You, As Voice of Customer

Six Sigma advocates pride themselves on making the customer happy by providing the absolute best product and customer service. They go out of their way to find out exactly what is important to their customers. The Voice of Customer (VOC) is one method to gather this important information.

Here are the methods used to apprehend the Voice of Customer:

• Surveys: To use this method, you must target the specific audience that you are trying to please. Each generation has their set of high priorities. If the product or service that your business provides is for millennials, then you need to target your customers that are between the ages of 23-38.
• Focus Groups: This is used for more detailed information about behaviors and motivation of this targeted group.
• Customer Interview: This is actually your best bet if you can obtain it. It is best if you can make your customer feel as though it is a friendly chat rather than an interview. Many people are complimented that you would take time out from your business day to speak to them. It helps build good client relationships.
• Employee Feedback: Employees would be considered internal customers, and their feedback can be considered suggestions.
• Third-party sites such as Yelp, Google, Group Forums: Since these are open forums, the data given can’t be trusted 100%, but consider it a gauge.

The business owner who really is invested in his business will go out of his way to get this information and why you ask. 

Many companies have talked to their customers to gather this kind of information to improve customer service processes. As an example, consider the next time you are trying to locate a prescription medication made by a specific manufacturer or lab. So you call the pharmacy, and they tell you that you would have to come in to get that information.

So, you call your health insurance company, and without batting an eye they offer to call the pharmacy. This is great customer service, and you the customer, is why this is important. There are many health insurance companies that use Six Sigma methodologies for their excellence.

For more information on our Lean Six Sigma courses and services, please visit 6sigma.com.