We are living in an increasingly customer-centric environment, and more and more parts of an organisation need to focus on their customers. Indeed the needs of customers should touch everybody in one way or another. Their needs are paramount, and are a key component in the forming of successful business relationships for all those involved in finding, winning and retaining business.
In order to stay focused on their needs, a positive attitude towards the customer is vital at all times. Everyone in an organisation must have a commitment to customer service. This can deliver a competitive advantage. In order to create a good standard of customer service, a business leader will need to ensure the organisation is set up properly to deliver it. You should have a long-term customer satisfaction plan as part of the overall sales, marketing and service strategy.
Customer focused behaviour can be monitored in two ways:
1.ÿÿÿÿÿ By having product guarantees/service level agreements that the sales and service team understand and work with.
2.ÿÿÿÿÿ Through specified service measures and targets that form part of performance appraisals. These can be linked to factors such as renumeration.
It is also useful for a business leader to receive feedback from external customer surveys. In many organisations this is provided by marketing departments. But with the ever increasing divergence of sales, marketing and service functions brought about by the whole customer-centric economy, this could just as well come from sales.
The external customer surveys can be combined with internal checks on areas of performance that are a high priority for customers. By putting these in place the team will know what they are getting right and what needs to be improved.
The importance of teamwork
If customers are to benefit from doing business with your organisation, then a high level of customer service focus must exist throughout the operation. A business leader should be a role model for all customers.
How a leader manages their team will affect the way they interact with each other and with customers. Teamwork and co-operation are important behavioural elements in the sales performance appraisal.
Customer demands have to be prioritised and qualified, as some customers (the most profitable and loyal ones) will be more important than others. A leader will therefore need to give proper explanation and guidelines to the sales team. This will create a feeling of unity and a consistent approach. This should also apply to a sales support function.
A sales operation must view itself as a team of people dedicated to working together and with other parts of the organisation for the benefit of their profitable customers.
One way of helping to achieve this is to organise regular meetings with, sales, support and service departments. This ensures constant communication at a high level, and encourages discussion focused on resolving customer issues. This can be combined with occasional internal team (and customer) events involving the sales, service and support operation. A business leader should make teamwork part of their everyday language.
When people can see that a real commitment to service exists at every level they are more likely to adjust their own behaviour accordingly.
When a customer becomes confident they will be well supported and their needs looked after their loyalty will increase. They will feel valued and you are more likely to retain and grow the level of business they do with you.