Just about every large organisation thinks of itself as customer-centric. Many have this laudable objective as one of their strategic pillars. Yet it never ceases to amaze me that those same organisations seem to want to put as many barriers in the way of great customer service as possible. So here’s my version of what customer centricity is not:
If you are organised in ways that make sense for the business but not for the customer then you are not customer-centric
If your resourcing priorities are focused on business efficiency over customer satisfaction then you are not customer-centric
If the functional silos in your business unnecessarily impair a joined up customer experience then you are not customer-centric
If your customers are at all frustrated by the use of automation, inflexible rules and systems then you are not customer centric
If your staff use scripts then you are not customer-centric
If you charge your customers to talk to you then you are not customer centric
If you create demand for customer service by failure to deliver on promises that you have made you are not customer centric
If you make it hard for customers to find out how to talk to you then you are not customer-centric
If your representatives use language that makes sense inside the company but not to customers then you are not customer-centric
If your public proclamations to customers don’t match your actions then you are not customer centric
Saying you are something doesn’t make it so. And people can see that.
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