and embedding a culture of customer obsession across the organization . According to Rajarshi , of moengage blog , there are 11 steps in building a customerfirst culture in organizations .
I will highlight 5 key steps . The full article can be found on https :// www . moengage . com / blog / building-customer-firstculture /# basic-tenets-of-buildinga-customer-first-culture-in-yourorganisation
Develop a collective focus across the organization
A common vision or goal that connects all employees in an organization led from the top , drives customer obsession . All employees should be able to view customer feedback , provide input on how to improve the products or services and also be trained where a skill gap is identified e . g ., in developing customer or purchase journeys , etc .
Cultivate an external perspective
We are encouraged to view everything from the customer perspective . Therefore , collective customer feedback and customer data becomes an essential input in understanding our customers . A review of key data points within the organization will further enhance this understanding . Being data driven is essential to being customer obsessed .
Empower employees to serve customers
The article goes on to say , while building a customer first culture , place a premium on innovation . This might be uncomfortable however empowering employees with information and giving them autonomy to make decision that can service customers better can significantly improve customer experience . Employees feel empowered if they can make decision at the point when they are serving the customer .
Focus on what matters to customers .
Be selective and then be great in those areas that are important to customers . E . g .,
in an online marketplace , what is critical to customers is that the goods delivered arrive on time and in good condition . This is what moves the needle . It really does not matter if you are good at things that do not move the needle as much .
Change communication tone and messaging
The article guides that changing communication from me / I to us / we / you can have a major impact on how customers perceive a brand during an interaction . Right habits and mindsets are the hardest to shift but they can be inculcated in the language , rituals , symbols and stories that we share with workers , partners and stakeholders .
In the company I work , we all have a sign out phase - I am notoriously customer obsessed . We have customer story days where we engage customers live and get raw feedback from them . We have routine meetings where we review status of the customer obsession initiatives and if they are indeed moving the needle . We also have a league of champions where we celebrate those among us who have exceeded expectations in their delivery to customers . In closing , I quote Jeff Bezos again . He narrates , “ we see our customers as invited guests to a party , and we are the hosts . It is our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better ”.
We all need to be ruthlessly obsessed with making the experiences of our customers exceed their expectations . This way we will be able to build businesses that have a longterm view and that will deliver sustainable economic value into the future .
I challenge you all to join the league of the world ’ s great companies that are rated as most customer-obsessed organizations by making a conscious decision to becoming a customer obsessed organization .
Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi is the Ag . Chief Consumer Business Officer , Safaricom PLC . You can commune with her on this or related matters on email at : Fawziakimanthi @ gmail . com .