3 Ways to Promote a Customer/Employee Centric Philosophy

3 Ways to Promote a Customer/Employee Centric Philosophy

The identity of an organization is defined by one important factor its employees. This is especially true when it comes to the development of a customer-centric culture. For this reason, management and senior executives should find ways to build up and sustain their organization’s capacity to offer sterling customer service in line with the purpose of the company.

As an organization seeks and tries to attract talent, it is necessary to have in mind the qualities and attributes that each team, function or position requires. For instance, do service agility, collaboration and responsiveness outweigh any need for more competitive and resilient contributors? Working out the talent equation ensures that a company is able to have employees who can offer effective service to customers and provide support to the organization’s broader objectives.

It is only recently that companies are starting to realize the benefits that can be gained from having a great corporate culture and the effect it has on the happiness of both employees and customers. Creating an employee-centric philosophy in the workplace is all about identifying weaknesses and finding solutions in the following three ways:

1. Empowering Employees as Part of the Corporate Culture

Being an effective leader in an employee-centric organization involves empowering employees to carry out their tasks without having to be constantly micromanaged. If an employee can confidently work independently, then management’s time is freed up to concentrate on other more essential tasks.

There is nothing more frustrating for an employee than having to deal with business issues but having to constantly seek approval or input from someone else higher up in the chain of command. When a person has the authority to do a job they are well qualified for without having to run from one office to the next to get 10 authorizations first, things will get done much faster.

However, it is important to understand the slight but important difference between being empowered and working independently. When employees are empowered, they are given the authority to make certain critical decisions for themselves, as opposed to people who work independently as long as they do not deviate from set standard procedures.

2. Making Employees Responsible For the Customer Experience

A visit to most corporate reception areas and boardrooms will reveal walls plastered with inspiring and powerful messages that articulate the organization’s mission, vision and purpose. However, few companies manage to realize these lofty ideals because they fail to consider the following:

• What is the customer telling us? Through data analytics, management and employees can gain an insight into the emotional and rational needs of the customer.
• How can analytics be used to drive the day to day employee behaviors and corporate processes? If a company’s employees are to deliver the required customer experience, it is essential to socialize values of customer service at all levels of the enterprise.
• How can customer service values be connected to the purpose of the organization? By linking day to day activities of its employees to broader business goals, companies can deliver a great customer experience.

3. Fostering a Sense of Accountability

When moving an organization toward an employee-centric philosophy which effectively leverages talent, business leaders need to choose indicators which will accurately track progress and gauge performance in terms of both outcomes and behavior.

Through the use of timely and robust customer-driven metrics which are extended down to the team level, management can gain a clear picture of just how satisfied customers are with the product or service they are offered.

This is an effort that should be supported by a strong commitment to customer-centric day-to-day behavior. Both outcomes and behaviors provide leaders the tools they need to increase market share, drive performance and increase innovation.

Conclusion

Strong, employee-centric business philosophies provide organizations with a sustainable and organic route to better corporate results. However, these philosophies do not just magically appear; they require the leadership of organizations to proactively develop a sense of empowerment, customer service and accountability.