It is one thing for an employee to say their company is customer-focused, but it’s completely different when customers say it. At EMC, this is the type of culture they’ve created; a culture that demonstrates their commitment to customers in their everyday actions. A commitment that their customers recognize and value.
At Walker, we have a framework for helping companies create customer-focused action. We call it the hierarchy of engagement and it’s based on the concept that creating action starts with awareness. Once awareness is achieved, the next step is to build understanding and belief. Once someone believes in the initiative, they will take meaningful action.
There are many examples of how EMC aligns with this hierarchy. Here are a few:
Awareness: Often overlooked and perhaps one of the most powerful ways to create awareness is to give your purpose, your team an identity. At EMC, their identity is called Total Customer Experience (TCE). They have a logo, shown in this picture, that summarizes the team’s purpose and they use their name and logo to create awareness and to get attention.- Understanding: I will never forget what a strategic account manager said at an action planning workshop. We were reviewing insights from her customer when she said, “I always thought this was just a survey. I never understood how I could use the information.” Communication plans can’t jump from awareness to belief. People must be able to connect the customer experience initiative to their job. They have to understand what it means to them. EMC focuses a lot of their attention and efforts on helping employees, partners, and customers understand what they are doing to improve the customer experience and more importantly why they are doing it. Check out the EMC TCE web site for a glimpse into ways EMC creates understanding.
Belief: This is about getting others to understand what you already know. This is about communicating that the customer experience isn’t just the right thing to do, it creates a competitive advantage, improves retention and growth, and delivers a return on the investment. EMC has many outcomes they use to create believers. Check our this prezi to see a few. - Action: This is where, in the words of George Lucas, “you simply have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.” This is where transparency and authenticity show-up. It’s about listening, taking credit for your strengths, and acknowledging the work that remains. EMC’s Total Customer Experience Annual Report says it best – “It’s about building trust through every interaction.”
While simple, the hierarchy of engagement is a practical and useful tool for getting customers to recognize all that you do to optimize their experience.
To see what EMC is up to now, visit the EMC TCE Global Celebrations website to learn about their upcoming celebration happening the week of October 5th.
This post is part of the Customer Experience Professionals Association’s Blog Carnival “Celebrating Customer Experience.” It is part of a broader celebration of Customer Experience Day. See more at: http://cxday.org
