“Customer expectations and behaviours have changed dramatically over the past decade. Organisations are expected to meet customers’ needs and expectations at every interaction, in return for customer loyalty. The ability to deliver this depends on the extent to which “Customer Centricity” is embedded within every single person in your business”

Cormac Hughes (Partner, Strategy & Operations Deloitte)

Customer Centricity: what it is and why it matters

In the increasingly competitive business world, companies are becoming more aware that one of the main keys to long-term success is Customer Centricity, a business model that places the customer at the centre of “all” business decisions and activities.

Customer Centricity is of great relevance because it highlights how a company’s success is no longer based exclusively on the quality of the product or service it offers (although these are also essential), but rather on how these products and services are “experienced” by customers and users, both before, during and after purchase.

When a company adopts a “Customer Centric” approach it is more in tune with its customers and consequently tends to improve the quality of its products, services and processes, based on the feedback and data collected from the various stakeholders.

Customer Centricity not only helps to build stronger and longer-lasting relationships with customers, by showing a real commitment to meeting their needs, but also attracts new customers thanks to the improvement of the company’s reputation.

The Customer Centric approach and the evolution of corporate culture

The Customer Centricity approach represents a real transformation in corporate culture fostered in recent times by digitisation, as the effective use of digital technologies allows companies to offer personalised and targeted experiences to their stakeholders, while gathering their feedback.

It is crucial to recognize that every customer is a person who is eager to be heard, understood and assisted in the best way possible, even when it is not possible to provide an immediate solution to their problem.

In this context, it’s important to ensure authentic communication, even when unable to meet the requests, and maintain a high level of transparency in the customer relationship.

The Customer Centric approach requires a deep change in corporate culture and is based on certain fundamental elements:

• Focus on the customer: every decision, large or small, is evaluated based on how it will affect the customer experience. This requires a change of mindset from “what’s best for the company” to “what’s best for the customer.”
• Active listening: increased attention to listening to customers. Companies need to gather feedback, analyse data, and continually adapt their products and services to meet the ever-changing market needs. 
• Corporate empathy: a Customer Centric culture implies a high degree of empathy towards customers. Employees should be able to put themselves in the customers’ shoes and understand their challenges, fears, and desires. 
• Cross-functional collaboration: enhanced collaboration among corporate departments, especially in the marketing, sales, customer service, and product development sectors, as well as in the administrative and credit recovery divisions, must work together to deliver a unique and consistent experience in line with the brand promise. 

What obstacles do companies face in adopting Customer Centricity?

Only a few organisations undertake the challenge of nurturing a corporate culture that can genuinely deliver consistent and customer-oriented experiences.

The biggest obstacles companies face in pursuing a Customer Centric approach relate to business organisation, operational processes, employee training, and a misperception of real customer needs:

• The presence of business units or corporate divisions that operate independently and not focused on the customer experience represents the primary obstacle to adopting a truly Customer Centric approach.
• The limited attention given to front-line service teams, rather than building the mindsets, behaviours, and processes necessary for back-office teams to be truly “Customer Centric”.
• The gap between the company’s strategy and vision, on the one hand, and the operational staff, on the other, particularly concerning the behaviours required to deliver a valuable customer experience.
• The pressure of real or perceived operational and business constraints, real or imagined, that undermine a well-intentioned strategy when it comes to implementing Customer Centricity, often reducing it to mere lip service. 
• The failure to understand the real needs of customers. Companies often make the mistake of trying to provide an ‘excellent’ service without truly understanding what customers actually desire. In most cases, customers simply want the service delivery process or product sales to be fast, straightforward, and to work correctly from start to finish.
• The lack of a culture of data sharing and insights, leading company divisions to behave like true competitors, where the value of work is identified as an individual’s achievement rather than a contribution to the overall success of the company.
• The IT systems and platforms developed over time as add-ons that cater to the needs of individual tasks, rather than being part of a global system architecture vision, thus hindering the exchange of data and insights among different areas of the company.

Regardless of the challenges that companies face today (regulatory pressure, asset consolidation, cost pressures, rapidly changing consumer trends, etc.), a focus on Customer Centricity can play a key role in ensuring that the company maintains a long-term competitive advantage. 

This is possible through the ‘Customer Centric’ approach, which can contribute to revenue growth, optimise efficiency and performance, and – if deeply embedded in the organisation – lead to increased system profitability.

The strategic approach to implementing Customer Centricity

To establish a business model based on Customer Centricity, it is important to develop a strategy that engages the entire company and includes the following steps.

1. Define the Vision and Strategy

Every corporate transformation begins with a clear vision and well-defined strategy. To become Customer Centric, every company must establish a clear vision of how it wants to interact with customers and what kind of experience it aims to provide them. This vision should be effectively communicated at all levels of the organisation and serve as a reference point for all business decisions. 

2. Engage the Leadership Team

The involvement of the leadership team is crucial for the success of any corporate transformation. Top management members should be the “champions” of Customer Centricity and demonstrate visible commitment to this philosophy. They should also lead the change and inspire others to follow in adopting this new approach.

3. Analyse Customer Data

To fully understand customer needs, preferences, and expectations, it is essential to collect and analyse data provided directly by customers. This step allows the company to identify areas for improvement and customise experiences based on individual customer needs.

4. Train and EngageEmployees

All team members must be involved in transforming the corporate culture towards a Customer Centric approach. Adequate training is essential to help employees understand the new approach and develop the skills required to provide customer-oriented service. Additionally, it’s important to create a work environment that supports the Customer Centric culture by recognizing and rewarding behaviours and efforts dedicated to achieving this customer-centred approach.

5. Redefine Business Processes

It’s necessary to review and adapt processes to align them with the goal of putting the customer at the centre. This may involve streamlining processes, removing bureaucratic obstacles, and implementing new customer-oriented workflows with an agile approach.

6. Strategically Use Technology

Technology plays a fundamental role in enabling Customer Centricity. Companies should invest in technological solutions that allow them to collect, analyse, and use customer data effectively. This includes advanced CRM systems, data analytics tools, and marketing automation platforms.

7. Measure and improve 

Once the new practices and processes are implemented, it’s important to regularly measure results and seek continuous improvement. Monitoring key metrics, such as customer satisfaction, retention, and revenue growth, helps assess the effectiveness of the Customer Centric approach and make course corrections as needed.

The corporate cultural evolution toward Customer Centricity requires a long-term commitment, but the benefits in terms of customer loyalty, corporate reputation and financial success are well-demonstrated. 

At the end of the journey towards Customer Centricity, every company will be able to:

• Identify its most valuable customers
• Maintain lasting relationships with customers and acquire new customers with similar characteristics
• Optimise the customer journey
• Create products and services based on specific customer needs, thereby responding to a concrete and quantifiable market demand
• Invest in projects and activities that turn customers into brand ambassadors, thus increasing the company’s reputation.

With a clear vision, engagement from the leadership team, and a strategic marketing approach, any company can successfully embark on the path toward a customer-oriented culture.”

 

Do you want to develop a brand identity project? Contact Us