As the VoC Industry evolves, different approaches begin to surface in an effort to gather voice of customer metrics and and create actionable solutions.

Here are the top 4 (seen to date):

• Surveys – (usually project specific, may be extensive, easy to use, great level of detail) Through a survey process of capturing answers to specific questions, customers help bench mark metrics for corporations to progress in various aspect of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Relations.
• Collective Intelligence – (intelligence based on honest remarks gathered through 3rd party opinions, on the web, without direct customer interaction) searching Blogs, News, PR & other Media to determine opinions of products and services performed by a particular company.
• Community Forums – (involved and committed to a cause, membership opportunities, level of involvement) companies focus on creating communities with particular audience in mind to feed customer input toward products and services
• On-Line Feedback – (short, measurable, large numbers, page specific metrics, ongoing interaction) real time tool positioned visibly on a website to encourage ongoing participation for customers, while answering short but precise question pertaining to corporate goals – Sales, Marketing, Web.

All approaches take on some form of real-time communication. Some are lengthy, some short and sweet, but the each process’s goal is to gain:

• Behavioral Metrics – (Usability of the touch points, and prediction of customer next desirable step of progression)
• Attitudinal Metrics- (Feelings toward a brand or product by that brand)
• Business Intelligence – (Applicable to QC, Physical Stores, Inventory, Logistics, Product Sales, Facilities…)
• Intelligent Support – (On-line customer service intervention)
• Marketing Intelligence – (NPS, WOM, ad and campaign success, sales and marketing correlation)
• Website Insurance – (Customers comment on design, content and usability of a website, and often suggest improvements)

How do you Listen to your customers?

….if not, which way to do see being the most favorable?