Customer Centricity Is No Longer an Option—It’s Fundamental to Survival
In this intensely competitive and disruptive environment, the need for outstanding customer service has never been more critical. With its role in contributing to a company’s brand promise, it is simply too important to be left to a single department.
Outstanding customer service can only be delivered when the business acts in unison, in a highly collaborative and coordinated way. Customer advocacy can only be won when customers feel that the brand serving them has their interests at heart. This is why today customer centricity isn’t an option, it is fundamental to survival.
A recent study of over 18,000 consumers around the world conducted by Verint Systems shines a light on what good customer service means today. It’s all about speed, convenience and above all trust. This is reinforced by 81 percent of respondents who said they just want their questions answered and 29 percent who prefer it when the person they speak to is able to make decisions without checking with their manager.
The entire business must be centered on the customer and on delivering outcomes that the customer desires—so laying the right foundation is essential. Organisations need to get the basics right and help ensure employees are instilled with the right values and have the tools, skills and relevant information to keep customers engaged.
To help achieve this, Verint outlined six Rules of Engagement, including:
- Meet the needs of the customer—arm the organisation with the right information, tools and processes to provide the speedy service that customers demand.
- Create an effortless experience—understand customers, and use this knowledge to deliver the right level of personalised service every time.
- Make it easy to engage—offer a range of ways for customers to contact the organisation to provide flexibility and meet the demands of a diverse customer base.
- Avoid relying on discounts and loyalty schemes—only an average of eight percent said offers and rewards actually make them more loyal.
- Be transparent and open with customers about the use and security of their data—let them know how it helps deliver a better customer experience.
- Go the extra mile—creating memorable experiences can pay off and be rewarded by brand champions telling friends and family, engaging on social media and writing positive reviews.
The study paints a picture of simplicity in an operating environment that is anything but. It is extremely challenging to deliver across all channels—both physical and digital—available to customers. To implement the rules firms must orchestrate eight critical attributes which span having an engaged workforce, providing a highly collaborative environment and visionary leadership. In this customer-empowered world, leaders must lead, not mandate.
I will be discussing the critical attributes needed to help organisations apply the Six Rules of Engagement in a webinar with Verint on December 3 at 11 a.m. ET. Find out more and register to attend.
The post Customer Centricity Is No Longer an Option—It’s Fundamental to Survival appeared first on Customer Experience Management Blog.
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