Business is Still Not Listening to Customers….

Business is Still Not Listening to Customers….

2010 is going to be a tough year for those businesses that don’t have a complete customer focus.

Customer Experiences Managing Director Chris Bell, is predicting that 2010 will be “The Year of the Customer”
Businesses must understand that in today’s economy the customer is very much in charge and those not working on better level of service and experience, will suffer due to the increased focus on price and the continued decline of customer loyalty.

Customers are sick of marketing messages that over promise and under deliver. The recent behaviour of the likes of Telecom and others has not helped consumer confidence according to Bell.

Bell believes businesses are trying to compete in a “world of sameness”. Almost every product and service is a commodity with the main focus being price. This coupled with a lack of business creativity is making for an increasingly bland and boring market place.

A further impact is the increasing consumer confidence with the use of e-commerce thanks to websites like Trade Me. Businesses must understand that the online customer experience is just as important as the face-to-face interaction.

“Increasing competition is having a huge impact on customer loyalty. Combine this with the fact it’s becoming more difficult to be heard in a market place where there is an increasing number of marketing avenues, raising business costs and further eroding profitability.

Bell said that most businesses are paying lip service to the importance of the customer and fail to understand that unless there is a genuine commitment by everyone within an organisation; customers will continue to receive inconsistent service.

The answer, according to Bell is to take a strategic approach that focuses on both employees and customers in a way that delivers increasing value, in return for greater engagement and loyalty.

“This new approach necessitates a change in a businesses focus, both from a leadership perspective and in the way employees and customers are prioritised. Let’s be very clear - employees will never deliver a consistently great customer experience unless they are having the same, so putting your people first must be a priority. From here you can improve employee engagement and create the magic customers are looking for at the front counter.”

“Emerging from this recession is a great time to take a serious look at your business, talk to your people, suppliers and customers and step back and take a good hard look from the ‘outside in’, remembering there is only one perspective which really matters, and that’s your customers.

ends

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