'Voice of the Customer' Programs Combine Feedback in One Place

Early adopters of so-called "voice of the customer" business-intelligence software are working out the kinks, but most feel that customer responses, when sent to the right people, quickly, can have a major business impact.

While plenty of companies are deploying VOC programs, the majority of existing VOC initiatives are still in the beginning stages. A third-quarter 2010 survey by Temkin Group found that, of 105 companies with formal VOC programs, 63 percent were still "figuring out what to collect, and how," says Bruce Temkin, a managing partner at the Waban, Mass.-based research firm.

But that's not to diminish the importance of VOC programs in general. A fourth-quarter 2010 Forrester survey of 118 customer experience professionals found that 52 percent had a VOC program in place and 29 percent were actively considering one. "Big companies have finally embraced the link between customer experience, loyalty and long-term financial success," says Forrester analyst Andrew McInnes. "Investing in voice-of-the-customer programs is the next logical step."

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