You may have heard ‘Voice of the Customer (VoC) and Ratings & Reviews Insights Manager’ or ‘VoC Program Specialist. Well, you’ve heard right but the more commonly-used job title is VoC Program Manager, which is fast-evolving as a career field.
A Voice of Customer (VoC) program essentially means taking customer feedback and insights and understanding what the end-users want and need. In today’s highly competitive business landscape, understanding the voice of the customer has become crucial for companies aiming to deliver exceptional customer experiences (CX).
And this is where the Voice of Customer Manager plays a vital role. These professionals are responsible for essentially overseeing the effective use of consumer feedback at every stage of the customer journey.
In this article, we want to clearly define who and what is a VoC Manager, or its related roles, and it’s particularly interesting for those looking for a career in impacting the CX world or VoC software market.
Who Exactly is a VoC Program Manager?
Also known as Global Head of VoC Programs, VoC Program Lead, the Customer Listener, CX & VoC Analyst, and more, it’s all about leveraging the power of consumer insights and knowing how to put them to good use.
A VoC Program Manager is an individual who holds key positions in organizations dedicated to gathering and utilizing customer feedback effectively. While job titles such as Head of VoC or Head of Global VoC Programs may vary, their responsibilities remain consistent.
A VoC Program Manager is responsible for mainly the following (but is not limited to):
- Working closely with the Data Insights team and the broader Customer Experience (CX) team to ensure that insights obtained from client experiences remain a priority for leaders and key stakeholders
- Enhancing and maintaining visual representations of data to effectively track business metrics and draw attention to CX issues across different business units and segments
- Supporting the Voice of Customer (VoC) user community by offering guidance, resolving issues, and conducting ad-hoc analyses
- Extracting valuable insights from collected data and, in collaboration with the Data Insights team, developing a comprehensive narrative for each line of business. Also creating monthly dashboards and quarterly presentations for relevant stakeholders
- Coordinating and partnering with others to design surveys and strategize on the collection and utilization of data
They empower their own organization to truly understand target buyers by making their voices heard and applied in business decisions. In a way, they are an integral part of ensuring the success of decision intelligence.
In a nutshell, a great Voice of Customer Program Manager should have the following qualities:
- Customer-centric (thinking from the customer’s point of view and ensuring it’s being heard)
- Builds solid relationships with stakeholders while managing expectations
- Strategic thinker that ties customer feedback to key business metrics
- Builds VoC program momentum and enforces customer-centric thinking throughout the organization
The Growing Importance of Customer Feedback and Demand for VoC Program Managers
In today’s digitally-driven world, customer opinions hold significant weight. 98% of consumers rely on online reviews and recommendations from other customers before purchasing.
Consequently, the voice of the customer has emerged as a critical driver of business success. According to a report by Aberdeen Group, VoC programs enhance customer retention rates by more than 50%. Moreover, Harvard Business says there’s an increase in customer retention rates by 5% grows profit margins anywhere between 25-95%.
According to a report, only 15% of VoC programs are highly successful, claimed by their managers, and 4% are transforming the customer experience. The root causes highlighted in the report include:
- Feedback scores allow stakeholders and company execs to focus more on what the customer is doing for the company instead of what the company should do to improve its experience.
- VoC programs are mostly designed to make quick fixes to pay heed to individual customers instead of driving overall change to the business model.
Final Remarks
A Voice of Customer Program Manager plays a vital role in capturing, analyzing, and leveraging customer feedback and insights. Their expertise in big data management helps organizations stay attuned to customer needs, enhance the customer experience, and gain a competitive edge.
Here at Wonderflow, we understand the importance of customer feedback and how the impact of ratings and reviews can transform industries. To even start employing this mindset, it starts with employing the right CX leadership team. Interested in truly making an impact and transforming businesses with VoC data? Stay up to date on our careers page!
