Only 42% consider their VOC programmes to be very successful at improving business results according to a CXEvolution Study from MartizCX.

Among those surveyed, 78% said their company’s current customer satisfaction score, Net Promoter Score or CX performance was not significantly better than a year ago.

While 23% strongly agreed that they have a clear understanding of their customers’ needs, and only 12% felt it was always clear what actions they should take based on their customer feedback.

Stephan Thun, European CEO, MaritzCX, said: “Some of these results are unsurprising – if you don’t know what your customer needs or expects, it’s impossible for VOC and CX programmes to make a practical difference to the business.

“The focus of current VOC programmes is clearly incorrect. Clear understanding of the customer’s expectations, plus a well-understood action plan for how to analyse and respond to feedback, are essential for making tangible impacts on customer experience.”

The CXEvolution bench-marking study began in autumn 2015, and includes more than 4,300 CX professionals across the US, Canada, EMEA and Australia.