Product Mastery Now for Product Managers, Leaders, and Innovators 566: Competitive advantage by understanding customers using VOC and AI – with John Mitchell
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Nov 17, 2025 John Mitchell, President of Applied Marketing Science and a veteran in customer insight, discusses how AI is reshaping Voice of the Customer (VOC) research. He emphasizes the need for better question design and storytelling to truly understand customer needs. Mitchell highlights common pitfalls in VOC practices, such as only consulting top customers. He also explores AI's capabilities to uncover emotional insights and suggests hybrid approaches combining human and machine analysis. Real-world examples illustrate the balance of technology and insight.
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VOC Has Evolved Into A Data-Driven Practice
- Voice of the Customer (VOC) evolved from interviews to include observational data, reviews, and AI-enabled analysis.
- AI expands the aperture and extracts more value from existing customer data faster and cheaper.
Plan VOC With Engineering-Level Rigor
- Plan VOC with the same rigor as engineering problems to avoid superficial outcomes.
- Define who to talk to, which questions to ask, and how to process the data before you start.
Talk To Non-Customers, Not Just Your A-List
- Avoid only interviewing your biggest or friendliest customers; they confirm what you already do well.
- Seek non-customers or low-volume customers to discover unmet needs and growth opportunities.