Earlier this week, I wrote a blog about a key best practice in your VOC initiative: the need to clearly communicate your efforts, not only throughout your organization but to your customers, as well. Today I’ll outline the various communication needs, explain why each is needed, who should send it, to whom, and when. I’ve listed them in chronological order; some of them may occur concurrently.
1. Collaboration
Why: to recruit and establish your core VOC Team
From Whom: the Executive sponsor
To Whom: cross-functional team leads/picks
When: inception
2. Announcement/Roadmap
Why: to outline the purpose, objectives, importance, etc.
From Whom: the Executive sponsor
To Whom: employees
When: after inception
3. Branding
Why: to get employees speaking the same language, to create/support the culture, adoption strategy
From Whom: the Executive sponsor, VOC Team
To Whom: employees
When: after inception
4. Announcement
Why: to drive customer awareness and to set expectations
From Whom: VOC Team, Marketing
To Whom: customers
When: before launch
5. Closed-Loop Process
Why: to train and to set expectations about follow-up and service recovery
From Whom: VOC Team, department head
To Whom: employees
When: before launch
6. Survey Emails/Thank You Page
Why: to invite to provide feedback and to thank for feedback
From Whom: VOC Team, appropriate signatory
To Whom: customers
When: survey launch
7. VOC Solution/Platform Training
Why: to teach how to use platform, conduct root cause analysis
From Whom: VOC Team, VOC solution vendor
To Whom: employees
When: survey launch
8. Service Recovery
Why: to close the loop and thank for feedback, service recovery
From Whom: department head
To Whom: customers
When: after feedback provided
9. Best Practices Log
Why: to share best practices, knowledge
From Whom: cross-functional team, frontline
To Whom: employees
When: after service recovery, ongoing
10. Improvements (Internal)
Why: to share feedback, to announce outcomes and resultant improvements
From Whom: the Executive sponsor, VOC Team, department head
To Whom: employees
When: after feedback provided, after first analysis/change cycle, ongoing
11. Improvements (External)
Why: to announce improvements, let them know feedback heard/valued
From Whom: Marketing
To Whom: customers
When: after first analysis/change cycle, ongoing
12. Improvements (VOC Partner)
Why: to ensure appropriate survey and analysis adjustments can be made
From Whom: VOC Team
To Whom: VOC partner
When: after first analysis/change cycle, ongoing
13. Rewards and Recognition
Why: to celebrate positive feedback
From Whom: department head
To Whom: employees
When: ongoing
14. Coaching
Why: to correct missteps, to teach best practices
From Whom: department head
To Whom: employees
When: ongoing
As you can see, communication and messaging are needed throughout this journey to instruct, discuss, motivate, drive adoption, and set expectations. Are you hitting all these communication points?
The art of communication is the language of leadership. – James Humes
