of perception in conjunction with voice of the customer studies for an all-round view .
To say that marketing and customer experience practitioners need intimate knowledge of their customers is indeed an important truth . Understanding who they are , where they come from , what they like or otherwise , their preferences , quirks , history , background influences , eccentricities and futuristic aspirations , would serve to positively influence sales and service .
Whether stereotype driven or KYC data driven , the better one understands their present and potential customers , the higher the probability of serving those customers more effectively , and producing goods and services that provide appropriate solutions .
Wisdom , however , needs to be applied in such a way that the delicate balance between amassing customer data and acting on it , and invading customer privacy vide exposure to their data , needs to be maintained . The different marketing and customer experience interventions created to handle the various ‘ stereotypes ’ need to focus on applying better understanding , executing more patience , listening with customer discernment , focusing on intuitive decision making , and practicing sensitivity to attributes that are divergent from the norm .
These aspects wouldn ’ t be detrimental even if applied to persons that go against the grain , and are exceptions to the assumed stereotypical rule . It is for sure better to err on the side of being particular about products and services than vice versa . To know or not know your customer is therefore not in debate . What is , is what to do with what you know and how to do it in a way that is not inward facing towards driving business development efforts , towards new markets and customized offerings .
What is done with the customer information needs to be outward facing angled toward listening to the voice of the customer , with a view to tapping in to suggestions for improvement of products or services , tweaking deliverables toward what the market will receive enthusiastically , and identifying specific customer focused opportunities .
Carolyne Gathuru is the founder and director of strategy at LifeSkills Consulting . She has several years of experience in customer experience strategy development and training . You can commune with her on this or related issues via mail at : CGathuru @ life-skills . co . ke .