Voice of the customer (VoC), as the name implies, means customers directly offer feedback based on an experience or an interaction. This experience or interaction is between the customer and a company at various touchpoints. With the use of AI-powered audio surveys, it collects VoC feedback is now faster, personalised and in-moment.  

What are AI-Powered Audio Surveys? 

Audio surveys collect customer feedback in the form of audio. The questions are read aloud and customers share responses using the in-built phone mic. This entire process is AI-powered, automated and called AI-powered audio surveys. 

It leverages voice recognition technology to capture spoken responses. This process of collecting real time feedback is more convenient for users, especially where typing is impractical or time-consuming.

Why Do We Need AI-Powered Audio Surveys?

Traditional surveys lead to survey fatigue. The response rate is poor compared to an interactive and dynamic platform. Typing excessive responses can lead to survey drop out rate. All you get is a superficial feedback that barely scratches the surface. The effort and fatigue associated with surveys bring vague data. This fails to provide clear insights that businesses need.

4 ways AI-powered audio surveys solve this 

AI-powered audio surveys allow respondents to speak their answers instead of typing them. By combining open-ended questions with voice input and AI-driven analysis, these surveys offer several key advantages: 

1. Richer, more detailed responses:
   Speaking is a more natural and intuitive form of communication. Respondents are more likely to share nuanced, expressive, and in-depth responses. Get deeper insights into their thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
2. Intentional and higher engagement and participation:
   Audio surveys reduce the friction of response. Without the burden of typing, the process becomes quicker and more engaging. People are more likely to participate looking at the intriguing features of an AI-driven audio survey powered by Merren.
3. Emotional and tonal analysis:
   Unlike text responses, audio captures tone, pace, and other vocal cues. AI can analyze these elements to reveal emotional undertones. Get a more comprehensive understanding of customer sentiment.
4. Wider accessibility for customers:
   AI-powered audio surveys are more inclusive, particularly for individuals who may struggle with typing—such as people with disabilities, lower literacy levels, or non-native language speakers. This results in more diverse and representative feedback.

How Do AI-Powered Audio Surveys Work?

1. The technology of AI-driven audio surveys

AI-driven audio surveys leverage advanced voice recognition technology to transcribe spoken responses into text. This technology can accurately capture speech, even in different accents and languages. The feedback is reliable and representative of the respondent’s true intentions.

2. Integration with survey channels

Merren CX can seamlessly integrate AI-powered audio surveys into touchpoints to collect in-moment data. Businesses can design and distribute automated audio surveys through various survey channels. This includes mobile apps, web platforms, and social media. As a result, you collect fresh, contextual and real time customer feedback.

3. Analyzing voice responses

Once responses are collected, there are a few analysis techniques that expedite the process from weeks to hours:

• Speech to text analysis will transcribe every response verbatim so that you get the entire conversation as a reference. 
• It will highlight key themes and segment it into word cloud analysis. Example: if users provide feedback on a product, they can mention key features related to security or AI features. These themes are segmented inside a word cloud to identify the most recurring and on-demand market requirement.  
• AI-powered audio surveys can apply sentiment analysis to interpret the emotional tone of responses. Advanced analytics can identify patterns within the data, turning raw feedback into actionable insights.

Create High-Impact AI-Powered Audio Surveys 

Design effective audio survey questions

Here are some best practices for creating effective survey questions:

1. Clear and concise questions: Avoid complex language and jargon that might confuse respondents. Design the questions in a manner that they are easy to understand. 
2. Logical flow: Organize questions in a logical sequence that guides respondents naturally through the survey. A well-structured flow keeps respondents engaged. This reduces the likelihood of confusion or dropout.
3. Encourage detailed responses: Frame questions in a way that encourages respondents to elaborate on their answers. Prompts like “Describe,” “Explain,” and “Tell me about” can help elicit detailed responses.
4. Test and refine: Conduct pilot tests with a small, representative sample to refine questions and identify any issues. Use feedback from these tests to improve the clarity and effectiveness of your AI audio surveys.

Merren removes the task of creating survey questions with a discussion guide. This discussion guide creates questions automatically based on AI prompts. You can edit questions as per your target customers. This reduces time from the survey creation process by 50%. Read more here.  

Run surveys via multiple survey channels

Consider the following distribution methods:

1. Messenger apps: Integrate audio surveys with WhatsApp and messenger for higher response. These apps are popularly used among your target audience.
2. Web platforms: Embed AI-powered audio surveys on your website to capture feedback from visitors in real-time.
3. Social media: Use social media platforms to share audio surveys and engage with your audience where they are most active.
4. Email campaigns: Include links to audio surveys in your email campaigns to reach your customers.

How to Analyze Data from Audio Surveys

1. Qualitative analysis techniques

Analyzing the data from AI-driven audio surveys requires a combination of traditional qualitative analysis techniques and advanced technological tools. Here are some methods:

• Thematic Analysis: Identify patterns and themes within the transcribed responses. This involves coding the data to highlight significant themes and relationships. Get a structured way to interpret the feedback.
• Content Analysis: Categorize the content systematically to understand the frequency of themes and concepts. This can involve both quantitative and qualitative elements, such as counting the frequency of certain themes or analyzing the sentiment of responses.
• Narrative Analysis: Examine how respondents construct their narratives to understand their stories and experiences. This involves looking at the structure of their responses and the meanings they assign to their experiences.

2. Sentiment analysis

Sentiment analysis tools can automatically detect the emotional tone of audio responses. These tools analyze the language used by respondents to identify positive, negative, or neutral sentiments.

3. Reporting and visualizing data

Present the data in a clear and actionable manner. Use visual aids like charts, graphs, and word clouds to represent the data visually. An executive summary can highlight the key insights and their implications for your business. This can help stakeholders work according to the important findings.

Case Studies: Success Stories with AI-powered audio surveys

Case study: Retailer uses audio responses to improve CX

A leading retail company in Mumbai implemented Merren’s AI-powered audio surveys to capture customer feedback on their in-store experiences. Customers shared verbal responses and the company received more detailed and expressive feedback. The tone-based analysis revealed underlying frustrations and positive experiences that were not apparent in text-based surveys. As a result, the company made targeted improvements to their customer service. This brought them better customer satisfaction scores and loyalty.

Case study: Therapist uses audio responses to improve sessions

A mental wellness counseller used AI-powered audio surveys to collect patient feedback on their tele-wellness services. The voice responses provided valuable insights into patients’ emotional experiences, such as feelings of anxiety or relief. By understanding these emotional cues, the provider could enhance their tele-wellness services to better address patient concerns.

Overcoming Challenges with AI-powered audio surveys

• Ensuring data privacy and security: Implement robust security measures, such as encryption and secure storage, to protect sensitive information. Clearly communicate your data privacy policies to build trust and encourage participation.
• Handling background noise and accents: Voice recognition technology can still struggle with background noise and diverse accents. Provide respondents with instructions on how to minimize background noise during their responses. Advanced voice recognition systems can also be trained to handle various accents.
• Managing data volume:  Utilize automated transcription and analysis tools to streamline and process large volumes of data. These tools can quickly convert voice responses into text and identify key themes and sentiments.

The Future of AI-powered audio surveys

As voice recognition technology improves, AI-powered audio surveys will become even more accurate and accessible making them even more effective.

1. Integration with AI and machine learning

The integration of AI-powered audio surveys with AI and machine learning will open new possibilities for real-time analysis and predictive insights. AI can analyze voice responses as they are collected and provide immediate feedback so businesses can act swiftly.

2. AI is more than a customer feedback tool

AI-powered audio surveys are not limited to customer feedback. They can be used in various contexts, such as employee engagement surveys, educational assessments, and market research. The versatility of AI-powered audio surveys makes them a valuable tool for any organization seeking to capture authentic insights.

Conclusion

Capture spoken responses with audio surveys and go beyond the limitations of traditional text-based surveys. Leverage this innovative technology to gain deeper insights, improve customer experiences. Want to get started on your very own AI-powered audio surveys with Merren? Sign up for a 14 day free trial here and gain access to all advanced features.