Voice of customer: the 3 pivotal trends for 2026

The Voice of Customer (VoC) has long been used to measure certain KPIs: a quarterly NPS score, some satisfaction surveys, and maybe a few dashboards that head office teams analyse. 

However, 2026 signals a significant shift in this marketing concept. The VoC is everywhere: in public reviews, satisfaction surveys, or even in-store interactions. These signals are numerous, dotted all over the place, and sometimes hard to interpret.

At Partoo, we’re used to tracking interactions between companies and customers on a daily basis through millions of locally collected reviews, responses, and feedback. And we’ve noted three emerging trends that are redefining how companies should structure their VoC strategy. Here’s all you need to know!

1. E-reputation, the new fuel powering AI search engines

For a long time now, online reviews have been used to reassure consumers. Today, however, their role has taken on a new scope.

They now directly influence three key areas:

• local visibility on search engines, given that reviews account for 27% of local SEO;
• converting prospects into customers;
• and increasingly to help AI understand brands better.

Review platforms, ratings, and comments left by customers create “reputation signals”: in other words, trusted public signals that influence both users and LLM algorithms.

Did you know?

The use of ChatGPT and other GenAI tools for local recommendations has increased from 6% to 45% in one year! (Source: Brightlocal)

The use of ChatGPT and other GenAI tools for local recommendations has increased from 6% to 45% in one year! (Source: Brightlocal)

This upshift has been accelerated by the rise of conversational search engines and AI assistants in local business searches. For example, when users ask,“Who is the best optician near me?” the responses generated are largely based on available public data: reviews, ratings, number of comments and overall brand perception.

So, a company’s reputation no longer just shapes customers’ opinion; it also influences what AI understands and recommends about it.

Locally managing the VoC is more critical than ever

Local reputation management is more important than ever for companies with a network of outlets. Brand perception goes beyond a national level: it’s created by the experience delivered in every outlet!

Local reputation management is more important than ever for companies with a network of outlets. Brand perception goes beyond a national level: it’s created by the experience delivered in every outlet!

2. Customer reviews and feedback: the inseparable customer experience duo

Nowadays, most companies rely on two main sources to gain customer insights.

• Firstly, there are public reviews left spontaneously on platforms like Google or other review sites.
• The second is feedback sent directly to the company, which can’t be seen by other online users. This feedback is collected via forms and lets a company analyse various metrics such as the NPS score or the CSAT in order to measure customer satisfaction, identify pain points, and track the evolution of the customer relationship over time.

For a long time, these two sources were treated separately: CX teams analysed satisfaction surveys, while marketing or local teams managed online reviews.

And yet they both deal with the same reality: the experiences customers have… and those customers now want to have their say!

The difference lies mainly in their function: public reviews shape the external perception of the brand and directly influence future customers’ decisions, while feedback provides an in-depth understanding of pain points and improves the operational side of things.

So, while they serve different purposes, these two aspects work in tandem. For example, a problem identified by an in-house survey may also appear in customer reviews. It will then reach the public if it hasn’t been dealt with or has merely been logged by your teams.

Companies that stay ahead of this game are now combining these data sources to get a commanding view of the customer experience.

Reviews vs feedback: a comparison

3. Collect, analyse, act: the virtuous loop at the core of the VoC

Another major change is how companies use their VoC data.

For a long time, the main idea was to measure satisfaction: monitor the evolution of an NPS, analyse response rates, or produce periodic reports.

But the most successful organisations have gradually realised that scores alone don’t cut it.

The VoC’s real value lies in what is called a “continuous improvement loop”:

1. Collect customer signals across different channels;
2. Centralise reviews for a single comprehensive overview;
3. Quickly provide personalised responses using AI;
4. Analyse feedback using AI to do a semantic analysis;
5. Take decisive action and then start the cycle again!

Without this loop, VoC data often remains untapped. It becomes a simple reporting tool rather than one that companies can exploit.

For networks with outlets, this approach connects insights and actions more closely to day-to-day operations. Local teams are the ones on the customer experience front line every day, so giving them access to feedback and allowing them to act swiftly is key to improvement!

In brief, the VoC is undergoing a radical change

The VoC is no longer just a tool for measuring satisfaction. It’s now a strategic mechanism that transforms customer signals into operational decisions.

This transformation leans on three pillars:

• e-reputation, now a strategic asset amplified by AI;
• the convergence between feedback and public reviews, which describe the same reality;
• and the importance of a continuous improvement loop, which turns data into action.

For companies with numerous outlets, the goal is to manage these signals at scale, while allowing local teams to act quickly.

And by doing so, the VoC stops being a simple metric, but becomes a valuable catalyst for improvement and growth!