| Businesses are feeling the pressures of a constantly | | | | them accomplish their goals. |
| changing marketplace and are experiencing difficulties | | | | It is just as important for your customers to know |
| differentiating their products or services in the | | | | more about you. They will be better prepared for |
| intensified competition of this environment. Many | | | | seeking your assistance in meeting their needs and |
| companies have lost focus of the reason for their | | | | solving their problems. Consider the following questions |
| existence in this turbulent environment. Gone are the | | | | when attempting to help your customers know your |
| days of the seller's market, so many companies | | | | organization: |
| enjoyed in the decades past. It is important to | | | | - Do they know we exist? |
| remember that the fundamental purpose of a business | | | | - Do they know our full capabilities? |
| is to make money and survive. It can not do this unless | | | | - What is it that we have that they want or need? |
| it has a customer focus throughout the entire | | | | - Are they satisfied with our product or service? |
| organization. | | | | - If they are not satisfied, what can we do to fix the |
| Customer Focus is about getting all employees to look | | | | problem? |
| at their job through the eyes of the customer. | | | | - What can we do to build a better relationship with |
| Customer Focus involves continually listening to the | | | | them? |
| voice of your customers, obtaining their input and | | | | - Do they know who to contact? |
| feedback and using this information to make changes | | | | Clarifying Customer Expectations Saves Headaches |
| which add value to your products and services. | | | | Maintaining a strong customer relationship requires that |
| Customer Focus is about adding value at all levels of | | | | you manage the customer's expectations. When you |
| your organization. | | | | understand your customer's expectations, you can |
| Begin By Identifying Your Customers | | | | build an organization that is able to anticipate what the |
| Identifying your customers involves figuring out who | | | | customer is looking for in your product or service and |
| your organization's primary customers are and what | | | | thereby determine what their future needs might be. |
| products or services they use. A customer can be | | | | In order to clarify the expectations of your customers, |
| defined as anyone who buys, uses, or adds value to | | | | you need to identify your key customers and sit down |
| what you provide. | | | | with them and discuss their requirements. It is critical |
| It is important to realize that all organizations have | | | | that you maintain an atmosphere of openness and |
| internal and external customers. Internal customers are | | | | honesty in matching the expectations of your |
| those who work within your organization receiving | | | | customers and the capabilities of your organization. |
| partially completed products or services and add value | | | | When clarifying the expectations of your customers, |
| to it. They in turn become suppliers to other customers, | | | | make sure that you do the following: |
| often the next step in the operation. External | | | | - Have two people meet with your customer. It will |
| customers on the other hand are typically called "the | | | | ensure that you gather more information and it will |
| end users". They purchase the completed product or | | | | show the customer that you are serious and consider |
| service. | | | | what they have to say is important. |
| The emphasis on teams and quality in recent years | | | | - Prepare a good set of questions ahead of time. |
| has focused attention on the internal customer. This | | | | Keep in mind that your customers have a lot of |
| has proved to be a powerful tool for improving quality | | | | information and your task is to gain access to that |
| throughout the organization. It has changed the | | | | information. Questions are the key to that access. |
| adversarial relationship that existed between many | | | | - Get to the specifics. Customers may tend to deal in |
| departments. These departments competed for | | | | abstract terms until they get the feel for your line of |
| resources such as budgets and people. As a result | | | | questioning. Don't waste their time or yours. Ask open |
| they lost sight of the supplier-customer relationship that | | | | ended questions as much as possible. |
| existed between them. | | | | - Remember to listen. You job is to find out what the |
| In many cases, organizations have lost sight of the | | | | customer wants. |
| external customer. They are doing a terrific job serving | | | | - Do not get defensive if you get some negative |
| the internal customer and are dissatisfying the external | | | | feedback. You need to know what the customer |
| customer. The shift of customer service jobs to India | | | | really feels |
| or the obstacles placed in the way of customers trying | | | | - Clarify and confirm your understanding of what was |
| to contact the company are prime examples. When | | | | said. Try to use some of the customer's expressions |
| people can not get their problems solved, they get | | | | and terms to build a connection. Emphasize key points. |
| frustrated and vote with their feet. | | | | Use Customer Feedback To Improve Performance |
| Customers who are dissatisfied will rarely tell you, only | | | | The goal meeting with your customer should be to get |
| about 5% of your customers will tell you if they are | | | | useful feedback. This is a key factor in determining the |
| unhappy. Customers who are less than satisfied may | | | | value of your organization, your product or services, |
| not be letting you know what they think of your | | | | and your processes, to the customer. You need to |
| organization, but they are telling other potential | | | | know how your customer perceives the work you do. |
| customers about their dissatisfaction. In a recent study, | | | | You need to obtain this feedback on a continual basis |
| it was determined that on the average, these | | | | because customer perceptions and needs can change |
| customers will tell 16 other people (this is up from 12 | | | | very quickly in today's market. |
| only a decade ago). Satisfied customers on the other | | | | Organizations which filter the customer out of the |
| hand will only tell an average of 3 people how great | | | | equation by placing barriers to contacting them are in |
| your product or service is. Keep in mind that | | | | danger of reversing any and all gains they have made |
| customers who experience dissatisfaction are | | | | in building a customer focused organization. They have |
| becoming your competitor's customers. | | | | also wasted all resources expended on marketing their |
| Many organizations seem to forget when they are | | | | organization's products and services. A true customer |
| determining who their customers are, is that you can | | | | focus requires that you do all you can to improve |
| not be all things to all people. Customer satisfaction | | | | customer communication. Out sourcing your customer |
| means having the right customers to begin with. There | | | | service to India may save money in the short run, but if |
| must be a good match between the needs and | | | | customers have a hard time understanding the |
| expectations of the customer and your organizations | | | | customer service representative or can not get some |
| capabilities and focus. | | | | satisfaction for their problems, it will cost you a lot |
| Building Customer Understanding Is Critical | | | | more in the long run. |
| Once your organization has determined who your | | | | Conclusion |
| customers are or who they should be, it is critical to | | | | Strong customer focus is the glue that holds |
| begin to build your understanding of those customers | | | | successful organizations together. It is the fuel for an |
| and what their expectations are. When you make an | | | | improved bottom line. Customer Focus is a process |
| effort to learn more about your customer's business | | | | that will require the commitment and dedication of |
| needs, their goals and objectives, and the pressures | | | | every employee in the organization. |
| and obstacles that they face, you begging to build a | | | | Businesses that neglect creating a true customer |
| relationship of trust with the customer. That trust leads | | | | focus will feel the unnecessary high costs of poor |
| to increased customer loyalty and long term success | | | | service through the active word of mouth of |
| for your organization. | | | | dissatisfied customers and increasingly expensive |
| At first, building such an understanding may seem very | | | | advertising and marketing to attract new customers. |
| difficult. Most customers are very eager to help you | | | | Short-term savings of poorly conceived ideas such as |
| build a better understanding of what they do, how they | | | | outsourcing with out considering the customer impact |
| do it, and what their needs are. Start by simply asking | | | | will evaporate along with the customer base. |
| questions about their operations and their specific | | | | Customers are the life blood that allows your |
| needs. They will be flattered in most cases. Asking | | | | organization to realize its main goal - make a profit and |
| questions shows that your organization is interested in | | | | survive. |
| what they are doing and that you will work to help | | | | |