What the Voice of the Customer Wants You to Hear

Julie Pearl Published on April 17, 2015 Last updated on January 23, 2025

The voice of the customer is always open to any ear willing to listen to it. Here’s what it’s telling your brand.

Businesses are constantly vying for customer attention and loyalty, as they should. But a lot of them overlook the most straightforward way to gain an edge—listening to customers. The voice of the customer (VoC) is one of the best approaches to understand and address customer needs. But what does this voice say, really?

Time to lend an ear to VoC and take note of the customer experience insights that could make sense to your brand.

The Voice of the Customer at its Core

The voice of the customer reflects their real-world experiences with your products or services. Customers frequently share their frustrations, desires, and suggestions, and these offer a wealth of customer experience insights that your brand can harness.

What are customers really saying? They want you to recognize their pain points—unresponsive support, product flaws, or inefficient processes—and address them promptly. But it’s not just about solving problems, as customers also want to feel valued, heard, and understood.

Basically, when a customer shares their perspective, they’re extending trust and giving you the chance to improve.

  • How is VoC Being Communicated?

    The voice of the customer can be heard through multiple channels:

    • Surveys and Feedback Forms: Tools like Net Promoter Scores (NPS) and post-purchase surveys allow customers to voice their opinions directly.
    • Social Media Platforms: Customers often turn to social platforms like X, Facebook, or Instagram to share their experiences—both positive and negative—in real-time.
    • Online Reviews and Forums: Websites like Yelp, Trustpilot, or industry-specific forums are treasure troves of honest customer feedback.
    • Customer Support Interactions: Whether via phone calls, emails, or chat support, these interactions provide firsthand accounts of what customers need or expect.

Barriers to Hearing the Customer’s Voice

Even when you think you are trying your best, you may still struggle to tap into the full potential of VoC. Why? Because certain barriers—both structural and operational—can prevent your brand from truly listening to customers and acting on their insights.

  1. Lack of Proper Feedback Mechanisms

    A major barrier to truly understanding the voice of the customer is the absence of accessible and user-friendly feedback systems. Customers may abandon complicated surveys or avoid platforms that feel cumbersome.

  2. Ignoring or Misinterpreting Feedback

    Not all customer feedback is treated equally, and this is where your business could falter. Ignoring critical feedback or misinterpreting it can lead to misguided decisions and customer dissatisfaction.

  3. Internal Silos and Poor Communication Channels

    Even when customer feedback is collected, it often fails to reach the right teams due to internal silos. Poor communication within your organization can delay responses and hinder efforts to resolve customer issues.

  4. Over-Reliance on Quantitative Metrics

    Numbers like NPS, CSAT, and churn rates are valuable, but they don’t tell the whole story. Too much focus on the numbers can overshadow qualitative insights. For example, a rise in churn may indicate dissatisfaction, but without detailed feedback, the reasons remain unclear.

What the Voice of the Customer is Really Telling You

The voice of the customer is a goldmine of actionable insights, but deciphering what they are really trying to communicate requires a deeper understanding. Customers don’t always spell out their needs in explicit terms, yet their customer feedback often points to universal themes that your business must prioritize.

  • They Want Personalized Experiences

    One of the most consistent themes in the voice of the customer is the desire for personalized experiences. Customers want businesses to treat them as individuals, not just transactions. Personalization can range from tailored product recommendations to customized support interactions, practices that strengthen customer loyalty and improve trust.

  • They Expect Prompt and Clear Communication

    Timely and transparent communication is another recurring theme in customer feedback. Delayed responses or unclear messaging can frustrate customers, leading them to look elsewhere. Make it a point, then, to prioritize speed without compromising clarity. Prompt action shows that you are committed to listening to customers and acting on their concerns.

  • They Need Assurance of Quality and Reliability

    Customers expect consistent quality in both products and services. In this regard, the voice of the customer does frequently highlight areas where reliability has fallen short, such as delayed deliveries or defective products. Be proactive and prioritize quality control so that your customers remain confident with what you have in store.

  • They Value Empathy and Understanding

    Beyond solving problems, customers want your brand to show empathy. They want to feel understood, especially during challenging situations. The voice of the customer often emphasizes the importance of humanizing interactions and treating customers with care. Active listening and compassion can make a significant difference in this.

Final Thoughts

The voice of the customer is a powerful tool for driving business success, but it requires more than just passive listening. It demands a commitment to understanding and acting on customer feedback. Use the power of customer experience insights and address what customers truly want so that you can forge lasting connections with your audience.

Always keep in mind that the most successful companies are those that turn the voice of the customer into their guiding principle. Let their voices shape your strategies, and you’ll create an experience that not only meets but exceeds their expectations.

Open Access BPO as Your Extra Pair of Ears

We tried to be as informative as possible when it comes to listening to customers. Unfortunately, it may also prove to be too much for your business to take note of loads of feedback. You know what could make things easier? Outsourcing to Open Access BPO.

We mentioned earlier that there are different channels where customer feedback can come from. Open Access BPO’s agents are trained to handle these channels deftly.

What if the voice of the customer came in different languages? Open Access BPO has multilingual capabilities, so we definitely got you covered.

All of this to say: We are the best outsourcing partner you could have. Get in touch with us to tap into our solutions!

Much has been said about how excellent customer service should be defined and delivered.

customer service agent listening to voice of the customer

There are countless best practices and industry-approved tips for how customer engagement should be done and how customer needs should be addressed. But if you’re really after the satisfaction of the people you serve, you’d get ideas for improvement straight from them.

The voice of the customer refers to the processes and activities that capture your market’s needs and wants. Being able to give those preferences means you’re really listening to that voice.

So, do you know what it’s really saying?

Here are sentiments that customers everywhere generally have about the brands they support:

  • “Fast Isn’t Always Good.”

    voice of the customer depiction man on the phone holding clock

    People don’t mind receiving lengthy service if you give an acceptable reason why it would take time and give timely updates about the processes. There’s a difference between slow service and one has ample focus to produce quality results. Besides, haste doesn’t automatically translate to great customer experiences if it would only make the client feel that things were rushed.

  • “Personalized Service Doesn’t Just Mean Saying Our Name.”


    voice of the customer depiction woman speaking explaining on phone

    Modern customer service is all about personalization. People love it when they feel something is done specially for them.

    One way of personalizing service is by mentioning the customer’s name in phone conversations or email threads, but this isn’t the only thing that you can do. You can also know their unique preferences, remember dates that are important to them, give reminders, send birthday greetings, speak their language—the list goes on.

  • “We Love Surprises.”

    voice of the customer depiction delighted man on laptop

    Who doesn’t? In fact, these are what would most likely get people to rave about your brand. Show the love by giving unexpected discounts, free shipping, gifts, or anything that would brighten their day. Besides, offering discounts and other freebies are already effective marketing tools that will keep your customers loyal to your brand.

  • “Excellent Customer Service Shouldn’t Cost Much.”

    voice of the customer depiction smiling woman holding phone credit card

    Giving surprise gifts from time to time would be nice, but costly gestures are not the only thing that could put a smile on your customers’ face. Small acts of kindness like sneaking in a simple thank-you note to go along with the product they ordered can prove that the thought truly matters more than the cost.

  • “…But We’re Willing to Pay for It.”

    voice of the customer depiction smiling man holding credit card on laptop

    If it’s worth the pay, why not? Restaurant patrons double their tips if the servers did a superb job at making their dining experience pleasant. Your buyers or callers would do the same if your agents are extra attentive throughout the transaction.

    The price they’re willing to pay may not come in the form of a tip, but they’d buy more of your goods, sign up for additional services, or subscribe to your offers thanks to your reps’ courteousness and cheerful disposition. In fact, a report by Emplifi states that customers are willing to pay 5% more for products if they knew it has excellent customer service.

These are not the only things that the voice of the customer wants you to hear. Check out the second part of this post to know more about how people define excellent customer service.

Entrust your outsourcing needs to a dedicated firm that makes sure your customers’ needs are heard. Contact Open Access BPO today so we can develop a smart outsourcing program that elevates customer experiences.

 

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OABPO-Julie Author
As one of Open Access BPO's content writers, Julie Pearl shares her BPO knowledge through her blog posts, research papers, and other resources. She writes about outsourcing news and call center management tips and insights.
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