The A-B-C for a Happy Customer

We already know How Far a Happy Customer Can Go.

But do we know how we can get them there?

Is there a rule of thumb as to how to transform your customer into your advocate?

Can we lead the customer into recognizing our value to his business?

Improving and maintaining your customer’s experience is to help focus the organization on meeting and exceeding customer expectations, which, in turn rewards you with loyal customers who advocate your products and brand.

In other words: Influencing the customer’s broad perspective on your brand and products added value to their business.

Easy to say; but how can it be done?

Let’s look at it from two perspectives:

• External / INTER - Learning about and improving the customer experience

• Internal / INTRA - Enhancing customer-focused skills and culture

Each perspective is handled by two methods:

• Feedback and communication

• Skills and tools

Based on the above, I created the following matrix:

External - Meeting and Exceeding Customer Expectations

Feedback

• Establish and maintain measures & goals for improvement with:

  • Customer surveys and interviews to identify customer needs and preferences, in defined milestones.

  • Closed-loop feedback from the customer to the organization and back (in coordination with Sales and Project Delivery)

Skills & Tools

• Maintain and improve the informal connection and relationship with the customer.

  • Frequent communications with customer representative on issues that are not related to the project delivery process or sales; to be decided with Sales / Project Delivery

  • Benchmark / Feedback tools

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” - Bill Gates -

Internal - Enhancing organizational customer-focused skills and culture

Feedback

• Be the voice of the customer in a structured way

  • Holding meetings with top internal executives and other stakeholders to pitch customer’s feedback

Skills & Tools

• Enhance the Customer-Focused skills and culture of the organization (in coordination with HR). For example:

  • Pre-Travel brief on the customer / country

  • Internal workshops / training (e.g., cross cultural)

  • Communication method (e.g., presentation skills)

  • Look and feel (with marketing for documentation standards)

And remember; invest in your employees because: