Today’s most successful businesses aren’t just selling products—they’re building relationships. And at the heart of those relationships is a customer-first strategy: a mindset where every team, process, and product decision is designed to deliver better experiences for your customers.

It sounds obvious, but in practice, it requires a deep shift in how organizations operate. Rather than focusing on internal targets or product pipelines, customer-first organizations start by understanding what their customers actually want—and then work backwards to build it.

Let’s break down what it really means to put your customers first, and how this approach can become a competitive advantage.

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What Is a Customer-First Strategy?

A customer-first strategy means placing customer needs, preferences, and feedback at the center of every business decision—from product design and marketing to sales and support. It’s not just a philosophy—it’s a business framework that guides how your organization creates value.

Unlike traditional product-driven models, where products are launched and then marketed to customers, a customer-first model begins by understanding what matters most to your customers—then builds around it.

For example, UNIQLO’s CEO Tadashi Yanai attributes the brand’s sustained growth to a customer-first mindset:

“Meet customer needs, and create new customers.”

In this approach, customer success becomes your success. It’s a long-term game of loyalty, retention, and organic growth—fueled by trust.

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How a Customer-First Mindset Drives Business Impact

1. Increased Loyalty and Retention

Customers are more likely to stay with a brand that consistently listens, responds, and improves their experience. That’s not just anecdotal—studies show that companies with strong customer experience programs see up to 1.6x higher customer lifetime value.

2. More Referrals and Organic Growth

Loyal customers become brand advocates. Happy customers are far more likely to refer friends, family, and colleagues. A customer-first strategy naturally fuels word-of-mouth marketing, which remains one of the most powerful (and cost-effective) growth levers.

3. Better Product-Market Fit

By integrating customer feedback into product development, businesses create solutions that better align with real-world needs. This leads to fewer product misfires, more successful launches, and a competitive edge that’s hard to replicate.

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How to Operationalize a Customer-First Strategy

It’s one thing to say you’re customer-centric. It’s another to live it across every function in your organization.

Here’s how leading companies make it part of their DNA:

1. Adopt the Customer’s Perspective

What do customers actually think of your brand? What problems are they trying to solve? Tools like journey mapping and Voice of Customer (VoC) research help uncover expectations and friction points—so you can design with empathy.

2. Know More Than Just Their Transactions

Go beyond purchase history. Understand your customers’ motivations, emotions, and goals. Use survey tools, CRM data, and behavioral analytics to build rich customer profiles that inform every decision.

3. Embed Proactive Customer Experiences

Don’t wait for complaints—anticipate needs. Whether it’s automating helpful nudges in an app or offering instant support when a user hesitates at checkout, proactive CX is key to standing out.

4. Make It a Cross-Functional Goal

Being customer-first isn’t the job of just your support or product teams. From engineering to finance, every department should understand how their work impacts the customer experience. Embed CX metrics into team KPIs and make feedback loops part of your operational rhythm.

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Building a Customer-First Culture: Long-Term Gains

Creating a truly customer-first culture goes far beyond a few surveys or a rebranded mission statement. It’s about rethinking how your organization defines success.

• Leadership must model it. If your C-suite isn’t invested in customer-centricity, your teams won’t be either.
  
  
• Employees must feel empowered. Give your frontline teams the tools and autonomy to solve problems quickly and creatively.
  
  
• Feedback must flow both ways. Use modern tools like multi-channel surveys, text analytics, and AI-powered feedback analysis to turn raw input into real-time insights.
  
  

Over time, organizations that prioritize customers consistently outperform those that don’t—on loyalty, revenue growth, and brand perception.

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Final Thoughts: Start with One Step

Becoming a customer-first business doesn’t happen overnight. But every incremental improvement—every feedback loop, every proactive message, every product built with the customer in mind—adds up.

And when your customers feel heard, understood, and valued? That’s when true brand loyalty begins.

Discover how Voxco’s customer experience platform helps organizations of all sizes turn customer feedback into action. From multi-channel surveys to advanced analytics, we help you listen, learn, and lead with your customers in mind. Click here to book time with an expert.

Survey coding is an invaluable tool for researchers aiming to analyze the open-ended responses in surveys. This method involves categorizing and labeling textual data from responses to questions that allow participants to express themselves freely, beyond the constraints of predefined choices.

In this post, we'll explore what survey coding is, why it's essential, and how it can transform unstructured open-ended responses into actionable, quantitative data. We'll walk you through the process of creating a comprehensive codebook, discuss the best practices for ensuring consistency and accuracy, and highlight some of the common challenges you might encounter along the way.

What Is Survey Coding?

Survey coding of open-ended responses involves organizing and categorizing textual data gathered from survey questions to make it easier to analyze. Here's a detailed breakdown of the process:

• Collection of Responses: In surveys, alongside multiple-choice questions, there are often open-ended questions where respondents can provide their answers in their own words.
• Initial Review: The responses are first reviewed to understand the range of answers provided and the different ways respondents interpret the question.
• Development of Codebook: A codebook is created which defines categories or themes that the responses can be sorted into. This involves identifying common themes, patterns, or recurring phrases within the responses.
• Coding the Responses: Each response is read and assigned one or more codes based on its content. This coding process can be done manually by researchers or with the aid of text analysis software which can help to automate some parts of the process.
• Refinement of Codes: As coding progresses, some codes might be split, combined, or refined to better capture the nuances of the responses. This is an iterative process that may require going back to previously coded responses and reassigning them under the new scheme.
• Analysis: Once coding is completed, the coded data can be analyzed quantitatively (e.g., calculating the frequency of each code) or qualitatively (e.g., examining the context around certain codes to understand deeper meanings).
• Reporting: The results are then compiled into a report, providing insights such as common themes, unusual opinions, or general sentiment about the surveyed topics.

Survey coding is essential for effectively using open-ended responses, as it transforms qualitative text into quantifiable data, allowing for a more structured analysis that can complement the statistical findings from closed-ended questions.

Benefits Of Quality Survey Coding

Survey coding, especially of open-ended responses, offers several important benefits that enhance the value of survey data for research, decision-making, and strategy development. Here are some key advantages:

1. Rich Insights: Open-ended responses can provide depth and context that closed-ended questions might miss. Coding these responses helps in extracting these nuanced insights systematically, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of participants' opinions and experiences.
2. Quantifiable Data from Qualitative Responses: By categorizing qualitative responses into predefined codes, researchers can quantify this data. This quantification makes it easier to perform statistical analysis, such as identifying trends or comparing subgroups within the data.
3. Identification of Themes and Patterns: Coding helps in identifying common themes and patterns that may not be immediately apparent. This can be especially useful in exploratory research where the range of possible responses is not well known beforehand.
4. Enhanced Data Management: Coded data are easier to manage, store, and retrieve. Researchers can quickly access and analyze large volumes of data without needing to sift through each individual response repeatedly.
5. Improved Reliability and Consistency: A well-defined coding scheme ensures that data is processed consistently, reducing the variability introduced by different researchers’ interpretations. This enhances the reliability of the data, making the findings more robust.
6. Facilitates Comparison and Tracking Over Time: Coded data can be compared across different groups or tracked over time more easily than raw textual data. This is particularly useful for longitudinal studies or when comparing responses across different demographics.
7. Supports Mixed-Methods Research: Coding allows for the integration of qualitative data into predominantly quantitative studies, supporting mixed-methods approaches that can provide both breadth and depth in research findings.
8. Feedback for Future Surveys: Insights derived from coded responses can inform the development of future surveys, such as by helping to refine questions, adjust response options, or identify new areas of interest that require exploration.

Overall, survey coding is a powerful tool that transforms text data into highly-precise structured, actionable information, providing a deeper understanding of the research subject and enhancing the impact of the findings.

When Do You Use Survey Coding?

Survey coding is used in several specific situations during research and data analysis, particularly when dealing with qualitative data from surveys. Here are some common scenarios where survey coding is especially useful:

1. Analyzing Open-Ended Survey Responses: Whenever surveys include open-ended questions where respondents can write their answers freely, coding is used to organize these textual responses into quantifiable categories. This allows for systematic analysis alongside the quantitative data from closed-ended questions.
2. Exploratory Research: In early stages of research, where the aim is to understand broad themes and sentiments about a topic, coding helps identify and categorize these themes from survey responses. This is useful for shaping further research or developing hypotheses.
3. Market Research: Companies often use survey coding to analyze customer feedback on products, services, or experiences. Coding helps identify common complaints, suggestions, or praises, guiding business improvements and product development.
4. Academic Studies: Researchers in fields like sociology, psychology, and health often use survey coding to analyze data collected through questionnaires. It helps them understand patterns, relationships, and influences among variables based on participants’ textual responses.
5. Customer Satisfaction and Feedback Analysis: To gauge customer satisfaction and gather actionable feedback, businesses code responses from satisfaction surveys. This can inform customer service policies, product improvements, and overall business strategies.
6. Policy and Public Opinion Research: In policy-making and public opinion surveys, coding is used to categorize responses to open-ended questions about laws, regulations, or political issues. This helps in understanding public sentiment and informing policy decisions.
7. Longitudinal Studies: In studies that track changes over time, coding allows researchers to consistently categorize responses across different time points. This is crucial for accurately measuring how opinions, behaviors, or experiences change.
8. Content Analysis: Coding is used in content analysis where the content of text data—such as responses to an open question about media usage or preferences—is categorized into defined codes to analyze trends and patterns.
9. Qualitative Data Integration: In research, where both quantitative and qualitative data are collected, coding qualitative responses allows for integration with quantitative data, providing a richer, more comprehensive analysis.

In all these scenarios, survey coding is an effective solution for transforming unstructured comments into structured data that can be analyzed statistically.

Survey Coding Best Practices

Adhering to best practices in survey coding ensures that the data derived from open-ended responses is reliable, consistent, and useful for analysis. Here are some key best practices to follow when coding survey responses:

1. Develop a Comprehensive Codebook: Start by creating a detailed codebook that clearly defines each code, including descriptions and examples. This serves as a guideline for coders to apply the codes consistently. It should also include rules on how to handle ambiguous or unclear responses.
2. Train Coders Thoroughly: Ensure that all coders are thoroughly trained on the codebook and understand the objectives of the coding process. Regular training sessions can help maintain consistency, especially as the codebook might evolve over the course of a project.
3. Ensure Inter-Coder Reliability: Use multiple coders for the same set of responses initially to check for inter-coder reliability, which is the level of agreement among different coders. This helps identify any ambiguities in the codebook and ensures that the coding is reliable and consistent.
4. Use Pilot Testing: Before full-scale coding, conduct a pilot test with a sample of responses. This helps in refining the codebook by identifying new themes or issues that weren’t initially apparent. Adjust the codebook based on the findings.
5. Iterative Process: Be prepared to revisit and revise the codes as you process the responses. As you dive deeper into the data, new themes might emerge or existing codes might need refinement.
6. Maintain Coding Consistency: Regularly review the coding work to ensure consistency over time, especially for large projects or long-term studies. This might involve periodic retraining sessions or recalibrations of the coding rules.
7. Automate When Appropriate: Consider using software tools for coding if the volume of data is large. Many tools offer features like text parsing, pattern recognition, and preliminary coding suggestions, which can increase efficiency. However, human oversight is crucial to handle nuances and context that the software might miss.
8. Document All Processes: Keep detailed records of all coding decisions, changes to the codebook, and any issues encountered during the coding process. This documentation is vital for the credibility and replicability of the research.
9. Analyze Coded Data Critically: When analyzing the coded data, be critical of the codes themselves and the potential for bias or error. Analysis should consider not just the frequency of codes but also their context and the interrelations between different themes.
10. Ensure Ethical Standards: Respect the confidentiality and anonymity of survey respondents, especially when handling sensitive information. Ensure that all data handling and coding practices comply with ethical guidelines and legal requirements.

By following these best practices, you can maximize the accuracy and utility of the coding process, thereby enhancing the quality of data derived from open-ended survey responses.

Differences in Using Survey Coding vs Text Analysis To Analyze Open-End Survey Responses

Survey coding and text analytics are both methods used to process and analyze text data, but they have different focuses and methodologies. Understanding their distinctions can help in choosing the right approach for a given research need.

Survey Coding

Survey coding primarily deals with categorizing and tagging open-ended responses collected from surveys. It involves interpreting responses based on a predefined set of categories or themes that researchers develop to capture the essence of the text data.

Methodology:

• Manual or Semi-Automated: Coding can be done manually by researchers or semi-automatically using software that assists in categorizing responses.
• Developing a Codebook: Researchers create a codebook that defines each category or code. This includes descriptions of what type of response fits each category.
• Application: Codes are applied to each response to summarize and categorize the data, making it easier to analyze statistically.

Survey Coding Use Cases

It is commonly used in market research, social science research, customer feedback analysis, and anywhere qualitative data needs to be quantitatively analyzed.

Text Analytics

Text analytics involves a broader set of techniques designed to extract information and insights from text data. It uses algorithms and natural language processing (NLP) techniques to uncover patterns and insights within large volumes of text.

Methodology:

• Automated Tools: Text analytics is typically performed using software and algorithms that can process large datasets more efficiently.
• Techniques: This includes sentiment analysis, keyword extraction, topic modeling, and more. These techniques automatically identify and quantify various elements within the text without needing a predefined codebook.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): Text analytics heavily relies on NLP to understand the grammar, structure, and even the sentiment of the text.

Text Analytics Use Cases

Text analytics is used in a wide array of applications like business intelligence, market analysis, customer service improvements, and sentiment analysis across various types of text sources like social media, customer reviews, and news articles.

Key Differences Between Survey Coding and Text Analytics

• Scope: Survey coding is more specific in scope, focusing on categorizing survey responses into predefined themes. Text analytics is broader, applying various computational techniques to extract insights from text responses.
• Automation: Survey coding can be manual or semi-automated, while text analytics is highly automated, leveraging complex algorithms and machine learning.
• Purpose: Coding is primarily about simplifying and structuring text for analysis, often in academic or formal research contexts. Text analytics is about discovering patterns and insights in text data, used across many industries for various business and research purposes.

In essence, while both methods aim to derive meaningful information from text, they do so in different ways and are suited to different types of analysis and data volumes.

FAQs

What is survey coding?

Survey coding is the process of categorizing and labeling open-ended responses collected from surveys. This process involves defining a set of codes, which are thematic or categorical labels, and applying them to the responses to organize the data into meaningful groups. This makes it easier to analyze qualitative data quantitatively.

Why is coding important in survey research?

Coding is essential in survey research because it transforms raw, open end comments into structured, analyzable form. This allows researchers to perform statistical analysis, identify trends, and draw significant conclusions from the data. Coding also ensures that data interpretation is systematic and consistent, improving the reliability of the research findings.

What are the differences between manual and automated coding?

Manual coding involves researchers applying codes to survey responses by hand, which can be time-consuming but allows for nuanced understanding. Automated coding uses software to apply predefined codes to text data. While faster and more consistent, it may not handle nuances as effectively as a human coder. The choice between manual and automated coding depends on the project's scale, complexity, and available resources.

Contact the Survey Coding Experts at Ascribe

Survey coding is an essential practice for transforming unstructured, open-ended responses into structured, actionable data. If you are seeking survey coding capabilities, Ascribe, with over 25 years of experience and having processed over 6 billion responses for the top global market research firms and corporations, offers cutting-edge open end analysis solutions. Ascribe Coder is the leading coding survey platform designed for high efficiency and precision, and CX Inspector is the premier text analytics solution equipped with advanced tools to decipher and illuminate the underlying sentiments and insights in textual data.

For a deeper dive into how Coder and CX Inspector can transform your data analysis process and significantly enhance your research outcomes, we invite you to schedule a demo and let us show you what we can do using your own dataset.

Employee engagement is more than just a buzzword—it’s a key driver of retention, productivity, and performance. And yet, many organizations struggle to truly understand how their teams feel.

An employee engagement survey gives you the data you need to fix that. With the right questions and strategy, you can identify what motivates your employees, uncover pain points, and build a stronger, more connected workplace culture.

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Why Conduct an Engagement Survey?

For organizations with large or distributed teams, it’s not always possible to gather feedback in one-on-one settings. That’s where engagement surveys come in.

They allow organizations to:

• Gather feedback about policies, culture, management, and day-to-day experience.
  
  
• Uncover blind spots and identify areas of improvement before they escalate.
  
  
• Track progress over time by comparing results from previous surveys.
  
  
• Encourage honest, anonymous responses that employees may not feel comfortable sharing openly.
  
  
• Foster a culture of accountability by acknowledging the employee experience at all levels.
  

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What Makes a Good Engagement Survey Question?

Strong engagement surveys go beyond surface-level questions. They aim to uncover meaningful insights by focusing on:

• How employees feel emotionally and psychologically about their work.
  
  
• Their motivation levels and sense of purpose.
  
  
• The support they receive to grow and succeed.
  
  
• Specific actions the organization can take to improve.
  
  

The best questions are:

• Clear and concise
  
  
• Neutral in tone
  
  
• Actionable
  
  
• Designed to spark real change

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Sample Engagement Survey Questions

Organize your survey into key categories to ensure well-rounded insights:

Employee Satisfaction

• How do you feel about your job overall?
  
  
• Are you satisfied with your compensation and benefits?
  
  
• Would you recommend working here to a friend?
  
  
• Are you happy with the kind of work you're doing?
  
  
• Do you feel a sense of belonging in your team?
  
  

Career Goals

• Does the company support your professional growth?
  
  
• Are your personal goals aligned with your team or department goals?
  
  
• Do you have the tools and resources you need to succeed?
  
  
• Does your manager support your career development?
  
  

Team Culture

• Does your team encourage collaboration and idea-sharing?
  
  
• Do you feel recognized for your contributions?
  
  
• Are your concerns listened to by your manager?
  
  
• Do you feel empowered to improve team processes?
  
  

Psychological Safety & Well-being

• Do you feel comfortable speaking up during meetings?
  
  
• Do you know where to turn for support with personal or professional challenges?
  
  
• Does the company support work-life balance?
  
  
• Are you able to make time for your personal life?
  
  

Communication

• Are company updates and changes communicated effectively?
  
  
• Do you feel management is transparent and open?
  
  
• Is communication with your manager clear and consistent?
  
  

Open-Ended Questions

• What’s one thing you’d change about our workplace culture?
  
  
• How can we improve communication across teams?
  
  
• What motivates you to stay with or leave an organization?
  
  
• What additional support would help you succeed?
  
  
• Is there anything else you’d like to share?
  

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How to Make the Most of Your Engagement Survey

To get real value from your survey, you’ll need more than just responses—you need a plan for action.

Here are a few tips:

• Define your goals before launching the survey. Are you tracking improvement? Gathering baseline data? Responding to a specific issue?
  
  
• Pair annual surveys with pulse surveys. Frequent check-ins help you stay ahead of problems as they arise.
  
  
• Balance question types. Use both open- and closed-ended questions to gain depth and direction.
  
  
• Act on results. Share key findings, acknowledge feedback, and take visible steps toward change. This builds trust and encourages participation in future surveys.
  

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Final Words

Employee engagement is dynamic—it’s shaped by leadership, culture, growth opportunities, and communication. A well-designed engagement survey helps you stay in tune with your teams and make smarter decisions to improve their experience.

Want to take your employee feedback program to the next level? Click here to book a free demo to see how Voxco can help you design, launch, and analyze powerful engagement surveys.

When customers feel heard, they feel valued. This develops a sense of trust and loyalty towards the brand. By actively gathering feedback and acting upon it, you can demonstrate your commitment to improving and delivering a great experience at every interaction.

VoC strategy can help you nurture long-lasting relationships with customers and thrive in the competitive marketplace. In this article, we’ll look into several Voice of Customer examples and some common mistakes you should avoid maximizing the impact of the VoC program.

What is Voice of Customer ?

Voice of Customer, or VoC, is the process of gathering customer feedback in an attempt to identify any existing gaps between customer experience and customer expectations. The data gathered in VoC allows businesses to identify where customer grievances lie so that such gaps can be filled.

VoC programs are conducted differently in different organizations and there isn’t one correct way on how to conduct them. To reflect this, we’ve provided four examples to reflect how different organizations leverage their Voice of Customer program in a distinct way to reap the most benefits.

Examples of Voice of Customer

In order to better understand the concept of Voice of Customer, let’s take a look at a few examples of how different industries organizations in different industries leverage VoC to understand their customers and their expectations.

1. VoC in Subscription-First Ecommerce: Subbly

Subbly is a subscription-first e-commerce platform that successfully used VoC for product refinement. Subbly did so by creating an online page that is dedicated to gathering feedback from their customers. They often run surveys on pricing to understand how customers feel about their subscription plans. By constantly gathering data to hear their customers’ voices, Subbly is able to shape their product roadmap and decide which features to release.

2. VoC in Banking: Johannesburg Bank

The banking industry is a highly competitive space and banks must constantly change to keep up with customer expectations and rival banks. In this sector, it is very hard for organizations to keep their churn rate low due to competing organizations constantly introducing new and innovative ways to poach customers.

In order to remain competitive and reduce their customer churn rate, Johannesburg bank decided to use VoC and perform a comprehensive analysis on customer feedback across all their official channels, as well as social media. To do so, they used a hashtag-based campaign to gather feedback from customers regarding what they loved and hated about their bank. This campaign was able to generate two million pieces of feedback, which was sifted through to create custom categories that divided the feedback based on what bank service they were regarding (mobile banking, fees and charges, etc). Named Entity Recognition, or NER, was then used to conduct sentiment analysis by allocating sentiment scores to the different comments. These scores allowed the bank to identify which areas and issues needed their attention most.

3. VoC in Primary Healthcare: Nahdi Medical

Nahdi Medical is a major healthcare provider in Saudi Arabia. They leveraged a VoC program using survey documents and the feedback gathered from online forums. Once the data was gathered, sentiment analysis and text analytics were carried out to identify the different categories of feedback. After the feedback was clustered into different categories (by quality, convenience, price, etc), the result acquired was a highly detailed picture of Nahdi’s performance. This allowed Nahdi medical to identify gaps in CX and customer pain points so that these could be addressed effectively.

4. VoC in Insurance: Lawley

New York-based insurance firm Lawley used a Voice of Customer program by collecting customer feedback through NPS^® (Net Promoter Score^®) surveys. They used relationship NPS^® surveys to measure customers’ overall perception of their brand, which enabled them to benchmark their NPS^® score across different regions. By doing so, the organization was able to identify many different issues within the customer journey. They used this information to identify pain points and follow up with clients on their grievances before they could lose a large number of accounts. VoC helped Lawley improve customer service and prevent customer churn.

Voice of Customer: 6 mistakes to avoid

VoC strategy can be incredibly valuable for your business, but there are common mistakes that you should be aware of. We have listed down six such errors you should avoid to maximize the effectiveness of the Voice of Customer initiative.

1. Lacking clear objective:

Most often, brands don’t have a clear objective for their VoC program. A clear goal helps you guide the strategy effectively and efficiently, to align every step to the ultimate goal. Without a clear grasp of what you want to achieve by gathering customer feedback, you won’t be able to gather meaningful insights.

2. Not segmenting customers:

You might serve a broader audience, but ignoring customer segments can be a fatal mistake. You should leverage the feedback to segment customers based on preferences, needs, demographics, purchase behavior, etc. This will enable you to tailor surveys and feedback mechanisms to cater to specific segments. You can ensure that all the initiatives address the diverse needs of the customer base.

3. Relying on only a single feedback channel:

You should not over-rely on a single feedback channel to gather customer insights. This can limit your knowledge of customers and the overall population. Conduct focus groups to engage customers in discussions and gather their feedback via mobile offline surveys. Use phone survey software to conduct interviews. Leverage data from customer support interactions.

Make sure to use multiple channels to gather customer feedback and data to get a comprehensive understanding of the Voice of Customers.

4. Not closing the feedback loop:

This step involves communicating with the respondents how you plan to use their feedback and what actions to be taken. Brands often overlook this step. However, closing the feedback loop helps demonstrate your commitment to making meaningful changes.

It’s a best practice to share improvements, resolutions, and updates with the survey respondents and keep the communication transparent.

5. Not acting on the feedback:

You need to show customers how their feedback has made a difference. Customers put effort and dedicate their time to offer you their insights, not taking action based on those feedback will show them that you don’t care about their opinion. Ignoring taking action can lead to a loss of trust.

Use survey software that enables you to analyze data, uncover insights, and act on them in a timely manner.

6. Failing to involve employees:

You need to share the voice of customers across the entire workforce and not just among the leaders. Every employee can benefit from customer insights and optimize decision-making to drive customer-centric initiatives.

Not involving or engaging employees in your VoC program will hinder the organization’s ability to align internal and external business processes.

Avoid these mistakes to improve customer satisfaction and drive business growth using a robust VoC strategy. Listen, act, and engage your audience and boost loyalty.

Takeaways

VoC analysis can be leveraged by organizations in many different ways, using many different techniques, to understand customer sentiment. When conducted effectively, Voice of Customer analysis can provide organizations with actionable insights that can be used to meet customer expectations and effectively reduce churn.  

It is a strategy that offers a direct channel for customers to express their opinions and for you to listen to their unfiltered experiences. By leveraging survey software and data analysis tools, you can gather and analyze vast amounts of customer feedback to align your offerings with customer preferences and deliver a great experience.

FAQs on Voice of Customer

What is the voice of the customer?

The VoC process or Voice of the Customer refers to the strategy of gathering customers’ feedback and opinion regarding a product, service, or brand. The strategy involves actively listening to what customers are saying and using the insight to take effective initiatives that improve customer satisfaction.

What are examples of VoC products?

Some examples of VoC products or methods are:

• Surveys
• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Customer feedback
• Customer journey mapping

What are the 4 types of customers?

The four types of customers you may come across in the business are:

• Loyal customers – Those who choose your brand consistently.
• Price-sensitive customers – The customers who make purchase decisions based on the price.
• Impulsive customers – Buyers who make spontaneous purchases.
• Nedd-based customers – Consumers who purchase depending on their needs or problems they want to address.

What are the 4 main customer needs?

The four main customer needs generally include the following:

• Functional need – Buyers need products/services that resolve a problem or meet a specific function.
• Emotional need – Consumers seek products that evoke positive emotions.
• Social need – They desire services and products that help them fit in and meet social expectations.
• Personalization need – Customers want their experience to cater to their unique needs and preferences.

What is the purpose of VoC?

The purpose of the Voice of Customers program is to listen, understand and meet customer expectations. The strategy enables you to make informed decisions and prioritize improvements based on customer feedback. This allows you to develop customer-centric strategies that boost customer satisfaction, drive loyalty, and gain competitive advantage.

What is a Voice of Customer interview?

A Voice of Customer interview refers to a one-on-one conversation between a company rep. And a customer. The aim is to gather detailed insights about the customers’ experience with the brand and its offerings.

The interview provides and opportunity to dig deep into the concerned topics, understand customers motivations and pain points that can help you share your business strategies.

What is the voice of customer analysis?

Voice of customer refers to the feedback your customer gives with regard to your brand, product, and services. Whereas its capturing and analysis are known as the voice of customer analysis.

As we know, brands are used to getting feedback from customers through various channels and methods like surveys, interviews, social media, etc. The real struggle starts when you have to make sense out of it. This is called analysis of the voice of customers, and it is a market research technique that gives brands an understanding of their customer’s needs and wants.

Voice of customer analysis will capture customers’ expectations, opinions, and preferences. Brands will work on these factors, analyze them and find insights to work upon which will give them a competitive advantage in the market.

Shape your brand with the customer’s voice.

Voxco helps you gather customer insights to help you get started in improving your brand awareness.

Why is it important to analyze the voice of customers?

• Voice of customer analysis will boost your marketing efficiency.
• It allows you to consider every customer’s feedback and analyze it for improvements.
• Voice of customer analysis gives you an idea about what causes the customers to stay or leave your brand.
• It helps you by understanding customers’ purchase decisions and choices.
• Voice of customer analysis will draw a picture for you about who are the most profitable customers and how you can gain new target customers to buy your products.

How to perform the voice of customer analysis?

You, as a brand, will have an abundance of data to deal with after gathering customer feedback. How your analysis turns out highly depends on the voice of customer tools you use to make insights out of the gathered data.

We will see in this section how to perform the voice of customer analysis on your voice of the customer:

Start with a question

This is the very first step. You might have a goal or a purpose before starting your Voice of Customer program. So even before you start your analysis, be firm and clear about your question. WHY are you analyzing your data for?

The analysis question can look something like this:

• To understand what the customers like more.
• To understand what the customers hate.
• To understand the new trends in the market.
• To get areas where the products and services can be improved.

Apart from this, you need to be sure about HOW you will gather your data, WHICH analysis tools you will use, and WHAT TYPES of analysis you will perform.

Gather your data

The second and pretty obvious step is to gather your data. It starts by selecting your sample customer or targets customer to feature as your voice of customers.

Make use of methods like surveys, interviews, focus groups, social media, etc., to have your data through customer feedback. Make sure to frame your surveys and questionnaires which are totally focused on your goal or survey topic and question. And then comes the voice of customer analysis.

Sentiment analysis

Here comes the analysis of data. The capabilities of AI mostly do this job. The AI basically identifies the sentiments in the feedback depending on whether it is positive feedback, negative feedback, or neutral. Further on this analysis, you can divide your path of progress into two major categories:

• Increase what people like.
• Improve what people hate.

Well, it does sound easy to label feedback as positive, negative, and neutral. But this is when you are doing it manually, which is, of course, not possible. Remember you are using an AI tool to measure these factors. So the system has been able to understand sarcasm, indirect criticisms, and twisted comments.

But once you start to analyze the data according to your use case, the system will get used to the analysis plan and work better towards the goal.

Natural language processing

Natural language processing, or NLP, is an essential way of processing your natural language. Voice of customer analysis needs the analyzing system to read through all the data and be able to make sense of the information. It will draw out the trends, preferences, topics, and issues by analyzing the words.

Plotting of words with their hidden trends and issues looks something like this:

This method gives you one label to represent a huge amount of data. Automated segmentation is the best way to cut your time-consuming analysis process.

Data correlation

Raw data makes no sense. You will have a lot of random data from customers, meaning god knows what. In every data analysis process, the raw data is useful only when the information is drawn from them. The same goes for the voice of customer analysis.

Let’s say you have your brand’s NPS score on the social media reviews of your product, only then will you have an idea of what conversations are influencing your NPS.

In case you are concerned about negative reviews, you can analyze the product reviews under shopping websites and social media to address those issues.

Draw conclusions

After you have labeled and segregated your data, it is time to make information out of it that will actually help you get to certain conclusions and insights to work on.

In this phase, you will have a clear understanding of how relevant your data, information, and conclusions are with respect to your targeted voice of customer goals.

Initiate improvements

Apparently, just getting to conclusions isn’t enough, right? The way you act upon the analysis and make improvements in your branding weighs a lot on the customers’ perception of you. Customers know they have given their feedback, and now they will wait for the corresponding changes in the brand.

As a brand, it is your responsibility to prove to your customers that you consider their opinions valuable and are willing to improve for them. This is the act that contributes most to the voice of customer analysis. For instance, if customers voiced their concern about finding it difficult to reach your support team via phone, consider adding a dedicated customer support business phone number to your website and social media profiles.

FAQs

What is the voice of customer analysis?

Voice Of Customer analysis refers to the process of extracting actionable insights into customers’ perspectives toward a brand, product, or service. It helps organizations to make decisions that are aligned with their customer’s expectations and ultimately helps improve customer satisfaction.

How to analyze the voice of customers?

Analyzing the voice of customers is an ongoing process and involves understanding and interpreting customer feedback, opinions, and preferences to gain insights into their needs and expectations.

Here are the key steps that go into analyzing the voice of customers:

1. Gather customer feedback
2. Categorize and organize feedback
3. Use sentiment analysis
4. Identify key issues and trends
5. Quantify the feedback
6. Prioritize improvement areas
7. Create customer personas
8. Share insights across the organization
9. Take action and monitor progress

What is customer analysis?

Customer analysis refers to the process of gathering and analyzing data and information about customers to gain insights into their characteristics, behaviors, preferences, and needs. It involves studying customer demographics, purchasing patterns, interactions, and other relevant data points to understand and segment the customer base.

How to do a customer analysis?

Customer analysis is done by gathering customer data (mostly with the help of online surveys), analyzing customer data, and then generating actionable insights from that data. It is a process of understanding customer characteristics, behaviors, preferences, and needs.

Telephone surveys have been a staple in research for decades—but in a digital-first world, do they still hold value? The answer: yes, with the right use case. In this post, we’ll explore where telephone surveys shine, when they fall short, and how to run them effectively.

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What Are Telephone Surveys and Why Use Them?

Telephone surveys involve calling respondents to ask a series of pre-scripted questions, often using CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing) software. Though less flashy than some newer research tools, they offer something unique: live, real-time interaction with respondents, which can lead to richer data and better engagement.

They’re commonly used in political polling, customer satisfaction studies, public opinion research, and healthcare studies—particularly when reaching populations who may not be online or comfortable with digital forms.

Modern CATI systems make these surveys more scalable than ever. They allow you to automate dialing, control interviewer scripts, monitor calls live, and securely store data. If you're running a time-sensitive project or need greater oversight on data collection, telephone surveys are still a go-to method.

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The Advantages: Where Phone Surveys Still Win

Despite the rise of online data collection, telephone surveys continue to provide strong advantages in the right contexts.

1. Broader Accessibility
Not everyone is online or tech-savvy. Seniors, rural communities, and certain low-income households are still more likely to engage over the phone. If inclusivity matters to your research, telephone surveys can help close that digital gap.

2. Quality Control and Oversight
With CATI software, you get full control over how the survey is conducted. Interviewers follow a standard script, ensuring consistency across calls. Supervisors can monitor live interviews or review recordings to identify errors, clarify missteps, or intervene when needed.

3. Faster Turnaround Times
Compared to face-to-face surveys, phone surveys can be launched quickly and completed in days. Automation features like predictive dialing and real-time data capture mean less time spent on manual tasks and more time on analysis.

4. Cost-Effective at Scale
When designed well, phone surveys can be significantly cheaper than in-person interviews—especially for large-scale studies. They eliminate travel costs and reduce the need for printed materials or physical infrastructure.

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Key Limitations to Consider

That said, telephone surveys aren’t perfect. Understanding their constraints is essential to using them effectively.

• ‍Length and Complexity Limits
  Most respondents won’t stay on the phone longer than 15–20 minutes. If your survey requires nuanced discussion, visual stimuli, or complex logic, another mode might serve you better.‍
• Coverage Gaps
  While mobile phone penetration is high globally, not everyone is reachable—or willing to answer—via phone. Caller ID, spam filters, and general mistrust of unknown numbers have made it harder to connect with respondents, especially in urban and younger demographics.‍
• Geographic Ambiguity
  With number portability, you can’t always tell where a respondent is located based on their number. Unless you're screening geography explicitly, you might misclassify respondents based on outdated area codes.

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Common Challenges in Telephone Surveys

While still powerful, phone surveys aren’t always the best choice. Be aware of these limitations:

• Short Attention Spans: Most respondents will not stay on the line longer than 15–20 minutes. If your questionnaire is complex or requires visual input, consider other methods.
  
• Lower Response Rates: Spam filters, caller ID, and robocall fatigue have led to declining pickup rates. It’s important to consider incentives and call-back strategies.‍
• Geographic Uncertainty: With number portability, phone numbers no longer reliably indicate a respondent’s current location. For region-specific research, pre-screening is key.

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Avoiding Bias: Understanding Total Survey Error

No matter the method, survey data is vulnerable to bias. Here’s how telephone surveys typically encounter total survey error (TSE):

• Nonresponse Bias: When certain groups don’t answer or refuse to participate, results may not reflect the full population.
  
• Coverage Bias: Occurs when your sample excludes people without reliable phone access (or only includes mobile users).
  
• Measurement Bias: Arises from unclear questions, leading language, or interviewer effects.
  
  

When to Choose Telephone Surveys

Consider phone surveys if:

• You're targeting a population that’s easier to reach by phone than by email or web.
• Your survey is short (ideally under 15 minutes).
• You need human interaction to guide responses.
• You want higher control over data collection quality.
  
  

4 Best Practices for Running Modern Telephone Surveys

1. Start with a Clear Goal
   Define what you’re trying to learn and who you need to reach. This helps shape your script and sample size.
   
   
2. Build or Buy the Right Contact List
   Use existing customer data or buy high-quality, targeted phone lists—especially if you're doing general population research.
   
   
3. Keep the Questionnaire Short and Focused
   Only ask what’s essential. Use skip logic and branching to keep things relevant to the respondent.
   
   
4. Randomize Calls to Avoid Bias
   Random digit dialing or randomized contact lists help ensure your sample reflects the broader population.

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Conclusion

Telephone surveys remain a highly effective tool when used strategically—especially for hard-to-reach populations or projects where quality control and human interaction matter. With the right tools like CATI software and smart planning, researchers can continue to unlock reliable insights from voice-based data collection. Curious how it works in practice? Book a demo to see Voxco’s CATI software in action.

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Telephone Surveys FAQs

What are telephone surveys?

Telephone surveys are a method of data collection wherein interviewers contact respondents via telephone to conduct an interview by asking the respondent a list of different questions from a questionnaire.

What are the advantages of telephone surveys?

Some advantages of telephone surveys are that they are a fast and cost-effective method of data collection and can allow for high-quality control.

What are the disadvantages of telephone surveys?

Some disadvantages of telephone surveys are that it sets limitations on how lengthy and complex the interview can be. There is also the risk of coverage errors and respondents being geographically ineligible to participate in the survey.

Leverage CATI software to conduct automated telephone surveys. The software automated the dialing process and also administers the questionnaire. The interviewers can follow the script on their monitor to ask respondents a set of questions and record answers into the CATI system.

How to ensure the validity of telephone surveys?

Here are three ways to ensure the validity and reliability of the data you gather using phone surveys:

1. Use random sampling to ensure the sample represents the population.
2. Pilot-test your survey to identify and eliminate any issues.
3. Train interviewers to ask questions neutrally.

What are some ethical considerations you need to follow in telephone surveys?

Here is a list of ethical considerations one should follow while conducting telephone surveys:

1. Obtain consent from respondents to save personal data.
2. Protect the confidentiality of the respondents.
3. Avoid leading questions.
4. Provide respondents with information about the purpose of the survey and how you will use their feedback

What is a public opinion poll?

An unbiased public opinion poll refers to a type of survey or inquiry that is designed to measure the public’s opinions or views regarding a certain topic or a series of topics. The information collected through opinion polls can reflect certain attributes of a large population, allowing inferences to be drawn from them. Opinion polls often involve the use of a sample that is drawn to be reflective of the larger population. This allows the inferences made from responses to be generalised to the entire population. People who conduct and analyse opinion polls are generally referred to as pollsters.

How to conduct an opinion poll?

Setting up a sample

Before conducting a public opinion poll, you must first select and set up a sample. There are many different ways to set up a sample but we will specifically focus on the controlled sample method and area sampling method as they are the most commonly used methods by polling organizations.

• Controlled Sample

In this method, the sample is set in a controlled manner to ensure that the sample is reflective of the target population. To do so, a variety of units that comprise the entire population are included within the sample. This is done by setting up the sample with an equal percentage of units from different demographic segments (males and females, different age groups, communities, and economic classes) so that the sample is representative of the different groups.

• Area Sample

In this method, a cross-section or miniature sample is set up based on the cross-section of the area rather than of people. This sample is set by ensuring that the sum of the areas can represent an accurate miniature model of the population so that their opinions can be generalised to the wider population.This method of setting up a sample is more commonly used by researchers and pollsters relative to the controlled sample method as the information required to set up an area sample can be easily acquired through census reports and other accessible sources.

Phrasing the questions

Once you’ve set up your sample, you must phrase the questions that will be included in your poll. These are some general tips you can follow to phrase questions well so as to yield great results from your poll:

1. Avoid Loaded Questions: Ensure that all the questions are neutral as loaded or leading questions will jeopardize the authenticity of poll results. 
2. Avoid Double-Barreled Questions: Avoid including questions that touch upon more than one issue. 
3. Keep the Questions Clear and Concise: By keeping the questions clear and concise, you can ensure that they are not misinterpreted. 
4. Avoid using Jargon or Complicated Terms: Complicated questions fail to connect with the audience and are likely to yield meaningless or untrue responses. Use simple terms that will be easily understood by the audience. 
5. Test the Poll: It’s a good idea to test the poll before sending it out to the general public. Use any feedback collected to make changes. 

Questions to Ask in an Opinion Poll

The type of questions asked in public opinion polls will differ depending on the topic in focus. However, there are a few different types of questions commonly used in opinion polls:

1. Closed Questions: These questions often take the “yes” or “no” format. Such questions are generally used when the public already has an opinion on the issue in question. 
2. Open-Ended Questions: These questions provide a space to type in or write responses and therefore they allow respondents to freely express their views. Such questions are used when researchers want to identify the different views of the public that exist on a specific issue. 

Multiple Choice Questions: MCQs provide respondents with a predetermined menu of responses, or a checklist, from which an answer can be selected. Such questions are generally used when public opinion on a certain issue falls under just a few different categories.

Advantages of Public Opinion Polls

The following are a few key advantages of using public opinion polls as a method of data collection:

1. Have a Wide Reach: Opinion polls are often conducted online. This provides researchers with an extremely large reach as most of the population has access to the internet.
2. Fast and Accurate: When conducted using online poll software, opinion polls are fast and accurate. Units of the sample can easily and quickly respond to the poll and the researchers can obtain responses in real-time.

Serves as a Component to Democracy: Opinion polls reflect and reinforce the importance of the opinions of the wider population. It provides the common man with an opportunity to express their opinions and make them count.

Types of Public Opinion Polls

The following are some of the different types of polls used to measure public opinion:

• Tracking Polls: Surveys that are conducted repeatedly using the same sample group to identify and measure changes in opinion and views over time.
• Mass Survey: Polls that are conducted by interviewing a large subgroup of the population. 

• Focus Groups: A group interview that comprises a small number of demographically similar participants for an in-depth group discussion. The researcher brings up a topic or idea to gauge the reactions and opinions on it. The focus group is meant to be representative of the larger population so that their opinions can be generalised to those of the larger population.

• Opinion Polls: Polls that are conducted by sampling a small subgroup of the population to predict public opinions or attitudes on the issue.

• Benchmark Polls: Refers to the polls that are taken in a campaign, often right before a candidate announces their bid for office. They provide the campaign with a base for comparison, so candidates can discern any changes in their likelihood to win. 

• Entrance Polls: A poll that is taken before voters cast their vote at the polling station.

• Exit Polls: A poll that is taken after voters have cast their vote at the polling station.

FAQs on Public Opinion Polls

What is a public opinion poll?

A public opinion poll is a survey or inquiry that is designed to collect information on the public’s views or opinions regarding a certain topic.

Can the media influence public opinion?

The media can, and often does, largely influence public opinion. We consume media on a daily basis and our views and opinions on different issues are partly influenced by the media we consume on these topics.

What is another word for public opinion?

Public opinion is also sometimes referred to as political opinion.

What are opinion leaders?

An opinion leader is an individual or organization that is an expert on a certain issue or topic, and exerts a significant amount of influence within their industry or network.

You can't just develop a new product without understanding the need or interest for it in the market. So how do begin with such research? Which research should you even conduct?

This brings us to the topic of exploratory research. Exploratory research helps us gain an understanding of a topic, defines the variables of the problem, and establishes a basis for a more specific research question.

Read the article to learn what exploratory research is, its characteristics, & the methods used to perform it.

What is Exploratory Research?

Exploratory research investigates problems that are not clearly defined. It is conducted to gain insight into the existing problem, however, exploratory research does not provide a conclusive answer to these problems.

A researcher starts with an idea that is general in nature and uses this as a means to recognize issues that can become the focus of future research. An important feature of exploratory research is that the researcher should keep an open mind and be willing to change the direction of their research as they collect more and more insightful data.

Exploratory research uses the grounded theory approach, also known as interpretive research. It aims to answer questions such as: “What is happening?” “Why is this happening?” “How is this happening?”

For example, if a researcher wants to know how the target audience of their app perceives a particular filter, they can first find out which section uses their app. Then proceeding to find out which filters are most used, why they are used, and decide whether adding an additional filter similar to the existing ones will be a good idea.

What are the Characteristics of Exploratory Research?

Now that we have defined exploratory research, it is important to be familiar with its attributes. Exploratory research has several features that researchers need to learn to understand when to use it.

The following are the characteristics of exploratory research:

1. They are not structured in nature.

2. Exploratory research design is interactive, open-ended, and usually accessible within the budget of the organization.

3. It helps researchers uncover answers to questions such as: what is the problem being studied? What is the need for this study? What topics should be included in the study?

4. It is time-consuming and thus requires patience and persistence on the part of the researcher.

5. Exploratory research is broad, flexible, and adaptive in nature.

6. The researcher needs to go through all the information and data collected through the research.

7. Exploratory research needs to have an important cost or value; if not, it is ineffective.

8. The researcher should have some theories that will help in supporting the findings uncovered during the exploratory research.

9. Exploratory research generally produces qualitative data.

10. In some instances, where the study sample is large, and data is collected through surveys and experimentation, explorative research can be quantitative.

Now, that we have cataloged the characteristics, the question is how to go about collecting the data for your exploratory research. The following section explains the two methods you can use to conduct your research.

What are the Types of Exploratory Research?

Carrying out research on something that one has limited information about sounds and feels difficult. However, several methodologies can help you decide the best research design, how to collect data, and the variables to study.

There are two main methods of conducting exploratory research - primary research and secondary research. Under these two broad types, various methods can be used depending on the nature of your study.

The data can be of quantitative or qualitative nature. Let’s look at each of the research methods in detail.

1. Primary Research Methods

In the primary research, the information is collected directly from the respondents. This data can be collected from a group of people or just an individual.  It is usually done to explore a problem that needs in-depth analysis.

A) Surveys:

Surveys or polls can gather large amounts of data, usually from a predetermined group of respondents. They are one of the most popular quantitative research methods. Surveys or polls are used in exploratory research to explore the opinions, trends, or beliefs of the target population.

Surveys can now be conducted online and thus be made more accessible, thanks to technology! Nowadays, organizations have started offering shorter surveys and rewards to the respondents who fill them to increase the response rates and gain more insights. Short surveys can be sent to respondents through text messages right after they make a purchase and are asked to fill it for a coupon/discount in return, so organizations can understand their views on the product under study.

Voxco lets you conduct omnichannel surveys to gather insightful market research data anywhere, anytime.

B) Focus Groups:

Another widely used methodology in exploratory research is focus groups. In this method, a group of respondents is chosen and asked to express their opinions on the topic of interest. One important consideration when making a focus group is choosing people with a common background and similar experiences to get unified and consistent data.

An example of a focus group would be when a researcher wants to explore what qualities consumers value when buying a laptop. This could be the display quality, battery life, brand value, or color. The researcher can make a focus group of people who buy laptops regularly and understand the dynamics a consumer considers when buying electronic devices.

C) Observation:

Observational research can be quantitative or qualitative. It involves observing an individual and making inferences from their reactions to certain variables.

This research does not require direct interaction with the participants. For instance, a researcher can simply record the observations of how people react at the launch of a new product.

D) Interviews:

Surveys provide huge amounts of information in a relatively short period of time, but an interview with one person can provide in-depth information that can otherwise be overlooked in surveys. Interviews are a methodology for collecting data for qualitative research.

You can conduct the interview face-to-face or even on the telephone. For example, an interview with an employee about their job satisfaction can offer valuable insights that would otherwise go unnoticed in the closed-ended questions asked in a survey.

2. Secondary Research Methods:

In secondary research, information is gathered from primary research that has been published before. For instance, gathering information from case studies, newspapers, online blogs or websites, or government sources.

A) Online Resources:

The quickest way to find information on any topic is through the internet. A huge amount of data is available on the internet that you can download and use whenever you need it. One important factor to consider when acquiring data online is to check the authenticity of the sources provided by the websites.

For example, a researcher can find out the number of people using a preferred brand of clothing through a poll conducted by an independent website online.

B) Literature review:

Reviewing the existing literature on a particular topic from online sources, libraries or commercial databases is the most inexpensive method of collecting data. The information in these sources can help a researcher discover a hypothesis that they can test.

Here, sources can include information provided by newspapers, research journals, books, government documents, annual report published by organizations, etc. However, the authenticity of the sources needs to be considered and examined.

Government sources can provide authentic data but may require you to pay a nominal price to acquire it. Research agencies also produce data that you can acquire at a nominal cost, and this data tends to be quantitative in nature.  

C) Case studies:

Another way researchers can gather information for their exploratory research design is by carefully analyzing the cases that have been through a similar problem the researcher wishes to study. These cases are important and critical in the business world, especially.

The researcher should be cautious in reviewing and analyzing a case that is similar to the variables of concern in the present study. This methodology is commonly used in the health sector, social sciences, and business organizations.

For example; let’s assume that a researcher is interested in understanding how to effectively solve the problems of turnover in organizations. While exploring, he came across an organization that had high rates of turnover and was able to solve the problem by the end of the year. The researcher can study this case in detail and come up with methods that increase the chances of success for this organization.

[Related read: Primary Vs. Secondary Research]

What are the Steps to Conduct Exploratory Research?

Let’s explore the practical aspect of how you can conduct exploratory research from design to data analysis. Follow the steps as per your research requirements to uncover insights and validate your research question.

1. Identifying the problem area -

The very first step is for the researcher to identify the area of research and the problem can be addressed by finding out ways to solve it.

2. Creating a hypothesis -

If the researcher is aiming to solve a problem for which there are no prior studies or the problem has not been resolved efficiently in previous research, then the researcher creates his/her own problem statement. This problem statement, also called a hypothesis, will be based on the questions that the researcher came up with while identifying the area of concern.

3. Determining data collection methods -

While planning your research design, it is important to select the proper data collection methods. In this blog, we have explored the various methods of data collection so you can determine which method aligns with your objective.

Consider the nature of your research goal and identify the source of data you want to explore. Determine the data collection tools you need, which may include an online survey tool or a phone survey tool.

4. Choosing sampling method -

In order to ensure your research findings represent the target population, you need to choose the appropriate sampling method or leverage a market research panel. This step will help you gather data from the audience who have knowledge or experience about the subject, thus allowing you to gather relevant and accurate insights.

5. Analyzing data and identifying patterns -

Leverage a survey software that enables you to store and analyze data seamlessly. Conduct quantitative data analysis, text, and sentiment analysis to identify patterns, reveal trends, and discover key findings. By utilizing a robust tool, you can unveil meaningful insights to guide your future research.

6. Advancing future research -  

Once the data for the current problem has been obtained, the researcher will continue the study through a descriptive investigation. Generally, qualitative methods are used for a detailed study of the data to find out if the information gathered through exploratory research is true or not.

When to Use Exploratory Research?

Exploratory research design helps you investigate a subject that is vague, new, or poorly understood. Often referred to as grounded theory research, the insights help strategies the foundation of future research.  

1. Define a vague topic:

This research design is an ideal choice when you have a poorly defined research problem. The exploratory method helps you gain clarity on the subject before you dive deeper.

2. Explore unexplored topics:

The research method helps brands delve into emerging or new markets with limited prior data. It helps identify variables, trends, and characteristics.

3. Conduct market research:

Brands can utilize exploratory research to gauge market trends, customer preferences, behaviors, and needs. You can use the feedback to guide your marketing strategies and product/service developments.

4. Study diverse population:

The research method is valuable in gathering knowledge on diverse cultural groups. It can help you understand the nuances of different cultures, behaviors, needs, and more.

Advantages of Exploratory Research

Exploratory research provides the researcher an opportunity to keep an open mind and explore the variables affecting their area of interest. Some of the advantages of exploratory research are:

• It allows researchers to be flexible and change their stance on the problem being studied as the research progresses.
• It is cost-effective.
• It lays a foundation and structure for future research.
• It can help researchers find out the causes of the problem being studied, which can be elaborated on in future studies.
• It allows you to adapt the method of data collection as required by the research.

Now that we have listed the benefits, we can’t forget the limitations. It is important to learn about both before you jump into the research mode.

Limitation of Exploratory Research

Exploratory research is not without its limitations.

• The research findings are usually inconclusive.
• Some of the data collected can be biased or subjective as it is mostly qualitative in nature.
• Since exploratory research has a smaller sample size, there is hesitancy in generalizing the findings to the whole population.
• If data is collected through secondary sources, there is a chance that the data will be old or outdated.

Wrapping up;

Exploratory research helps you form the foundation of your research project. It lays down the groundwork for a research question you can explore in the future. Exploratory research design is best used when you need insights into a problem or phenomenon before you begin to conduct further research.

‍Field research is a qualitative research method used to observe and analyze subjects in their natural environment. Rather than relying on controlled experiments or lab settings, field research aims to capture real-world behavior, context, and interactions — helping researchers understand how people or organizations function in everyday settings.

Whether you're studying individuals, groups, or social dynamics, field research allows for direct, in-context observations that provide deep and nuanced insights.

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Why Conduct Field Research?

Field research helps uncover information that’s difficult — or impossible — to access through traditional methods like surveys or experiments. It allows researchers to:

• Study behavior as it naturally occurs
  
  
• Understand the social or cultural context influencing that behavior
  
  
• Explore new areas of inquiry when existing data is limited or unavailable
  
  

It’s especially useful when:

• The subject matter is complex or sensitive
  
  
• The setting plays a key role in influencing behavior
  
  
• Researchers need rich, exploratory insights rather than large-scale validation
  
  

With the right tools — like field service management software or offline survey apps — field research can be more streamlined, organized, and scalable.

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Common Methods of Field Research

There are five widely used methods in field research. Each offers a different way to collect and interpret data based on your goals.

1. Qualitative Interviews

This involves one-on-one conversations with participants, using open-ended questions that encourage them to share their thoughts in their own words.
Best for understanding perspectives, motivations, and personal experiences.

2. Direct Observation

Researchers observe subjects in their natural environment without interacting with them or influencing the setting.
Best for capturing real-time behavior with minimal interference.

3. Participant Observation

Here, the researcher becomes part of the environment — participating in the activities being studied while observing them from within.
Best for immersive studies where trust and insider perspectives matter.

4. Ethnography

Ethnographic research is an in-depth exploration of a group or culture, focusing on how individuals interact within their social setting. It often involves extended observation over time.
Best for understanding social norms, community dynamics, and cultural influences.

5. Case Studies

A case study involves a deep dive into a particular event, individual, group, or organization in its real-life context.
Best for exploring complex phenomena in detail, especially when generalization isn't the goal.

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Advantages of Field Research

• High External Validity: Since data is collected in natural environments, results are often more generalizable to real-world situations.
• Rich, Contextual Data: Field research produces detailed, in-depth data that goes beyond what can be gathered through structured surveys.
• Social Context and Discovery: It reveals unspoken social dynamics or behaviors that participants may not consciously recognize or report.
• Empirical Grounding for Hypotheses: It offers real-world grounding to test early hypotheses or shape future research studies.

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Disadvantages of Field Research

• Time-Intensive: Field research often takes longer to plan, execute, and analyze compared to other methods.
• Costly: Travel, staffing, equipment, and logistics can make it significantly more expensive than in-lab research or surveys.
• Risk of Researcher Bias: Immersive methods like participant observation can make it difficult for researchers to remain objective.
• Limited Sample Sizes: Field studies typically involve smaller samples, making statistical generalization more difficult.

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Field Research vs Other Qualitative Methods

While interviews and surveys are often conducted in controlled or remote settings, field research stands out by placing the researcher directly within the subject’s environment. It’s not just about collecting opinions — it’s about observing behavior, routines, and social dynamics as they unfold.

Field research complements other methods by offering context, nuance, and firsthand understanding.

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Final Thoughts

Field research is one of the most powerful tools for capturing how people behave and interact in real-world settings. It offers insight that goes far beyond what can be measured in a lab or captured in a survey. But it also requires more time, resources, and planning than other methods.

By choosing the right field research method and using modern tools to support your work, you can gain a deeper understanding of your audience, community, or social environment — and apply those insights to make more informed, impactful decisions.

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What Is CATI Software?

CATI (Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing) software is a tool used to conduct phone surveys efficiently by guiding interviewers through a structured questionnaire on a computer or mobile device. The software enables interviewers to record responses in real-time, capture open-ended feedback, and ensure consistency in survey administration.

Modern CATI systems streamline survey execution by automating question sequencing, enforcing skip logic, and providing interviewers with on-screen prompts. These platforms also integrate with telephony systems for seamless dialing, call recording, and real-time monitoring, helping organizations improve data quality and response rates.

By eliminating the need for manual data entry and question navigation, CATI software allows interviewers to focus on engaging respondents and capturing accurate insights.

The Importance of Choosing the Right CATI Software

Selecting the right CATI software is crucial for ensuring high-quality data collection, efficiency, and scalability in phone survey research. With various solutions available, it’s essential to consider the specific needs of your organization, whether you’re conducting market research, customer feedback surveys, or public opinion polls.

When evaluating CATI software, here are the key factors to consider:

• Ease of Use & Scalability – The software should offer an intuitive interface for interviewers and the ability to handle both small and large-scale projects.
• Automation & Productivity Tools – Features like auto-dialing, call scheduling, and workflow automation improve efficiency and reduce manual effort.
• Data Security & Compliance – Look for encryption, access controls, and TCPA compliance to protect respondent data.
• Integration Capabilities – The best CATI software should work seamlessly with IVR, CRM, and online survey tools to create an omnichannel research strategy.
• Real-Time Monitoring & Supervision – Live call tracking, whisper/barge-in functionalities, and interview statistics help maintain quality and adherence to survey protocols.

Choosing the right CATI platform ensures seamless data collection, improved interviewer performance, and accurate insights, making it easier to make data-driven decisions.

Top CATI Software in 2025: Compare the Best Solutions

Here we have compiled 15 CATI software to help you evaluate the software available in the market.

• Voxco 
• Forsta
• IdSurvey
• Askia
• NIPO
• Survox Inc
• Rotator Survey
• Nebu
• MRDC
• The Survey System
• GreatBlue Research
• Sawtooth Technologies
• Issues & Answers
• Marketing Systems Group (MSG)
• Precision Opinion

1. Voxco CATI Survey Software

Voxco CATI is a leading solution for large-scale phone survey data collection, trusted by research centers worldwide. Designed for high-performance and reliability, it can seamlessly integrate with IVR and auto-dialer software to boost productivity.

Voxco CATI also connects seamlessly with Voxco Online and Survey Analytics, allowing organizations to manage online, offline, and phone surveys from a single unified platform. Available in both on-premise and cloud-based deployments, it ensures easy access for remote teams and distributed call centers.

Powerful Telephony Features:

• Call Management – Streamline survey calls with automated controls.
• Click-to-Dial – Reduce manual dialing errors and increase efficiency.
• Automated Workflows – Improve interviewer productivity with pre-set call flows.
• Whisper & Barge-In – Enable real-time coaching and supervision.
• 4-in-1 Dialers – Choose from Power, Predictive, Preview, and Hybrid dialing modes.
• Skill-Based Call Routing – Match respondents with the best-suited interviewers.
• Real-Time Interview Monitoring – Track interviewer performance with live statistics.
• Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) – Optimize inbound and outbound call handling.
• Inbound & Outbound Calls – Conduct flexible, multi-channel phone surveys.

Built for compliance, Voxco TCPA Connect ensures manual dialing for survey call centers across the U.S., helping organizations adhere to TCPA regulations.

With its scalable, centralized approach, Voxco CATI empowers organizations to run high-quality phone surveys efficiently—whether for market research, social research, or customer insights.

2. Forsta

Forsta (formerly Confirmit) is a powerful CATI software solution designed to help organizations conduct large-scale telephone surveys with efficiency and precision. It offers a comprehensive survey platform that supports multi-mode research, allowing users to combine CATI with online and face-to-face methodologies.

Key Features:

• Advanced Sample Management – Optimize respondent targeting and quota control.
• Integrated Dialing Modes – Supports predictive, power, and manual dialing.
• Real-Time Interview Monitoring – Track interviewer performance and ensure quality control.
• Multi-Language Support – Conduct global research with built-in localization tools.
• Seamless CRM Integration – Sync survey data with business intelligence platforms.

Forsta is widely used by market research firms and enterprises looking to collect high-quality, structured telephone survey data while maintaining compliance with industry regulations.

3. IdSurvey

IdSurvey is a web-based CATI platform that allows organizations to conduct telephone interviews directly from a browser. Designed for flexibility and ease of use, it’s a great choice for call centers, research agencies, and institutions managing remote interviewers.

Key Features:

• Browser-Based CATI – No software installation required, works on any device.
• Predictive Dialer – Automates call handling to maximize interviewer efficiency.
• Quota & Sample Management – Easily set and track respondent quotas.
• Call Recording & Monitoring – Ensure high-quality data collection.
• Multi-Mode Compatibility – Conduct online, offline, and telephone surveys in one system.

IdSurvey’s cloud-based approach makes it an excellent option for organizations looking to scale their CATI operations while ensuring seamless remote access and multi-language support.

4. Askia

Askia is a feature-rich CATI software that enables researchers to optimize call center performance with robust management tools and an intuitive interface. Its Askiavoice module is designed specifically for telephone interviewing, offering multi-mode capabilities for a seamless transition between phone, online, and in-person surveys.

Key Features:

• Advanced Call Routing – Skill-based routing to match respondents with the best interviewers.
• Flexible Dialing Modes – Includes preview, power, and predictive dialing options.
• Real-Time Supervision – Whisper, barge-in, and monitoring features for live coaching.
• Quota & Sample Management – Maintain data integrity with automated quota controls.
• Scalable Deployment – Supports both on-premise and cloud-based environments.

Askia is trusted by market research firms and survey call centers worldwide for its customizable and highly scalable CATI solutions.

5. NIPO

NIPO is a high-performance CATI software built for large-scale telephone surveys. It provides research agencies and call centers with a centralized, cloud-based solution to manage complex survey projects efficiently. NIPO is known for its automation, scalability, and integration capabilities, making it a top choice for global market research firms.

Key Features:

• Flexible Dialing Options – Supports predictive, power, and manual dialing.
• Cloud-Based & On-Premise Deployment – Choose the setup that fits your business needs.
• Automated Interview Scheduling – Optimize calling times for higher response rates.
• Multi-Mode Survey Capabilities – Seamless integration with online and face-to-face surveys.
• Quota & Sample Management – Ensure targeted data collection with automated quotas.

NIPO’s reliable infrastructure and automation tools make it an excellent choice for organizations looking to streamline their CATI operations and enhance survey accuracy.

6. Survox Inc

Survox Inc provides enterprise-level CATI software designed for high-volume call centers. It specializes in survey automation, improving interviewer productivity, and enhancing response rates through real-time call management.

Key Features:

• Predictive & Preview Dialing – Increase efficiency and reduce interviewer downtime.
• Real-Time Sample & Quota Management – Adjust survey quotas dynamically.
• Multi-Language Support – Conduct interviews globally with built-in translation tools.
• AI-Powered Call Routing – Automatically connect the right interviewers to respondents.
• Live Call Monitoring & Coaching – Ensure quality and compliance with whisper/barge-in features.

Survox is a great fit for market research agencies, customer experience teams, and government surveys, offering a powerful and flexible platform for scalable telephone interviewing.

7. Rotator Survey

Rotator Survey is a cost-effective CATI software designed to simplify telephone survey execution. It is widely used by academic researchers, social research firms, and small-to-medium-sized call centers due to its user-friendly interface and affordability.

Key Features:

• Intuitive Interface – Minimal learning curve for interviewers.
• Multi-Mode Data Collection – Conduct online, offline, and phone surveys in one system.
• Customizable Call Scripts – Adjust surveys in real-time for dynamic research.
• Real-Time Interviewer Statistics – Monitor performance and response rates.
• Automated Data Export – Easy integration with analytics and reporting tools.

Rotator Survey is ideal for organizations that need a budget-friendly yet efficient CATI solution, offering strong customization and monitoring capabilities.

8. Nebu

Nebu offers a versatile CATI platform designed to support remote and in-house call centers. With its web-based interface, it enables researchers to conduct surveys from any location, making it a great fit for decentralized research teams.

Key Features:

• Cloud-Based CATI System – No installation required; accessible from any device.
• Advanced Call Management – Includes automated callbacks, appointment scheduling, and quota control.
• Seamless Multi-Mode Integration – Connects with online and mobile survey platforms.
• Speech-to-Text Capabilities – Transcribe open-ended responses for deeper analysis.
• AI-Driven Sample Management – Optimize respondent targeting and engagement.

Nebu is a highly scalable solution that helps global research firms, enterprises, and government agencies execute large-scale telephone surveys with precision and efficiency.

9. MRDC

MRDC provides flexible and user-friendly CATI solutions designed for market research agencies and corporate research teams. Its QPSMR CATI software is known for its cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and ability to handle complex survey logic with minimal technical expertise.

Key Features:

• Intuitive CATI Interface – Requires minimal training for interviewers.
• Automated Call Management – Efficiently handle outbound and inbound calls.
• Multi-Mode Support – Conduct phone, web, and face-to-face interviews.
• Advanced Survey Logic & Routing – Customize surveys with skip patterns and conditional logic.
• Data Export & Analysis – Seamless integration with reporting and analytics tools.

MRDC is a great choice for smaller research firms and organizations that need a cost-effective, scalable CATI solution.

10. The Survey System

The Survey System is a comprehensive CATI solution that supports multi-channel survey deployment across phone, online, and mobile research methods. It is widely used by government agencies, businesses, and universities for structured data collection.

Key Features:

• VoIP & Auto-Dialer Integration – Reduce call handling time and improve efficiency.
• Click-to-Dial Functionality – Increase interviewer productivity.
• Customizable Call Scripts – Tailor survey scripts for specific research needs.
• Real-Time Data Collection – Ensure accuracy and reduce post-survey processing.
• Detailed Performance Reports – Monitor interviewers and response rates dynamically.

The Survey System is ideal for researchers who need a versatile, all-in-one CATI software with strong automation and customization options.

11. GreatBlue Research

GreatBlue Research is not just a CATI software provider but a full-service research firm that specializes in customized telephone survey execution. It leverages advanced CATI technology to conduct accurate and compliant phone interviews for clients in government, healthcare, utilities, and business sectors.

Key Features:

• Dedicated Call Center with CATI Integration – In-house interviewers ensure quality responses.
• Multi-Language Support – Conduct research in diverse linguistic markets.
• 100% TCPA Compliance – Adheres to strict U.S. dialing regulations.
• Live Interview Monitoring – Maintain quality control with real-time supervision.
• Advanced Data Analysis & Reporting – Get actionable insights from collected responses.

GreatBlue Research is an ideal choice for organizations that need a hands-on, full-service research team rather than a standalone software platform.

12. Sawtooth Technologies

Sawtooth Technologies provides WinCATI, a feature-rich CATI system designed for large-scale market research and academic surveys. It is widely used in healthcare, social sciences, and customer satisfaction studies due to its customizable and scalable approach.

Key Features:

• Multi-Mode Interviewing – Supports CATI, online, and mobile surveys.
• LAN & Cloud-Based Deployment – Work on-premise or remotely.
• VoIP Integration – Reduce operational costs and improve call quality.
• Call Scheduling & Auto-Callbacks – Increase response rates with follow-ups.
• Custom Reporting & Analytics – Gain in-depth insights from collected data.

Sawtooth Technologies is best suited for organizations that need a powerful and highly customizable CATI platform with advanced sampling and reporting tools.

13. Issues & Answers

Issues & Answers is a full-service research firm that specializes in telephone surveys using advanced CATI technology. With decades of experience, the company offers custom research solutions for government, healthcare, and corporate clients.

Key Features:

• In-House CATI Call Center – Ensures high-quality, professionally managed interviews.
• Multi-Language Interviewing – Reach diverse respondent groups.
• Automated Sample & Quota Management – Improve survey efficiency.
• TCPA-Compliant Manual Dialing – Ensures adherence to U.S. regulations.
• Live Call Monitoring & Quality Control – Supervisors can listen, barge-in, or provide coaching.

Issues & Answers is an ideal partner for organizations that need end-to-end CATI survey execution, offering a full research team alongside powerful CATI capabilities.

14. Marketing Systems Group (MSG)

Marketing Systems Group (MSG) offers PRO-T-S CATI software, a robust and scalable solution designed for high-volume survey research. It integrates seamlessly with multiple survey platforms, making it a preferred choice for market research firms and polling organizations.

Key Features:

• PRO-T-S Dialing Integration – Supports predictive, power, and manual dialing.
• Sample & Quota Management – Real-time tracking of survey progress.
• Multi-Mode Interviewing – Combine CATI with online and mobile surveys.
• Silent Monitoring & Call Coaching – Improve interviewer performance.
• Automated Call Disposition – Streamlines call handling and response tracking.

MSG’s CATI solution is ideal for organizations conducting large-scale telephone research, offering powerful automation tools and multi-mode flexibility.

15. Precision Opinion

Precision Opinion is a leading research firm and technology provider specializing in high-volume CATI surveys. With a state-of-the-art call center and AI-powered survey management, it is used for political polling, market research, and social research.

Key Features:

• AI-Powered CATI Management – Optimizes call efficiency and data accuracy.
• Multi-Mode Data Collection – Integrates CATI, SMS, and online surveys.
• TCPA-Compliant Manual Dialing – Ensures legal compliance for U.S. call centers.
• Real-Time Analytics Dashboard – Monitor interviewer performance and survey progress.
• Large-Scale Call Center Capabilities – Supports thousands of calls daily.

Precision Opinion is a great fit for organizations that need a high-capacity CATI solution with AI-driven optimizations and real-time monitoring tools.

Selecting the Best CATI Survey Software for Your Needs

The best CATI solution is one that enables you to engage respondents effectively and collect high-quality data with ease. With a wide range of options available, it’s essential to consider factors such as usability, scalability, compliance, integration capabilities, and cost-effectiveness when making your decision.

Ultimately, the right phone survey software should align with your research objectives and organizational needs. Voxco CATI provides a powerful, flexible, and scalable solution for both small and large-scale research projects, ensuring seamless data collection, enhanced survey accuracy, and actionable insights to drive informed decision-making.