Over the past three months, I’ve written 44 blog posts.
Each one revisited a lesson from my book Listen or Die — but this time through the lens of AI.
When I wrote Listen or Die back in 2017, AI was on my radar when it came to VoC, but it felt “out there.”
Fast forward to today… and AI is everywhere.
AI isn’t just changing VoC — it’s transforming it.
It’s impacting how we collect feedback, how we analyze it, how we close the loop, and soon… how every VoC user interacts with their platform every single day.
What’s Changed (and What Hasn’t)
Writing these posts has made one thing incredibly clear to me:
The fundamentals of VoC haven’t changed.
The tools absolutely have.
The heart of VoC is still about:
→ Listening deeply to customers
→ Acting on their feedback
→ Improving their experience
→ Driving business results
That’s timeless.
But how we do those things today — and especially how we’ll do them tomorrow — looks very different.
AI is Impacting VoC in 3 Big Ways Right Now
- AI-Enhanced Open-Ended Feedback
AI is unlocking unstructured feedback like never before.
We used to read a few comments and call it qualitative insight.
Now? AI can analyze thousands of open-ends in seconds.
It can even ask follow-up questions based on what customers say — in real-time — creating richer, more human feedback loops.
This is happening right now — and it’s only getting better.
- AI-Powered Insights & Recommendations
AI is becoming your always-on VoC analyst.
Machine learning models are starting to:
- Spot patterns humans can’t see
- Surface systemic issues faster
- Recommend specific actions operators can take today to improve NPS, CSAT, and customer retention
Forget dashboards nobody looks at.
This is about serving up insights people want and can act on — instantly.
- AI Agents Inside VoC Platforms
This is the future.
Soon, every user of a VoC platform will have their own AI-powered research assistant.
Imagine logging in and having your VoC AI agent share:
“Good morning! Here’s what happened yesterday:
- NPS dropped 7 points in your Chicago region
- The top reason? Long wait times at check-in
- I recommend focusing on this issue today. I’ve also created a presentation deck summarizing the results for your afternoon meeting.”
This is where we’re headed.
AI agents will:
- Provide daily insights
- Answer user-specific CX questions
- Perform statistical analysis
- Create executive-ready presentations
- Tag root causes
- Identify systemic issues
- Help close the loop faster
- Be your VoC co-pilot every single day
This isn’t sci-fi. This is the near future.
But Let’s Be Clear — AI Isn’t Magic
There are real risks to manage in this new world:
- AI bots taking surveys (bad data in = bad data out)
- Hallucinations in AI-generated reporting
- Over-relying on AI without human judgment
- Privacy and security concerns with customer data
AI is powerful. But it still needs human oversight, wisdom, and empathy.
The best VoC programs will combine:
→ AI for scale
→ Humans for heart
Final Thought
Writing these 44 posts has been one of the most energizing projects of my career.
AI is reshaping VoC faster than I imagined.
But the mission is still the same:
→ Listen to customers.
→ Act on their feedback.
→ Make their experience better.
Now we just have smarter, faster, more powerful tools to help us get there.
Your Turn
What do you think?
Are you ready for AI-powered VoC?
Where are you seeing success?
Where are you experimenting?
Where are you stuck?
Let me know — I’d love to hear your story.
