Who is truly at the center of your business?
Jeff Bezos is
so focused on being customer centric that he always includes a seat at every
meeting that represents the customer. Sounds odd, but it is one of those
emblematic ways that he demonstrates what he believes is Amazon’s most
important difference from other retailers.
I heard another story on a John Jantsch's podcast called Duck Tape Marketing that a guy had to return a package back to Amazon
because he bought the wrong power cord and needed to replace it. Amazon sent
him a return label and he took the package to the UPS store. As he left the
store, his phone beeped and he noticed a text telling him that Amazon had just
wired money into his account as a credit for one he purchased.
Amazon hadn't received the merchandise back yet but given that person's loyalty, they felt why not return his money instantly?
Talk about over delivering on their promise.
Amazon's category teams leads have goals that are focused on customer satisfaction levels that exceed the category. Everything they do is to over deliver on their commitment that nothing is more important than the customer's satisfaction.
Center of the Universe
How does
your business make your customers the center of your universe? What actions are you taking as an
organization to find a way to delight the people that you serve? Often it
is something small that can be incredibly powerful. Your competitor may not
even think about getting you a credit faster to please you but think of how
that makes you feel?
A few suggestions on how to act more customer centric:
Little Things Matter: How do you feel when you are given great
customer service when you make a purchase either at a shop or online? Sometimes
having a cashier look at you and smile and acknowledge you is all that it
takes. If online, a simple little bounce back note that says your order has
been received and I am grateful that you choose to shop with us from a real
person can make a big difference. Showing up as a human being is a great place
to start to be more customer focused. Empathy
goes a long way in what is typically a cold business climate.
Voice of the Customer
Are you
guilty of believing you understand a market so well, that you (and your
colleagues) know exactly what they want? Unless
you are the reincarnation of Steve Jobs, this is an ineffective approach.
Now
it is true that customers and consumer say and do different things, but
understanding how they view the current choices they have in a category and to
see the gaps and opportunities, is invaluable for both product development as
well as the marketing of the product. Let your customer have an early and frequent say in what
you are creating for them. Don't just show up with a product and hope they want what you believe they need.
Surprise and
Delight: When was the last time you
told someone about an experience that you had with a product or a brand? What
was it you were sharing and why? How did you share it with your friend? When
you catch yourself surprised and delighted, you might begin to see how your
customers could feel that way if you did something equally unexpected. I
recently picked up a sandwich through a drive through as I was rushed for time.
The woman handing me the sandwich said, we put our special dressing on the
sandwich but I want to make sure you are happy, would you like a little extra
container of the sauce? I was surprised and noticed that little
gesture of kindness.
Spend Time With One
Customer: The more time people
throughout an organization can spend with customers, the more they understand
how their work affects the customer’s experience with your business. Suddenly a
woman from finance or a man in human resources realizes something about the
influence his own work has on your customer named William. It makes it real and tangible. It humanizes the impact of your daily work.
Suddenly the connection of your
input is seen in the delight it brings to a real person not this amorphous
thing called the customer.
If the center of your world is all about you and your
company, your destiny is limited.
Apple doesn’t tell me about the components in their
computers, they show how a customer feels using their product. Patagonia urges
consumers not to buy more clothes than they need because they share your values
and want to live consistent with that approach. Whole Foods wants to reflect a
community of shared values with the customer vision for a better world at the center
of their messaging; thus value matter.
When your customer is at the center of your circle and you
give them tools to be happy or successful or to feel good, life is good and
your business will flourish like flora in the amazon.
Jeffrey Slater
MomentSlater
Footnote:
This is my 400th blog post for MomentSlater. I'm feeling proud and honored that so many marketers are reading my posts. Thanks for spending a little time with my ideas.
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Struggling with a how to find a seat at the table for your customer? Give me a call at Clarity at let's discuss how I can help set the table for you.
Labels: Amazon, Apple, customer needs, customercentric, Jeff Bezos, John Jantsch, Marketing Moments, Patagonia, seat at the table, Whole Foods