How to build a customer-centric company

It’s no secret that good customer service is key in a business’ road to success.

However, this does not necessarily mean a business is ‘customer-centric’. Simply put, running a customer-centric business means that your customers are at the heart of everything you do, from marketing to sales through to your wider business operations. Overall this means making the customer experience as optimised and personal as it can be, at every step of their journey with you.

As technology has improved throughout the years, so has the business world’s ability to answer customer requirements more effectively. However, this also means that the expectations of these customers are now higher than ever. Added to this, research has found that 76% of customers would find it easy to look elsewhere for a particular product or service, making customer-centric values a necessity for any business wanting their customers to stay.

There are many benefits that businesses with customer-centric principles experience as a result; improved customer satisfaction, higher retention rates and increased referrals, to name a few. So, in an increasingly expectant market, how can you build a customer-centric company culture?

Know your customers

Truly understanding your customers is integral to great customer service. What issues do they face? What would trigger them to seek out a business such as yours? How can your business help them? How are they likely to approach you? What is their decision-making process? Answering questions such as these should give you a clear profile of your customers, which you can use to inform your sales, marketing and customer service efforts.

Feedback will go a long way

Requesting feedback on your products and/or services should be done on a regular basis – even if you have retained clients. Gathering this vital information and using it to shape your business’ future progression will ensure that you are continually offering the most relevant service to customers. Take a look at our guide here to explore the different ways you can collect feedback.

Communication is key

Whether by email, phone, social media or in person, making it as easy as possible for your customers to get it touch with your business is essential. Make your contact details prominent on your website, add the relevant buttons to your social media profiles, install live chat (if you have the capacity) and always make sure you reply to emails promptly.

For B2B businesses working with retained clients, having a set account manager who regularly communicates with them works extraordinarily well. For small businesses who do not necessarily have the resources in-house, a telephone answering service will maintain that point of contact between a ‘representative’ of your business and your customers. 

Utilise the right tools

This can be your greatest asset when building a customer-centric process. Various technology and software platforms can be used to replace a variety of different tasks. Examples of these may be, invoicing software that allows your customers to pay you by simply clicking a link, or a CMS system that allows you to regularly schedule and distribute informative content to customers, and even chat bots that can give customers answers to basic FAQs.

As customers come to expect more of the businesses they engage with, creating a customer-centric ethos is vital. In fact, statistics show that 8 out of 10 customers consider the experience of working with a business just as important as the product or services they’re offering.

How have you built a customer-centric business? Share your thoughts with Moneypenny and our network on Twitter.