Customer Obsession: Building Sustainable Excellence in Customer Experience
We’ve all heard the stories of companies going above and beyond to provide their customers with incredible support. From Morton’s steakhouse delivering a steak to a man at the airport who requested it in a tweet to Nordstrom accepting returned tires even though they don't sell tires, these stories are heartwarming,and inspiring, and often gain good PR and attention on social media. However, one common thread among these stories is their lack of scalability. Providing such personalized and extravagant services to every customer is not feasible for most companies.
Customer obsession, as a concept, transcends these outlier examples. It involves a sustained commitment to providing outstanding experiences for customers every day. In this article, we explore the essence of customer obsession, showcase examples of companies that embody this ethos, discuss the priorities of a customer-obsessed business, and provide steps to cultivate a customer-obsessed culture.
What is Customer Obsession?
Customer obsession is a state of hyperfocus on creating a better customer experience from the customer’s perspective. It involves a commitment to a customer-first approach, where customer needs are at the center of everything a company does, and the entire customer experience is built around fulfilling those needs.
Why is Customer Obsession Important?
Customer obsession offers numerous benefits to a company, impacting both customer retention and acquisition. According to research, positive interactions significantly influence customer loyalty, with customers being likely to purchase more after a positive experience. Conversely, negative interactions can lead to customer churn.
Examples of Customer-Obsessed Companies
1. Disney Walks the Walk
- Disney's culture is rooted in a steadfast dedication to prioritizing customer satisfaction. Walt Disney himself underscored the significance of comprehending and meeting customer requirements.
- Illustrative stories, like strategically placing trash cans every 30 feet in the park in response to customer behavior, underscore the company's commitment to empathizing with their customers and pinpointing opportunities for enhancement.
2. Franklin Synergy Bank Treats Customers Like Trusted Partners
- Franklin Synergy Bank exemplifies customer obsession in the financial industry. The bank’s focus on patience, integrity, and transparent communication during financial transactions builds trust and creates brand ambassadors.
3. Birchbox Goes Deep on Customer Data
- Birchbox, a grooming and beauty product subscription service, leverages customer data extensively to deliver personalized, premium experiences.
- By keeping a close eye on key customer experience metrics, Birchbox proactively ensures that customers are content with the products and services they receive.
4. Amazon Shows Customer Obsession Starts from the Top Down
- At Amazon, under the guidance of Jeff Bezos, prioritizing customer obsession stands as the foremost and crucial core value. Bezos underscores the crucial difference between customer obsession and competitor obsession.
- The expectation at Amazon is that the entire organization, from leadership down, embodies a customer-obsessed mindset, extending beyond just the customer service department.
Priorities of a Customer-Obsessed Business
Customer Engagement
A customer-obsessed company prioritizes understanding customers and providing value. This involves collecting feedback, actively listening to customers, and injecting empathy into every interaction.
Employee Engagement
Actively involved staff enhance the quality of customer interactions. Offering top-notch training, coaching, mentoring, career development opportunities, and recognition cultivates employee engagement, subsequently benefiting customer experiences.
Qualities of Customer Obsession
1. Empathy
- Understanding customers and experiencing things from their point of view.
2. Respect
- Demonstrated through friendly support and quick service, indicating a company's respect for its customers.
3. Simplicity
- Creating effortless experiences for customers.
4. Communication
- Open and honest communication enhances customers’ perception of interactions, contributing to a positive experience.
5. Customer-Focus
- Extending beyond customer service to involve all departments, such as customer-centric marketing.
Steps to Create a More Customer-Obsessed Culture
1. Inspire the Whole Company with Strong Leadership Principles
- Leadership plays a crucial role in prioritizing customers. As seen in Disney's example, a top-down approach ensures a company-wide commitment to customer obsession.
2. Build the Right Team
- Building a team that understands and buys into the customer-first mission is essential. Proper hiring, onboarding, and management contribute to creating a customer-obsessed culture.
3. Innovate and Iterate
- Continuously assess and respond to data, promote customer feedback, and dedicate yourself to ongoing enhancements. The Birchbox illustration underscores the significance of adopting a data-driven approach to improve the customer experience.
Role of Customer Journey Mapping
Many companies turn to customer journey mapping to achieve sustained excellence in customer experience. This involves visualizing the entire customer experience, from initial awareness to post-purchase interactions, to identify touchpoints, emotions, and potential challenges.
What is a Customer Journey Map?
A customer journey map visually illustrates a customer's interaction with a brand, detailing their experience at each phase. It narrates the customer's progression, highlighting touchpoints, crucial moments, and potential emotions. By mapping the customer journey, valuable insights into their experiences are revealed, contributing to the achievement of business objectives and establishing adaptability in a dynamic market. This process facilitates a deeper comprehension of shifting buyer behavior and cultivates a customer-centric outlook throughout the organization.
How to Create a Customer Journey Map
Following are the most effective steps to form a customer experience map:
1. Set Goals
- Identify existing and future buyers, set goals for each stage of their experience, and gather key stakeholders for cross-functional teamwork.
2. Conduct Persona Research
- Collect data from real customers through interviews, surveys, and other channels to understand the target persona's journey.
3. Define Customer Touchpoints
- Identify and define touchpoints where customers interact with the brand.
4. Map the Current State
- Visualize the current customer journey, including touchpoints, actions, channels, and ownership. Identify gaps and areas for improvement.
5. Map Future States
- Use hotspots and layers to map potential solutions and compare the current state with the ideal future state. Present findings company-wide to drive improvements.
Conclusion
Emphasizing customer obsession goes beyond mere rhetoric; it represents a strategic methodology capable of fostering enduring business triumph. Organizations that place paramount importance on understanding and addressing customer requirements, fostering employee involvement, and consistently innovating based on customer input are well-equipped to maintain the loyalty of existing customers and allure new ones. Utilizing customer journey mapping as a pivotal tool aids in comprehending, visualizing, and refining the complete customer journey. Nurturing a culture centered around customer obsession empowers businesses to forge enduring connections with customers, enabling them to flourish in an ever-intensifying competitive environment.
