Full form of VOC is “Voice Of Customer” is the research analytics
that captures customers’ needs, wants, expectations, preferences, and dislikes. It
can also refer to feedback in the form of customer needs, requests, and pain
points.
Aim of VOC
VOC‘s roots lie in product management. However, today it’s leveraged by teams across the organization, including operations and marketing. At a high level, VOC work aims to improve or enhance customer retention, customer experience, and success. More specifically, in addition to winning more business and growing revenues, a strong VoC practice helps your organization:
Product Management’s Central Role in The Voice of the Customer
Product managers must play a key role in defining the topics or questions used during the voice of the customer interviews and sessions, as well as working with product marketing to ensure the target audience lines up with the users personas of the interest and that the feedback collection modalities match the audience
and goals of the exercise. They must also generate the survey instrument and discussion guide. Moreover, they can either participate in the interviews directly or observe them. They can then apply it to the relevant product strategy and roadmap. Finally, due to their closeness to the product, product managers extract the ideas, customers needs, likes, or dislikes from the feedback, presenting summaries to the product team and senior leadership. This ensures that relevant stakeholders understand these market realities.
The Unique Role of Voice of the Customer Feedback
As the product team prioritizes future work, defining and scheduling key themes and projects on the product roadmap, VOC feedback becomes an invaluable tool for explaining the “why” behind some of these decisions. The ability to reference direct customer quotes and anecdotes acts as a powerful defense against individual naysayers or executives consumed with shiny object syndrome, although sometimes the VOC can spark that syndrome to begin with. In general, VOC acts as the ultimate “truth bomb” to foster stakeholder alignment and solidify support for a common product vision and strategy.