How great would it be if we knew what our customers wanted, provided it and they could trust us to have it?
That would be a great business and it is attainable. The best brands understand this concept and provide what their clients want. This is what happens when companies have a customer centric culture.
Tony Hsieh – Former CEO of Zappos says, “Customer Service shouldn’t be a department, it should be the entire company.” Being customer centric simply means the customer is at the center of what the entire company does. It’s a core principle, part of the company philosophy, and engrained in each employee of the company…not just the customer service department. When executed well, a customer centric strategy provides a number of perks for your customers and your business. Here are three:
The 3 Benefits of Customer Centricity
1. Customers Move from Enthusiasts to Fanatics – Fanatic is defined as “filled with excessive and single-minded zeal.” Customer centricity will produce fanatical clientele. You’ve seen the fans of that certain football team (who will remain nameless). They wear the gear, they always talk about them going to the Super Bowl no matter the record, they pay for tickets without worry of price, they follow & share information about them even during the off season.
When you focus on your customers, you can reap the same benefits. They’ll talk about you to everybody, they’ll look forward to the next experience, they’ll always think it’s a winning situation. They’ll be extremely loyal, and loyal fans impact revenue and company value.
2. Sales Moves from Transactional to Relational – A relationship is much more important, meaningful, and long term than a transaction. When you develop a relationship you learn, predict, and meet your customer’s needs. Relationships are developed by sharing and responding. The customer shares, the business responds, the business shares and the customer responds. You learn each others tendencies, patterns, and expectations which are not only met but exceeded because of the relationship. According to Salesforce Research, 89% of customers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer experience. A customer centric culture encourages repeat transactions that strengthens the relationship between both parties.
3. Your Business Thrives – A thriving business is not built on marketing alone but built on continuous customer satisfaction which is a result of a customer centric culture. A thriving business impacts profits because operations and products are streamlined. You provide what the customer wants because you know the customer and they have expressed what THEY want. You also thrive because you gained the clients trust and are able to educate them on and introduce new products to them. Being able to expand the customers wants based on your knowledge and understanding their tendencies is a differentiator for your business. The more you are trusted the more you can thrive.
Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks stated, “we are not in the coffee business, we are in the people business who serve coffee.” If you want fanatics and customer relationships that cause your business to thrive, then create a culture that is customer centric.
Developing a Customer-Centric Culture
The key to developing a consistent customer-centric culture is knowing how to operate in The Exchange Zone, or the critical area where you and your customers intersect. In The Exchange Zone, businesses understand, adapt, and make the customer a focal point of the business.
James is a customer service and sales expert who empowers organizations to better their customer relationships to increase their success by connecting in “THE EXCHANGE ZONE!” He is the perfect choice for a customer service keynote speaker for your next conference, training or event.
