Make customer the core pillar and take your business places
Smart companies create a learning environment where each employee and their manager are well aware of their customer service learning expectations. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Staff across many organisations now understand that their customers are the reason they have a job. In the past few years many forward-looking companies have become more deliberate about the kind of customer experience they wish to create.
It is also within the past few years that consumer lobby groups have taken root to advocate the rights of customers.
Besides, just last year the consumer protection law was enacted in Kenya.
Four years ago, this customer service column was unveiled by the Daily Nation. As I look back, many organisations and individuals are not where they were then.
Many companies continue to evolve and become more customer-centred. Many CEOs today appreciate the power of customer service excellence more than ever before.
Most managers recognise that their departments have a key customer service responsibility.
Staff across many organisations now understand that their customers are the reason they have a job. In the past few years many forward-looking companies have become more deliberate about the kind of customer experience they wish to create.
It is also within the past few years that consumer lobby groups have taken root to advocate the rights of customers.
Besides, just last year the consumer protection law was enacted in Kenya.
Consumers today have more rights, though some remain unknown. As customers we have the basic right to good services and to quality products.
The public sector has not been left behind in the new developments.
The government and many public organisations are looking at citizens as customers in need of a service. Today, we have the one-stop Huduma centres and the most recent entry is the eCitizen portal offering government services online.
Harder to satisfy
There is no doubt that customer service has evolved in many ways. A key driver of the advancements is the fact that customer expectations have risen.
Today’s customers are different. They are more informed, more demanding, and harder to satisfy. They cannot stand inconveniences or rude staff, they hate to wait, and detest complicated processes.
They expect to be listened to and prefer companies that find solutions not those that cause them trouble.
With the continuing rise in customer expectations, companies that consistently seek to understand and meet these expectations will stand out.
Another way in which customer service has evolved is in the use of multiple channels to get service and to share feedback. In addition to the traditional face-to-face and telephone interactions, customers today are interacting online and via mobile applications.
A number of companies are only an SMS, tweet, or Facebook post away.
A few days ago I learnt of a local bank utilising WhatsApp for customer service. Looking back, I recall the days when Safaricom CEO used to respond to customer service tweets before a social media team was set up. Many organisations have set up state-of-the-art multi-channel customer contact centres.
With more and more customers becoming digitally savvy, organisations have no choice but to utilise technology to engage and serve customers.
Finally today’s customers have a much wider choice.
A few years ago, there was only Uchumi supermarket along Ngong road. Today there is Tuskys, Naivas, and two Nakumatt stores. In other sectors too, the choices increase day by day.
Vala Afshar, a customer relationship management pioneer, recently tweeted, “In the age of the customer, the only successful strategy is to become customer-obsessed.”
Organisations that make customers a core pillar of their existence will continue to evolve and excel while those that do not may cease to exist. We are certainly living in the age of the customer.
Lucy Kiruthu is a management consultant. Get in touch with her on: [email protected]; twitter @kiruthulucy
