Lessons Learned From Three Award-Winning Voice Of The Customer Programs

Most large North American companies have voice of the customer (VoC) programs in place. But most programs don't live up to their potential. Forrester's 2010 Voice of the Customer Awards recognize VoC programs that drive action and deliver business results. This report takes a closer look at winning programs from American Express, CDW, and Dell. Each firm takes a unique approach. American Express increases customer loyalty and customer spend by highlighting unused card benefits during customer service calls. CDW drives incremental revenue by following up on sales leads identified through customer loyalty surveys. And Dell uses online communities and ratings and reviews to identify unmet customer needs and generate product innovation ideas. The winning programs also share characteristics that other firms can emulate. In particular, customer experience professionals should align VoC activities with overall customer experience strategy, design closed-loop processes, engage employees in the effort, and measure business results of VoC-driven improvements.