Have you noticed how the most obvious things are the hardest to follow? We all know that to lose weight you need to eat less and exercise more, to learn you need to read and inquire more, and to succeed you need to at least try it. Yet millions of people search for information on how to lose weight and buy books on how to be successful. Knowing is one thing, registering it is another.
Customer focus sounds good and important and it is highlighted in every executive meeting. But what does it mean? In all industries without exception company’s success depends on customer success; yet customer is not given 100% attention it deserves.
According to a recent Forrester study, 45% of US shoppers will abandon an online transaction if their concerns are not addressed quickly enough and 91% of customers would not do business with company after bad customer service experience. No company can afford to lose customers yet it happens every day.
“The experience is not one thing, it is everything!” Brian Solis.
To build an experience worth repeating requires looking at the whole picture. People dining in restaurant will note on the lighting, cleanliness of utensils, freshness of food, politeness and timely service of waiters. Mall visitors will pay attention to the variety of brands and food vendors available, cleanliness in restrooms and competence of concierge desk clerk. In a doctor’s office patients will notice how long it takes to be seen, how caring and calming the nurses are and the attention the doctor will give them.
Customers made a decision to choose your business. Make a decision in return, care enough to know about their experience, collect feedback to find out if they will return.
To fully get customers’ attention requires commitment and dedication from the entire company. The whole organization and all departments must be customer advocates and understand the customer perspective.
Achieving such unyielding attitude from all is a challenge. Employees must care and love the company to represent it well. It is possible if management values employee engagement and incorporates policies to hear and support each employee.
“The employee experience drives the customer experience. If employees aren’t happy, satisfied, engaged, and passionate about what they do, your customers will be the recipients of their backlash”. Annette Franz, CX Expert @annettefranz
The objectives for companies were always obvious, but perhaps now they are more clear, registered in mind:
Put a quality stamp on everything you do
Focus on customers you have, more will come with their loyalty
Customer feedback helps with priorities and improvement process
Engage employees to love customers as much as you do
