How to develop top customer journeys using VoC data

About this report

Data collection: July 7th - August 7th, 2023

Respondents: 100 marketing professionals whose organizations use voice of customer data collection tools

Voice of the customer (VoC) data is of critical importance to marketing strategy. Keeping a pulse on how customers feel, and ensuring negative customer experiences are addressed, is critical to creating winning experiences. To do so, marketers rely on customer surveys, social listening and ratings platforms to help track consumer sentiment and drive customer satisfaction.

How are marketing teams applying VoC data in their marketing strategies, and what emerging technologies are shaping the future of VoC strategy?

One minute insights:

  • Pencil page iconUser surveys are the most popular voice of customer tool among marketers
  • Chat message dots iconNearly two-thirds of marketing teams have used voice of the customer feedback to improve their products and services
  • Communicating people person arrow iconOver half of marketers say responding to negative customer feedback is very important
  • Chat iconChatbots and AI/ML are top used emerging tools being applied to VoC strategy among marketing teams

User surveys and ratings and reviews platforms are key tools in marketers VoC toolkit, and most feel their team uses these tools effectively

What kinds of VoC tools does your organization currently use? Select all that apply.

What kinds of VoC tools does your organization currently use? Select all that apply.

74% of marketers report their organization currently uses user surveys as part of their voice of customer toolkit. Ratings and reviews platforms were a close second, selected by 71% of marketers.

Customer interviews 46% | Focus groups 21%

n = 100

Most respondents (41%) say the marketing department at their organization is primarily responsible for managing VoC data.

What department is primarily responsible for managing VoC data at your organization?

What department is primarily responsible for managing VoC data at your organization?

RevOps 0%

n = 100

How do you feel about the following statement: “My marketing team is using VoC tools/data optimally and strategically.”

How do you feel about the following statement: “My marketing team is using VoC tools/data optimally and strategically.”

Over half of marketers (52%) report they somewhat agree their marketing team uses VoC tools/data optimally and strategically. An additional 37% say they strongly agree.

Strongly disagree 0%

n = 100

lock icon

Please join or sign in to view more content.

By joining the Peer Community, you'll get:

  • Peer Discussions and Polls
  • One-Minute Insights
  • Connect with like-minded individuals

Question: What advice would you give to marketing teams looking to integrate VoC data into their marketing strategy?

Surveys and customer feedback forms are a great option to start collecting data about customer experiences. These are the main ways that we use to collect data that is representative of different groups of customers.

Director, software industry, 10,000+ employees

Be transparent with customers about how you use their feedback. Let customers know how you will use their feedback to improve your products or services. This will help to build trust and encourage customers to continue providing feedback. Don't just listen to your customers. Talk to them. Really talk to them. Get to know them on a personal level. Understand their hopes, dreams, and fears.

VP, real estate industry, 5,000 - 10,000 employees

Marketing teams are using VoC to update their products and services and enhance their user experience

64% of marketers say their marketing team has updated products/services based on feedback from VoC data. 63% say they’ve personalized marketing communications, while just 4% say they haven’t integrated VoC into their marketing strategy.

How has your marketing team integrated VoC data into your marketing strategy? Select all that apply.

How has your marketing team integrated VoC data into your marketing strategy? Select all that apply.

We haven’t integrated VoC into our marketing strategy 4%

n = 100

41% of marketers say enhancing their user experience (UX), driven by voice of customer data, had the biggest impact on their customer experience overall.

What changes to your marketing strategy, driven by VoC data, had the biggest impact on your customer experience overall?

What changes to your marketing strategy, driven by VoC data, had the biggest impact on your customer experience overall?

n = 100

Question: What advice would you give to marketing teams looking to integrate VoC data into their marketing strategy?

VoC is supercritical and goes a long way in building brand value. It should be embedded at every step of [the] customer journey.

VP, professional services industry, 10,000+ employees

VoC data is extremely important to your company's growth. If you are not looking into VoC then you are not getting any information about what is upsetting or making your customers happy.

Director, software industry, 10,000+ employees

Marketers agree, responding to negative customer feedback is critical

The majority of marketers (78%) say their organization replies to all (44%) or some (34%) negative customer feedback.

Which of the following best describes your organization’s approach to replying to negative customer feedback?

Which of the following best describes your organization’s approach to replying to negative customer feedback?

We don't manage or respond to negative reviews 0%

n = 100

How important is addressing negative customer feedback to your marketing team’s overall strategy?

How important is addressing negative customer feedback to your marketing team’s overall strategy?

Just 2% of marketers say addressing negative customer feedback is unimportant to their marketing team’s overall strategy. Over half (58%) say it is very important.

n = 100

Question: What advice would you give to marketing teams looking to integrate VoC data into their marketing strategy?

Listen to the customer and make improvements, don't make it more complicated.

Director, finance, banking and insurance industry, 10,000+ employees

Chatbots and AI/ML technologies are play important roles in marketing team’s VoC strategy

Chatbots (75%) and AI/ML (65%) are top selected emerging technologies marketers report their teams use to enhance the customer experience.

What emerging technologies are your marketing team using to improve VoC strategy and enhance the customer experience? Select all that apply.

What emerging technologies are your marketing team using to improve VoC strategy and enhance the customer experience? Select all that apply.

Virtual reality 16% | We are not investing in any emerging technologies 5%

n = 100

From the same list, which emerging technology do you anticipate will be the most important to your VoC strategy over the next 12 months?

From the same list, which emerging technology do you anticipate will be the most important to your VoC strategy over the next 12 months?

45% of respondents say AI/ML is the emerging technology that will be the most important to their VoC strategy over the next 12 months.

n = 100

The most commonly selected challenges marketing teams face when implementing emerging technologies into their VoC strategy are difficulty integrating with current systems (47%), and lack of budget (44%).

What challenges has your marketing team faced implementing these emerging technologies into your VoC strategy? Select all that apply.

What challenges has your marketing team faced implementing these emerging technologies into your VoC strategy? Select all that apply.

Unclear security risks 28% | Lack of wide scale adoption 28% | Lack of executive buy-in 27% | Lack of team buy-in 19% | We are not investing in any emerging technologies 2%

n = 100

Question: In your opinion, how will emerging technologies (e.g., AI chatbots) impact marketing team's approach to customer listening over the next 12 months?

I hope that chatbots become smarter using the latest AI advancements, this will benefit the marketing team by bringing more feedback from clients (especially those who don't like bots). And we are already using AI to analyze unformatted data much better than before, I hope this improves even further in the next 12 months.

C-suite, professional services industry, <1,000 employees

AI and chatbots will play a significant role in [the] coming 12 months in our organization. As we are completely focused on chatbots for customer acquisition, retention and other details followed with this. It will be a holistic approach for [both] AI and chatbot.

Director, arts, entertainment and recreation industry, 1,000 - 5,000 employees
A lightbulb

Want more insights like this from leaders like yourself?

Click here to explore the revamped, retooled and reimagined Gartner Peer Community. You'll get access to synthesized insights and engaging discussions from a community of your peers.

Respondent Breakdown

Screenshot 2023-11-29 at 14.49.35

Respondents: 100 marketing professionals whose organizations use voice of customer data collection tools