Most companies claim to be customer-focused, yet few are. In a world where customers (both end consumers and intermediate customers) are becoming increasingly powerful, all companies declare that they are “customer-focused”. At one level this is a truism – all companies must have some degree of customer focus just to survive in increasingly competitive markets.
But, let's move beyond this generic level and apply some real tests of customer focus. We'll find that the practice rarely matches the rhetoric. I apply three questions to determine whether companies are truly customer focused. These three questions zero in on the most fundamental elements of a firm – decision-making power, performance metrics and brand promise. It is surprising how few companies meet these tests.
- Who in the organization holds real decision-making power? Is it the organization that manages relationships with the customer or is it some other group?
- What are the primary measures of performance for the firm?
- What is the primary focus of the brand promise of the company?
You can read the full article here.
If you would like to spend some ten minutes assessing how customer focused your company is, then I have a solution for you - and it is free. On my website you will find an insightful customer focus self assessment, covering seven dimensions and comprising 40 questions. You can compare yourself against the benchmark of the average of some 1,500 entries prior to yours. Upon request I could share with you the numbers for the top quartile
What say you? Comments? Ideas?
Eric Fraterman
eric@customerfocusconsult.com
www.customerfocusconsult.com
1 comment:
Good customer service is essential for any business to survive in this competitive market. I believe that to win in any market place you need to love and focus to your customers..
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