How to Build a Voice of Customer Program That Drives Retention and Growth
Your customers are polite to your face. That politeness can hide the churn risk you need to hear about months before renewal. Too often, teams only ask questions when a renewal or upsell is on the line, and customers can tell. Learning how to build a voice of the customer program can help account managers identify churn risks earlier, understand what customers actually value, and find opportunities to improve.
Alex Raymond sits down with Joey Yagoda, CEO of Westing Ventures, on Account Management Secrets. Joey runs hundreds of customer feedback interviews every year for companies and private equity firms. He explains why account managers aren't always the best people to conduct feedback interviews, how to encourage customers to be candid about their experiences, and what most companies miss when collecting NPS scores.
Collecting customer feedback is only useful if something happens with it. Joey shares practical ways to use customer insights to inform decisions in account management, product, and leadership teams. He also shares two questions worth asking customers who have left, explains how to follow up on negative feedback without damaging the relationship, and discusses what private equity firms look for when assessing customer retention and churn risk.
Press play for practical advice on how to build a voice of the customer program, starting with a simple 10-call pilot and building a process that supports long-term customer retention and growth.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Joey Yagoda on Year-Round Customer Listening
05:26 How to Build a Voice of the Customer Program
07:47 Why Account Managers Shouldn’t Lead Feedback Calls
10:15 How to Invite Tough Feedback From Customers
11:21 The NPS Blind Spot and Interview Guides
18:44 Joey’s Go-To Churn Interview Questions
22:10 Turning Customer Feedback Into Company-Wide Action
28:09 What Private Equity Firms Listen For in Diligence
36:31 What Customers Wish Their Vendors Understood
40:19 Start Small With a 10-Call Pilot
Connect with Joey Yagoda:
Visit the Westing Ventures website
Connect with Alex Raymond:
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