Last week’s blog underscored the importance of customer relations managers living by The Six Laws of Customer Experience, as created by industry leader Bruce Temkin:
Anyone dealing with customers should not just know these laws, but live by them. Treat them as sacred, similar to the way you would view other guiding ethics such as the golden rule.
Customer Experience Law #1: Every Interaction Creates A Personal Reaction.
The key word in this rule is “personal.” Each individual customer will respond in his or her own, individual way to your actions.
While you cannot predict every single response, you can improve customer relationships when you consider the implications for this law:
- Customer relationships should be built on the customer, not a script. Sage ACT! and Sage SalesLogix can assist in this process.
- Customer segments must be prioritized. In other words, to categorize individual customers into specific groups, customer relations managers will need to have a very clear understanding of their important (and not so important) customers.
- For accurate evaluation of a customer’s experience, talk to the customer. Internal measurements do not provide a true assessment. Temkin advises that companies need to establish a VoC program (Voice of the Customer). By doing so, customers’ input drives priorities, decisions, and investments.
- Empower the employee. A customer relations specialist with good thinking and communication skills can accommodate the needs of key customers. Business developers can train and equip, but let the front-line people do their jobs.
The bottom line, Temkin states, is for you to “understand your customers, personally.”
Next up: Law 2 – People are instinctively self-centered.
Related blog: Experience Matters by Bruce Temkin.
What personal reactions are your customer interactions creating?
