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Have You Adopted a Customer-Centric Business Approach?

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A few months ago, news agencies and social media networks were filled with images and videos showing the poor lack of service and questionable policies and procedures displayed by major airline companies across the country. While stories of this were not new to the public eye, as social media has become a central platform for sharing complaints and posing questions concerning a company’s culture, it reminded businesses both large and small of the power of technology and the importance of company transparency. While you may argue that transparency in business should not exist as it opens up the company to additional scrutiny, it forces businesses to change their tune and implement a new way of doing things, specifically in how customers are treated. For several companies, however, transparency is not something to be feared but welcomed instead, as it showcases just how devoted they are to their customers. Why is this? They have created and implemented a customer-centric business model.
 
What is a Customer-Centric Business?
 
A company that has adopted a customer-centric model is not one that only focuses on offering excellent customer service. While providing excellent customer service is essential, these businesses choose to instead create a culture of customer-service that is a part of their identity. If customer-service were to be removed from the company altogether, all that would be left is a team and a product which are both highly unuseful if there is no one to sell to. A customer-centric business is built around the belief that customers are not just there to line pockets or feed the bottom line, but that they are there to work and grow with. From the initial meeting to selling the product to ensuring that the customer is pleased with their experience with the company, a relationship must be formed and cultivated to not only guarantee the success of the business but the success of the customer as well.
 
Starts With the Leaders
 
Businesses today are encouraged to establish leaders within their team to guide and empower fellow team members. Part of this is setting a good example. If a leader within a company fails to set the bar high and maintain that expectation, then the rest of the team can quickly begin to deteriorate in how they complete their work. This is why customer-focused leadership needs to be at the heart of your business. Through working with leaders to set the standard of how customers should be treated, team members are encouraged to reflect this behaviour as well. If you have ever worked with a company where their customer service was lacking, it is very likely that their leadership in this area is lacking as well. Is that how you would like your company to be known?
 
Welcome Feedback
 
Establishing a strong culture that respects and encourages leadership is not the only method for ensuring that your customers are well cared for. Identifying and acknowledging areas that your business may be lacking is key as well. Now, we know that no-one likes to be criticized, but it is through constructive feedback that companies can grow and create a formula for success! By encouraging customers to provide feedback, good or bad, a team can identify the processes and procedures that need to be tweaked or reformed, to ensure that every customer is happy and, if possible, willing to become a brand advocate. How can this be accomplished? Customer feedback forms are a great way to gain feedback from customers while giving them a platform to do this. If a client has no way of providing feedback, they are more likely to find another way to share their criticisms while getting the company's attention, such as through social media. If a business gives customers the chance to express their concerns and be heard, however, it is less likely that social platforms will be used to gain the customer service that the company has lacked in providing.
 
How We Have Created a Customer-Centric Business
 
TRAFFIX was founded on the belief that the customer must come first. When we opened TRAFFIX back in 1979, we decided right off the bat that we would provide customers not only with what they needed but what they wanted as well. With the trucking industry being highly regulated at the time, the industry was not built with the customer in mind, leaving many of their needs unmet. Providing customer-centric service to the shipping industry was a brand new concept at the time, and it allowed TRAFFIX to gain immediate acceptance into the shipping community. When we realized how successful we were by taking our customer’s requirements and transforming them into actions, we expanded our platform of offerings. Not only were we able to learn from our customer’s but because we spent the time listening to them and their needs, we were able to provide new customers with these solutions as well, and as a result, everyone prospered.
 
If a business cannot serve their existing customers, then it can be concluded that they should not be trying to gain new ones. Providing excellent customer service is essential to building a successful company, and should be at the forefront of every business no matter how large or small they may be. Through providing excellent customer service and ensuring that the customer feels supported, empowered and well- cared for, a business can begin to grow and become transparent in their operations, knowing that they are doing what they can to better serve those who contributed to the growth of their company.