7 HABITS OF CUSTOMER-OBSESSED COMPANIES

According to the 2021 Forrester’s Customer Index, CX Leaders gained 43% in performance compared to CX laggards, who saw a 33.9% decrease. For this purpose, Companies’ CX leaders are on the move to master the art of building positive and effective habits to garner good attention on social media and a solid reputation in the market. It is fair to say that embracing a customer-obsession approach is vital to stay consistent with providing unforgettable customer experiences.

But what is Customer Obsession?

It is a commitment to having a customer-first approach that creates a better customer experience from the customers’ perspective. Putting customer needs at the center of every decision the company makes, from sales to marketing, has proven to add value to the provided customer experience. These companies collect feedback regularly and prioritize customer needs in every business goal.

1. Provide customers with seamless and swift help from real humans

In the era of digital transformation, getting help from real people is becoming rarer by the day. Companies are now trying their best to make the best of both worlds and make points meet: provide immediate assistance to customers from real people 24/7.

2. Leverage business insights and the customer data you collect

Collecting business insights and customer data is of no use if your company is not putting it to good use. Analyze it for trends, look for common problems, and, most importantly, share the findings with the rest of the company. That data can help marketing, sales, and customer service teams capitalize on timely opportunities to delight your customers.

3. Validate and give depth to each interaction with the brand

Every interaction with your brand matters and conveys a certain message and experience to your customers. Building on the data being collected, each interaction with your brand is used to understand your customers’ behavior better. Unifying the same experience across multiple channels is a challenge, but proactively exceeding the customers’ needs through understanding them is the real deal!

4. Foster a customer-obsessed and employee engagement culture

Customer obsession is not limited to your customer service department. Every team at your company needs to embrace the new approach. This will improve the entire customer experience, including before, during, and after the purchase support. Collecting feedback from customers and actively listening to it, having an extreme customer focus, and injecting empathy into every interaction will make you understand your customers more and provide value for them.

In the same vein, fostering the employee engagement culture is almost as high a priority to the customer-obsessed organizations. Why?

Better performance. An engaged employee will take the extra time needed to thoroughly solve customer problems. Unengaged employees can sometimes go on autopilot and not think about what the customer needs.

Reduced turnover. An employee who feels engaged with their company will be more likely to continue working there, building up their institutional knowledge, and refining their skills over time. Veteran employees are invaluable for creating great customer experiences.

5. Align the company’s departments on customer-focused decisions

Consequently, when it comes to making big decisions in the market, aligning all the company’s departments on the reasons behind them is a cornerstone of trust. This reflects on them when dealing with your customers and also emphasizes the qualities of customer obsession: Empathy, Respect, Simplicity, Communication, and Customer-focus.

6. Build creative Customer Loyalty Programs

Customer-obsessed companies are more focused on the relationship they have with their customers. One loyal customer is better than making three quick deals that are likely to churn over time. Exerting efforts toward customer relations and long-term customer success is the habit your company needs to include. Customer Loyalty Programs are some of the most common ones used when embracing this approach. This will develop a mutually beneficial relationship that results in repeat sales and improved satisfaction.

7. Inject Customer Satisfaction into CX employees’ KPIs and QA scores

Involving the CX teams into the process is never a bad idea! When aligning them as well on the company’s main goals and vision toward achieving customer obsession, they are going to be your frontline soldiers for that matter. Including C-SAT rates into their KPIs and QA scores will help them track their progress and be motivated to improve it as they learn more about the new approach.

In conclusion, customer obsession is a focus on all aspects of the customer experience and each customer interaction at every touchpoint. As opposed to competitor obsession, customer obsession isn’t a responsibility that falls on any single team to earn on behalf of the entire organization. Rather, it is a collective responsibility of the whole company to embrace and walk toward consistently.