Podcast ¦ Next In Queue: There’s a Story in Your Voice featuring Mike Kendall

Key Takeaways

1. The evolution of Voice of the Customer (VoC) is ongoing, akin to changes in music genres and styles, with new tools and methods continually emerging.
2. Effective customer experience (CX) management involves both qualitative and quantitative insights, and these should be integrated for deeper understanding.
3. Listening to customers goes beyond traditional surveys; various listening posts can reveal insights into customer needs and experiences.
4. Human factors play a critical role in customer experience, particularly in high-pressure situations such as emergency services.
5. Incentive structures should focus on team-based success rather than individual scores to avoid gaming the system and ensure genuine feedback.
6. Operationalizing VoC requires cross-functional collaboration and the creation of small, agile teams dedicated to improving customer experiences.
7. Companies should leverage technology not only to gather data but also to enhance emotional connections with customers.
8. It is essential to bridge the gap between quantitative data and qualitative insights to drive actionable improvements in customer experience.
9. Organizations should prioritize understanding unmet customer needs, which contributes to customer loyalty and long-term business success.
10. The importance of storytelling in communicating customer insights cannot be overstated; it fosters empathy among employees and leaders.
11. Engaging with customers directly, whether through interviews or observations, leads to valuable insights that surveys alone may not provide.
12. Future advancements in technology and AI can support, but not replace, the human element in understanding and improving customer experiences.

Key Statistics

• The satisfaction survey in question was not a regular satisfaction survey but a dissatisfaction survey aimed at identifying customer issues.
• The metrics and insights from VoC programs should drive actions rather than just be considered as numbers.

Key Discussion Points

1. The role of music in analogy with customer experience management.
2. Differences between B2B and B2C customer interactions and their implications for VoC.
3. The dangers of survey fatigue and ineffective measurement metrics.
4. The necessity of continual improvement in customer experience over time.
5. The impact of emotional storytelling on employee engagement and understanding of customer needs.
6. The challenges of incentive structures and their effects on genuine customer feedback.
7. Importance of integrating real customer stories into the broader context of business strategy.
8. The evolution of customer feedback systems and the need for companies to adapt.
9. Insights gained from observing customer behavior in real-time.
10. The relationship between customer loyalty and VoC metrics.
11. Emerging technology’s role in capturing customer sentiment without relying solely on traditional surveys.
12. The importance of cross-functional collaboration in operationalizing Voice of the Customer initiatives.

Podcast Description

This podcast explores the intricacies of customer experience (CX) and the evolution of Voice of the Customer (VoC) programs. Host Rob Dwyer engages with Mike Kendall, a pioneer in customer experience and product innovation, to discuss navigating customer feedback, the role of Net Promoter Score, and how businesses can effectively integrate qualitative and quantitative insights. Through compelling anecdotes and practical insights, the episode emphasizes the importance of listening to customers and operationalizing VoC to drive meaningful improvements in service delivery.