Best Practices Create a Better VoC Report Three Data Visualization Techniques to Get Your Reports Noticed
Create a Better VoC Report Three Data Visualization Techniques to Get Your Report Noticed V oice of the Customer (VoC) reporting has come a long way in recent years. With the availability of on-line dashboards, data drill-down tools and business intelligence software, the presentation of VoC data has become increasingly accessible and compelling to a growing population of users. But even the fanciest reports can get stale after a while, particularly if the trend-line is flat or the needle on the gauge is stuck in the same spot. Sometimes a new perspective on the data is required to entice viewers to sit up and take notice. After all, the purpose of VoC reports is not simply to display scores and trends; it is also used to tell stories, coach employees and provide insight into the needs and perceptions of customers. There are many interesting ways to present VoC data beyond the usual tables, charts and gauges that are commonly found on dashboards and PowerPoint slides. In this article, we offer three graphical presentation techniques that we have found to be impactful when used in the right circumstances. Each presents a different message in a different way, and none of them are particularly difficult to create. Spheres of Influence A chart familiar to many VoC users is the Prioritization Grid, in which different variables are laid out across two axes. One axis shows the level of satisfaction with each variable, and the other shows how strongly the individual variables correlate to Overall Satisfaction (or some similar measure). The next page shows an example, taken from a Customer Satisfaction survey for an insurance company: www.netreflector.com info@netreflector.com 2
In this case, items in the upper-left quadrant are considered priorities for improvement, because they have both low satisfaction ratings and high importance (i.e., strong correlation to Overall Satisfaction). While this is certainly a useful chart, it is missing some key pieces of information, such as the number of customers each variable represents. We can see, for example, that Value of information on website has high importance and a low rating, putting it in the priority quadrant. However, the only customers who would have rated that item are those who use the website as an information source. All other customers would have been screened out of that section of the questionnaire. We can also see that several of the variables on the chart refer to the Claims experience, even though only a small proportion of insurance customers actually make a claim in any given year. A useful addition to this chart would be to include the relative size of the different customer groups. This can be accomplished by adding the number of respondents to each variable and displaying the results in a bubble chart, which can easily be made using the charting tool in Excel. The bigger the bubble, the greater the number of customers affected: Now it is clear that there is significant variation in the number of customers represented by each point, a fact that may change the organization s prioritization decisions. www.netreflector.com info@netreflector.com 3
There is still more information that could be contained in this chart without making it overly complicated. For example, we might want to compare the relative cost of making improvements in each area. This can be accomplished by color-coding the bubbles in the low-rated quadrants (in this case, everything to the left of the vertical axis). In the chart below, the colors represent different cost ranges, from low (green) to medium (yellow) to high (red): We now have four types of information displayed in one easy-to-read chart: Satisfaction, Importance, Population Size and Cost-to-Improve. In theory we could even add a fifth piece of information, such as the amount of time it would take to implement a change, by color-coding the labels. However, we will stop at this point so that we can move on to a second VoC graphic. By now, just about everyone is familiar with word clouds. These Paint a Picture are graphical representations of open-ended text, in which the most frequently used words or phrases are prominently displayed, with less-frequently used words appearing as background noise. The text can be taken from any number of sources, such as social media, news stories or survey comments. In theory, word clouds allow us to see, at a glance, which topics people are talking about the most. When they work well, they can be a powerful tool for communicating information about customer conversations. Here is an example that exhibits a clear message: www.netreflector.com info@netreflector.com 4
Realistically, however, word clouds do not always turn out well. They can sometimes appear confusing or vague, particularly when there are few useful key words that stand out, as in this example to the right: At other times, word clouds can actually be misleading. This happens when neutral terms, such as agent or experience, predominate. Stripped of their modifiers, it is not clear if the words should be interpreted positively or negatively or both. In our judgment, word clouds are best used to engage a non-technical audience, providing a shorthand view of what customers are commenting about. However, they should not be used as a primary analytical tool, and they should be presented only if the message is fairly clear and has been validated through more rigorous data and text analyses. That said, we have found that a powerful way to present word clouds is to isolate and compare the comments generated by different sub-groups. For example, the comments of very satisfied and very dissatisfied customers can be juxtaposed to highlight the factors that drive their ratings. To make it clear which comments belong to which group, the word clouds can be fashioned in different shapes and colors. For instance, comments from satisfied customers can be presented in the shape of a sun, while those of dissatisfied customers can be shown as a rain cloud. The following examples were created using a free on-line program called Tagxedo: Other respondent groups can similarly be compared, such as market segments or demographic categories. In addition, word clouds can be constructed to show change over time. For example, a series of clouds can show comments gathered before, during and after a new product launch, allowing users to keep a pulse on customer awareness and attitudes. Again, word clouds are not appropriate for rigorous analysis, but they can be a great technique for generating interest and sharing a story in a visually engaging manner. www.netreflector.com info@netreflector.com 5
Infographics few years, used by news agencies, political groups, marketing departments and others to present data in a thought-provoking format. By presenting complex information using picture-based graphics and juxtaposing these elements in a meaningful ensemble, they can often tell a story in a more compelling way than traditional tables and charts. A good example is this Infographic of Infographics, which combines charts, quotes, statistics - and even a word cloud: Another technique that is rooted in story-telling is the infographic. These one-page reports have become nearly ubiquitous in the past Infographics can often tell a story in a more compelling way than traditional tables and charts. Market researchers and VoC professionals have now begun using infographics to complement their usual suite of data reports. By creating a one-page story of the research findings, they make the information accessible to a broader, less technical audience than would otherwise be possible. Managers and employees who lack the time or training to read detailed data results are able to make sense of the key findings and to put them in a context that is relevant to their day-to-day work. In the following example, a VoC team wanted to tell a simple story: Their company s customer satisfaction ratings were flat, and there were a handful of specific actions that could be taken to reverse the trend. Building from this central message, they created the following infographic: www.netreflector.com info@netreflector.com 6
Much of the information contained in this infographic could be found within the extensive research reports that the company produced every year. However, the audience for these reports was small, and the lack of variation in the data from year to year had created an attitude of complacency. By re-configuring the findings around a central theme and presenting it in a fresh way, the VoC team was able to generate widespread interest in the findings, which subsequently led to positive changes in the business. Final Thoughts An effective VoC report serves at least three functions: It informs, it engages, and it provides a call to action. While most reports fulfill the first function well enough, merely presenting data findings is not sufficient to drive productive change in the organization. To appeal to a wide and varied group of stakeholders there must be some element in the reporting that generates interest and excitement, and that leads to improvements in the way the organization interacts with customers. The reporting examples shown here represent a small sample of the many data visualization techniques that VoC teams are experimenting with as they help organizations deliver a better customer experience. Written by Peter Gurney, Senior Director VoC Solutions, NetReflector Inc. This article is provided courtesy of, a full-service marketing insights firm specializing in customer experience and product development research. NetReflector provides organizations with a single source for enterprise-class survey software, managed feedback solutions, and comprehensive market research. For more information, please visit us online at www.netreflector.com or email us at info@netreflector.com. www.netreflector.com info@netreflector.com 7