Technology here is basic, and not always fit for purpose, but you make it work with what you’ve got.
Mature stage:
If you’d like to move to a more mature stage, you need to consider investing in the right tools.
Note here, technology isn’t the only driver of VoC maturity, but a crucial one, and the one we focus on in this DYK today.
Firstly we’ll broaden the data sources we include when we speak about customer feedback and the voice of your customers. What does that mean you ask? It means that surveys are only one source of customer feedback, not the only one. Think about your contact center conversations (calls, chat logs, emails, complaints, etc.), chatbots, social media messaging and posts, online reviews, CRM notes, etc. The list is long.
Traditionally we haven’t considered this data to be customer feedback or a source of customer insights. Now, however, we have the technology to tap into those raw feedback sources. From collecting this data, analyzing, combining, to visualizing it, tech has made it possible to listen to the “voice of your customers” beyond solely surveys.
What we see more and more of in this stage of maturity (having the right tech in place), is the ability to enhance acting on feedback as well. While a solid Insights to Action Framework is still key, vendors have started to enhance their solutions to provide automated actions, alerting and routing, and even prompting next steps (often frontline focused).
Compared to the Beginner stage, that’s obviously a step up in terms of what’s possible, but also in terms of the tech you need to enable the maturing of your program.
Advanced state:
The Advanced state is a tech geek’s utopia. Fair to say, not many organizations have made it this far just yet.
We start to collate all those wonderful data sources, whether they’re survey based, contact center, social media, behavioral data (digital analytics, payment data, etc.), you name it. We have the means to combine and make sense of them, predict experiences and predict actions, recommending actions and next steps to drive lifetime value and reduce churn. Not just for a single team (e.g., marketing campaign recommendations), but for the entire organization (think customer service, product development, sales, etc,).
You get the long sought after 360 degree view of your customers and their experiences with you. By breaking down data silos and collating those diverse data sources, you enhance the quality of insights and drive improvement opportunities throughout the entire organization. From training frontline staff, to tweaking marketing campaigns, developing new products, or changing your strategy, it’s all centered around your customers. You truly move into a work of customer centricity, enabled by tech, and underpinned by culture.
Getting Started
Depending on where you’re at in your VoC maturity journey, the first step is to have your strategy set, and the second step is to enable it via the right technology. Be clear about what you’re trying to achieve, and leverage the right tech to get there. If you truly want to listen to “the voice of your customers”, not just collecting survey feedback, you need to have those data and technology conversations.
After last year’s AI boom, many tech providers have enhanced their portfolio of AI powered solutions, greatly enhancing our capabilities to drive program maturity and move into an advanced stage where we truly understand the experiences our customers have with us. Not just collecting survey metrics.
If you’re planning to move from your current state to a world of truly understanding your customer's experiences, across any channel, touchpoint, and feedback type, you’ll need technology to help you accelerate your ambitions.
So in short, the first phase is all about getting the basics right and setting you up for success. Once you've got your foundation in place, we need technology to help us, enable us, and mature our VoC programs to drive CX success.
Not sure where to start? It’s easy.. Just get in touch with us today, we’re always happy to help 😄
I hope that was useful. If you’d like to read up on the topic of technology and VoC, feel free to check out some of the below resources:
DYK # 7 - Did you know that text analytics is critical for the success of your VoC program?
DYK # 13 Did you know that there are 7 easy ways to utilize AI to supercharge your CX success?
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