We live in an experience-driven economy. Approachable, easy-to-engage brands meeting or exceeding expectations are almost always winners. So, why is a great customer experience so rare?
Only a few companies have customer-centric cultures. Actually, only 14% of CMOs say customer-centrism is a hallmark of their company. And only 10% are able to tie customer experiences back to business goals. These findings suggest the root cause of customer frustration and defections begins inside an organization.
Which is extremely surprising, since a customer-centric culture designed to deliver better customer experiences can pay big financial dividends. In fact, the Temkin Group estimates a $1 billion company can gain $775 million over 3 years through modest customer experience improvement!
So, what defines a customer-centric culture?
- Holistic thinkers. These include employees who map out the customer journey and brand moments of truth along the way. Apple excels at this, from product design to advertising to retail center to taking the product out of the box. All are highly memorable, positive experiences.
- Knowledge sharers. Customer research is freely shared across the organization, so everyone can picture who consumes their product, service or both. For example, Adobe brand delivers a customer experience report at every all-employee meeting.
- Empathy givers. These are employees who relate to the customer’s emotional needs and respond appropriately to customer behavior. Slack brand software screens employee candidates based on their ability to express empathy both verbally and in written correspondence.
- Interaction seekers. Every employee is encouraged to meet and engage with customers regardless of their job. Airbnb finds ways to facilitate interactions with customers through events, sales ride-alongs, advisory board participation and more.
- Outcome oriented thinkers. Brands like IBM link cultural behavior to its impact on customer behavior. Other companies tie compensation to customer-centric KPIs. Measuring the desired results helps align and keep everyone focused on the customer.
Need help mapping out your customer journey and aligning your organization to deliver better results? Get in touch and let our experts assist you.
Sources:
CMO Council
2018 Temkin Experience Ratings, U.S. March 2018
6 Ways to Build A Customer-Centric Culture, by Denise Lee Yohn, October 2, 2018