Webinar Takeaways from Haier: Using VoC Insights to Fuel Product Innovation

I had the privilege of hosting a recent webinar, Zero Distance to Consumers, with Francesco Bellomo, Media & CMI Senior Manager at Haier, a global leader in home appliances. I discussed with him on how Haier successfully implemented a robust Voice of Customer (VoC) program. Their journey offers invaluable insights into how large organizations across any industry can harness AI and customer feedback to drive product innovation and enhance customer experience.

Below are the key takeaways, powerful quotes, and actionable insights from this engaging session.

Haier on VoC: Key Learnings from the Zero Distance to Consumers Webinar

VoC is a Strategic Asset, Not Just a Data Collection Tool

‍Haier has progressively enhanced its VoC program since 2017, evolving from basic NPS feedback analysis to a multi-channel, AI-powered approach that covers the entire consumer journey across 10 markets and 50 retail channels in Europe. Haier’s transition from simple NPS surveys to sophisticated, AI-driven analysis of unstructured data like customer reviews on retail platforms highlights the importance of treating VoC as a core component of strategic decision-making.

AI Drives Deep Insights Across All Customer Touchpoints

By integrating unsolicited data such as online reviews from platforms like Amazon and MediaMarkt, Haier transitioned from a metrics-focused approach to understanding nuanced, unstructured feedback. Haier’s adoption of Wonderflow’s AI technology has enabled them to analyze vast volumes of customer feedback across multiple channels, including website usability, product experience, customer service interactions, and app reviews.

In turn, this gave them a 360-degree view of the customer journey. This approach is not just about reacting to customer feedback but anticipating future needs and trends.‍

Organizational Buy-In is Crucial for VoC Success

‍One of the standout points was Francesco’s emphasis on organizational readiness and leadership buy-in. Without top-level support, scaling a VoC program becomes a challenge. This support ensures that insights are integrated across all departments, from R&D to marketing.‍

Data Alone Isn’t Enough; Action is Key

‍While data collection and analysis are critical, Francesco highlighted that the real success lies in how businesses use this data to inform decisions, improve products, and innovate continuously. Francesco emphasized the importance of organizational readiness, top-level sponsorship, and the right combination of technology and talent in successfully implementing a VoC program.

The Future of VoC: Expanding Scope and Deepening Insights

‍Haier’s VoC program is poised for continuous growth, focusing on expanding product categories, markets, and refining customer service touchpoints. Their ambition is to ensure that every step of the customer journey is mapped, analyzed, and acted upon.

5 Meaningful Webinar Quotes & Takeaways

“Zero Distance to Consumer isn’t just a catchy title; it's a mantra within Haier... keeping consumers at the center of every decision we make.”

Francesco highlights Haier’s customer-centric approach, where the company strives to maintain a close relationship with consumers through every decision-making process.

“The Voice of Customer program is a natural outcome of a clear and deliberate vision that the company has.

‍A successful VoC program starts with a clear vision from leadership. Haier’s strategy of embedding customer feedback into every decision highlights the need for a company-wide commitment to being truly customer-centric.

“We turned to AI to help us analyze the thousands of reviews we receive across various languages and markets. Manually analyzing this data would be impossible.”

Haier demonstrates how AI-powered platforms, like Wonderflow, allow businesses to manage and derive actionable insights from vast amounts of unstructured data—something traditional methods simply cannot handle efficiently.

“Success comes from a perfect combination of technology and internal talent. You need the right tools and dedicated champions within the organization to make it work.”

While technology enables data analysis, the real success of a VoC program lies in empowering teams to leverage insights effectively. Haier’s blend of technology and talent ensures that insights are applied to every aspect of their business.

“Without top-level sponsorship, it’s challenging to drive change effectively... that support is essential to encourage other functions and departments to be receptive and collaborative.”

Francesco stresses the importance of executive-level commitment for successfully scaling and integrating VoC insights across different functions.

Why This Matters for You

As a company aiming to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced market, you need to continuously evolve your customer feedback strategy. Haier’s success is a prime example of how combining AI-driven insights with a customer-centric approach leads to innovation and improved customer experiences.

If you're ready to take your VoC program to the next level, don’t miss the opportunity to download the full webinar recording to learn more about Haier’s journey and discover how Wonderflow’s generative AI technology can help you gain deep insights from your customer feedback.

Additionally, we invite you to schedule a demo with Wonderflow to see firsthand how our AI-powered platform can transform your customer insights into actionable business outcomes. By integrating customer feedback at every level of your organization, just as Haier has done, you’ll be poised to make better, data-driven decisions that enhance your products, services, and customer experience.