The key to a successful VoC – robust data

The key to a successful VoC program only appears after all the interviews are over. It is only then that you can analyze all the responses to all the questions you have asked your customers and begin to see patterns emerging, or "aha" moments where you understand some of the nuggets your customers need, but they never thought to ask for, and you never thought to produce. Of course, to have the ability to see these patterns and experience these epiphanies, you need to have a detailed record of all your customer visits.

While there are a number of impressions and key moments in the interview you will remember with clarity, you cannot rely on your memory alone when conducting any VoC interview. Having a detailed record of the interview via written notes is imperative to capture what the customer has articulated. This is especially important as you look to analyze 10 or more interviews and attempt to compare and contrast how the various respondents have...