Chas Moloney, director of marketing, Ricoh UK & Ireland, offers his advice to help organisations put the customer first
At its core, customer-centricity is defined as ‘creating a positive consumer experience at the point of sale and post-sale’. Here are five top tips to start your company journey.
1. Drive customer-centricity from the top level
If the senior teams aren’t concerned about putting the customer at the forefront of an organisation’s strategy, then how will its staff be enabled to follow suit? Quite simply, customer-centricity must be high on the board’s agenda in order for it to filter through the company.
To do so, organisations must make practical initiatives for their staff to adhere to, from outlining the company’s core mission and principles to providing high-level training and support to ensure they are always in mind.
2. Keep it top of the agenda
Customer-centricity shouldn’t just be a modern buzzword that is promoted one day and ignored the next. It should present an opportunity for organisations to put the customer front and centre of every decision that is made.
By regularly reinforcing commitments to these values, and not just simply saving them for the annual company conference, organisations will drive up standards across their workforce and gain buy-in to the philosophy at all levels.
3. Remember – Everyone is a customer
What is often misunderstood within companies is that everyone has customers. Whether you work in sales, marketing, IT or HR in an organisation, someone is purchasing your services. By putting first-class service delivery at the top of everyone’s agenda, staff are enabled to perform at the best of their ability whether communicated directly with a customer or not.
A more streamlined and efficient organisation will empower employees to deliver improved customer services for end-users, delivering products and services on time and on budget.
4. Invest in customer loyalty
By providing regular first-class customer service, businesses will develop more loyal customers, who will not only trust in their consultancy and advice, but will also be inclined to buy more in the future.
Customer-centric businesses aren’t confined by mere operations and tactics, they are set up to enable their customers to change for the better – delivering measurable success.
5. Think beyond your bottom line
Finally, customer-centric organisations don’t just think about their revenue and profit margins. They consider how their operations affect their customers and wider stakeholders. They listen to people within their local communities and learn from their insights and opinions – constantly seeking new ways to improve operations and ensure they are taking their social and environmental responsibilities seriously.
Find out more at the B2B Marketing Conference – The customer champion on Wednesday 4 November at The British Library, London.