Mindset Phase

The First Step to Being Customer Centric

Even in an increasingly automated society the people of any business are by far the most important factors.

PEOPLE not technology, are the most important pieces of any organization especially when they are properly motivated and focused.

And the focal point must be the customer.

In a customer focused organization employees are the only ones who can make the strategy work. Managers, department heads, or owners, can’t create a good customer experience by themselves.

The customer facing employees are the face of a business and responsible for setting a helpful and positive experience for the customer. The often used adage that a good customer experience will be shared with one person but a bad experience will be shared with ten is very alive and true today!

Owners and top executives are responsible for reinforcing and directing customer policy. But a strategy only becomes successful when it connects with the people who have to implement it.

This includes managers and employees alike.

One very effective way is for management to roll up their collective sleeves and set the example for the organization.

In a customer focused organization everyone should be interested in what customers are saying.

A good customer focused organization will allow upper management a much better feel for customer needs and expectations than they could get from a sales report. 

Before you can have a customer centered company you must establish a customer centered culture and mindset. This begins not only with the customer facing employees (sales, customer service, and marketing) but all employees.

The process should begin with an information flow of how each department contributes to customer needs. Every job function must be related back to the customer either directly or indirectly. Many job functions support internal areas but are still important to customer needs and satisfaction. Every employee is important! 

In today’s uncertain economy employees have to fully understand that without customers there is no business and without satisfied customers there will be no secure employment.

All employees must be encouraged and empowered to do whatever it takes to get a satisfactory solution for a customer, even if it means crossing over usual responsibility areas if necessary. Creative solutions by employees should be encouraged and rewarded.

Customer needs must supercede any power structures that have been in place.

Copyright © 2003, thecustomerconcern.com.  |  Last updated Oct. 2003
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