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Editorial

Mastering the Needs of Digital Nomads With a Voice of the Customer Strategy

4 minute read
Brittany Hodak avatar
By
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Digital nomads want flexibility and tailored experiences. Learn how real-time voice of the customer strategies can help your brand meet their evolving needs.

The Gist

  • Capture feedback effortlessly. Use mobile-friendly surveys and AI-powered chat to gather real-time feedback from digital nomads on their preferred platforms.
  • Tailor unique experiences. Analyze customer insights to create personalized travel packages and tech solutions that cater to the specific needs of digital nomads.
  • Proactive problem solving. Address feedback promptly to enhance service quality and build loyalty among your digital nomad clientele.

If your company is serving digital nomads, you're dealing with a customer base that moves fast and expects flexibility. From providing reliable Wi-Fi in the middle of nowhere to crafting custom travel packages, staying relevant means keeping pace with their ever-evolving needs.

Here’s why it matters: The global digital nomad population just hit 17.3 million in 2023, a 58% jump since 2020. With growth like that, you can bet the competition is listening carefully to what these nomads want. If you aren’t using real-time voice of the customer (VoC) strategies to keep up, you could be missing out.

By capturing and acting on live feedback, you'll not only meet nomads’ needs faster, but you’ll also be the go-to brand in a market that rewards flexibility and innovation. By being the brand that listens and acts when it counts, you can stay ahead of the competition.

What Exactly Is a Digital Nomad?

Before diving into voice of the customer strategies to support digital nomads, let’s first explore who digital nomads are and how they came to be. A digital nomad is defined as “a person who earns a living working online in various locations of their choosing, rather than a fixed business location.” The rise of digital nomads has been driven by several cultural and economic shifts, with their popularity skyrocketing due to changing tides during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic marked a turning point in how people work and live. Remote work became the norm, and as companies realized the benefits of a distributed workforce, the traditional 9-to-5 job structure began to unravel. The rise of remote work has allowed individuals to reimagine how and where they work, opening the door to a lifestyle that prioritizes freedom and flexibility over a traditional office setting.

Adding to this trend, inflation and rising living costs have made long-term commitments like mortgages less attractive to younger generations. Many people are opting out of the fixed-location lifestyle, seeking more affordable and adventurous living situations abroad. This economic reality, paired with a growing dissatisfaction with rigid job structures, has led to a surge in digital nomadism.

Digital nomads prioritize flexibility, travel and the ability to immerse themselves in new cultures. They are often tech-savvy and entrepreneurial, using the internet to build businesses, freelance or work for companies that offer remote positions.

Related Article: 10 Voice of the Customer Tools to Maximize Customer Experience

How to Leverage Voice of the Customer to Serve Digital Nomads

With the changing needs of digital nomads, real-time voice of the customer tools give you the chance to understand what your customers need in the moment and turn those insights into action.

Here are three ways you can start leveraging voice of the customer strategies to keep up with your digital nomad customers:

Capture Feedback Wherever They Are

Digital nomads aren’t hanging out in one spot for long, so neither should your customer feedback tools. To keep pace, you need to meet them on platforms they already use daily. Start by embedding mobile-friendly surveys directly into your apps or websites; this lets users provide feedback without disrupting their workflow. Integrate live chat support powered by AI to offer real-time assistance and gather insights while resolving issues.

Social media monitoring is another key tool; use social listening tools to track conversations about your brand and industry in real time, so you can identify trends and address concerns as they arise.

Additionally, consider push notifications that prompt quick feedback after a service interaction or experience. By making these interactions effortless and available across platforms, you’ll not only capture valuable feedback but also show your customers that their voice matters wherever they are.

Turn Feedback Into Tailored Experiences

Let’s be honest: Digital nomads expect more than just cookie-cutter services. They want experiences that feel like they’re built just for them. By analyzing the feedback they provide in real time, you can identify trends and preferences that allow you to personalize your offerings.

For travel companies, this might mean using real-time feedback to craft custom itineraries that match a traveler’s favorite types of destinations or activities. Maybe they prefer eco-friendly stays or cities known for coworking communities. You can build travel options around these preferences, offering seamless, personalized experiences.

Tech companies can go a step further by analyzing how users interact with their platforms and using this customer data to adjust features or offer personalized app updates. The possibilities for delivering custom services to your on-the-go customers are endless.

Troubleshoot and Anticipate Their Needs

Collecting feedback is great, but if you’re not using it to solve problems, you’re missing the point. Digital nomads want to see that you’re listening — and fast. If multiple customers mention slow Wi-Fi, fix it and let them know. If your app’s not user-friendly, tweak it and share the update. Whatever the issue, make sure they feel heard and valued. When customers know their feedback leads to real improvements, you not only earn their trust but their loyalty too.

Companies like Xchange of America have taken these insights to heart. According to MJ Vogel, their marketing director, they constantly monitor customer reviews on Trustpilot. “We often have customers who travel to several countries during a single trip, whether for fun, a college gap year or working remotely abroad. Consistently reading real-time written feedback from customers is essential to understanding their needs and identifying any challenges they experience to prevent future digital nomads and world travelers from experiencing delay or inaccuracies with their orders.”

By paying close attention to real-time feedback, Xchange of America can make sure its express services are timely, allowing nomads to receive their destination-specific currency before they embark on their journeys.

Learning Opportunities

Related Article: 5 AI Trends in Voice of the Customer Practices

Turning Insights Into Better Customer Experiences

At the end of the day, digital nomads are all about freedom and flexibility — two things that can make or break their experience with your service. Whether they’re hopping between countries or coworking spaces, one thing remains constant: They expect you to keep up.

By actively listening and acting on real-time feedback through your voice of the customer strategy, you’ll not only meet nomads’ ever-changing needs, but you’ll also build loyalty in a community that values efficiency and personalized customer experience. 

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About the Author
Brittany Hodak

Brittany Hodak is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and customer experience speaker who has delivered keynotes across the globe to organizations including American Express and the United Nations. She has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands and entertainers, including Walmart, Disney, Katy Perry, and Dolly Parton. Connect with Brittany Hodak:

Main image: pio3 on Adobe Stock
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