We all think we know what our customers want and need. After all, we deal with them every day. However, if you look at a global study by IT service provider Capgemini, there is a huge gap between the self-assessment of executives and the perception of consumers: Among executives, 80% believe that their company is familiar with the wants and needs of their customers. On the customer side, just 15% confirm this assessment. So it looks like there is still some catching up to do on the part of companies. How can we really become more responsive to customers? The Customer Obsession approach has some answers.
What is Customer Obsession about?
Customer Obsession expresses the approach of a company to align all its actions with the wishes and needs of the customer. The goal is to create the best possible customer experience throughout the entire customer journey. Customer orientation is therefore always the main focus. Not the product, not the company’s own interests, not the competitors. This fundamental idea runs through the entire company, through all departments, from executives to interns.
Creating operational conditions
If you want to run your company according to the motto “Customer First,” there are a few points to keep in mind. It is not uncommon that adopting a “Customer First” approach can lead to a restructuring of the company. As mentioned above, customer obsession is not something you simply hand over to individual departments such as customer service or the marketing department. The principle only works if everyone in the company consistently pursues the objective. And if the departments work hand in hand. The impetus for this has to come from the management level.
Managers have a duty
Management must lead the way, must exemplify the corporate culture, and create a work culture based on appreciation, a sense of responsibility and team spirit. Almost all companies that focus on an exceptional customer experience have established a management level that understands how to get employees excited about the idea of putting the customer first.
Without top-motivated employees it won’t work
The decisive factor for the successful implementation of Customer Obsession is the company’s employees. They have to be picked up, trained and motivated. After all, only truly motivated employees will take on customer problems brought to them, work as a team to find solutions and develop innovative ideas. Of course, in times of a shortage of skilled workers, every company should fight for its employees, motivate them and value them. Regardless of the strategic orientation.
Get to know and appreciate your customers better
But back to the customer – that’s what this is all about. In order to provide customers with the value they want, you first have to understand them and be aware of their needs. It is therefore advisable to get in touch with customers as often as possible and seek an exchange. Open and honest communication usually gets you further. Ask your customers questions about what they want,use surveys or a short questionnaire. Be creative in getting data from them, for example by providing an interactive onlie quiz. This way, you can learn more about your customers and provide them with a personalized service. And don’t forget to keep them up to date about offers, services and orders. After all, you want your customers to feel that they are the undisputed number 1 in your company.
Show empathy in every contact at every touchpoint
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes, take their point of view. This will help you learn more about their needs and intensify customer loyalty.
Make it simple for the customer
No customer likes it complicated. So make sure the customer journey runs smoothly. Make access as easy as possible, offer the best possible solution, support your wherever you can , take him by the hand. Just make him happy.
Offer the extraordinary
Customer relationships and marriage relationships are similar in some ways. Every now and then, something new, something surprising is needed to rekindle the fire. Create customer experiences, stage a competition, inspire with unique offers, provide an innovative service or added value. In short: provide new impulses that intensify customer loyalty.
Customer obsession has many faces – two examples
Customer obsession is by no means an invention of the 21st century. The term may be new, but the mindset behind it is probably as old as marketing itself. Take Walt Disney as an example. When he noticed that people were carelessly throwing trash on the ground in the amusement parks, he didn’t just install prohibition signs. Instead, he assigned staff to watch where and when people threw their trash on the ground. It turned out that this happened about every 10 meters. This is the reason why to this day there is a trash can every 10 meters at Disney parks. Walt Disney took the habits of park visitors into account and found a solution entirely in their spirit – without a prohibition sign.
A more modern example of customer obsession is, of course, Amazon. It is not surprising that the term is found in the first place in the Leadership Principles. It literally says: “Customer Obsession – 100% customer-oriented. Leaders start with the customer and work backwards from there. They work constantly to gain and retain the trust of our customers. Leaders keep competitors in mind, but the customer always remains in focus.” It’s a clear focus that you can feel in every fiber of the customer journey. Amazon always seems to know exactly what the customer wants, offering customer-relevant reviews of products and presenting matching additional products at the time of purchase. The checkout process and shipping to the door also leaves nothing to be desired. Only the non-company delivery service providers sometimes lack behind. Amazon can’t be blamed for that, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if it launched its own delivery service in the future to optimize the customer experience.
Story In Short
Of course, you don’t have to completely turn your company around overnight. But it certainly can’t hurt to cut a slice or two off Costumer Obsession and put customers and employees at the center of everything you do.
If the cogs mesh, you’ll enjoy your company even more. Employees inspire each other, engage with the company’s goals and create a good working environment. Customer acquisition and retention no longer feels like a daily struggle but is the essence of the company. All of this leads to a healthy company culture and certainly revenue growth.
