Customer focus

Customer focus is the organizational level activity and process within a company by which the company maintains its desired level of customer satisfaction. The concept has been around for decades and has been found to be a predictor of company performance. There are various ways to operationalize customer focus including customer surveys, customer complaint data, and customer retention data. A company that is customer focused is one that aligns its business processes and policies to best meet the needs of its customers. This means that the company understands its customers’ needs and requirements and designs its products, services, and processes to address these needs. In order to be customer focused, a company must have a deep understanding of its customers and their needs.

Potential risks and benefits of customer focus

There are countless reasons why companies should strive to be customer focused. In today’s competitive business environment, it is more important than ever to differentiate oneself from one’s competitors. Being customer focused is one way to do this. An example of just a few benefits:

• it leads to increased customer satisfaction
• it can help to build customer loyalty
• it can help a company to generate new ideas and innovations

There are many more benefits when it comes to being customer-oriented. It is much more important, however, to maintain a consistent customer focus strategy (Nick Mehta, 2016).

While a lot can be said about potential benefits of customer orientation, there are a few potential drawbacks that come with being too customer oriented, that should not be ignored. They include:

• a company may lose sight of its overall vision, strategy and goals.
• a company may become too focused on pleasing its existing customers and fail to attract new ones
• a company may become too reliant on customer feedback and lose the ability to make decisions independently.

Before proceeding with maximising customer focus, one needs to define the attributes of happiest clients, as well as at risk and potential customers (Sarah Cook, 2012).

How does a company become customer focused?

In order to be customer focused, a company must take a number of steps. First, it must have a clear understanding of its customers and their needs. Second, it must design its products, services, and processes to address these needs. Third, it must constantly monitor customer satisfaction levels and take action to address any problems. Finally, it must be willing to make changes to its products, services, and processes based on feedback from its customers.

Even more important, in order to become customer focused, a company needs to put the customer first in all decision making. This means that the company should be constantly thinking about how their actions will impact the customer and what the customer wants and needs. The company should have a clear understanding of who their target customer is and what they are looking for. They should then create a customer experience that is tailored to the needs of that target customer. In order to do this, the company needs to have a deep understanding of their customer base and what they want and need.

Customer focus is not a new concept, but it is one that is becoming increasingly important in today’s business environment. Companies that are able to successfully implement customer focus strategies will be well-positioned to compete in the marketplace and to achieve long-term success.

Customer focus in lean management

In order to ensure that a company is able to provide its customers with the best possible experience, it is important for the company to focus on Lean management. This type of management system is designed to help companies eliminate waste and improve efficiency, all while providing customer value. Sometimes customer experience can be increased without even making changes in a product or service itself, but rather tailoring the value proposition with positioning.

Customer focus is, in fact, one of the key aspects of Lean management. This means that companies must identify and understand the needs of their customers in order to provide them with the best proposition possible, while minimising waste and maximising efficiency of the output (Eli Goldratt, 2012).

Examples of Customer focus

• Customer feedback surveys: Companies use customer feedback surveys to gain insight into customer satisfaction, identify areas where improvements can be made, and measure customer loyalty. These surveys can be conducted online, through phone interviews, or in person.
• Customer service phone lines: Companies typically have dedicated customer service phone lines that are staffed with knowledgeable representatives who can assist with any customer questions or concerns.
• Customer loyalty programs: Companies can use loyalty programs to reward customers for their loyalty and encourage repeat business. This can be done through offering discounts, rewards, or special privileges to customers who consistently make purchases or use services.
• Customer feedback forums: Companies can set up online forums or discussion boards where customers can share their experiences and provide feedback on products and services. This is a great way for companies to learn more about their customers and what they value.
• Customer engagement events: Companies often host events such as workshops, seminars, or conferences to engage customers and build relationships. These events provide an opportunity for customers to get to know the company better and for the company to get to know its customers.

Limitations of Customer focus

One limitation of customer focus is that it can be difficult to measure customer satisfaction. Companies may rely on customer surveys and other feedback mechanisms to measure customer satisfaction, but these methods can be subjective and difficult to interpret accurately. Additionally, customer focus can be limited by the resources available to a company, as it requires significant time, effort, and resources to implement customer-oriented processes and policies. Finally, customer focus can be difficult to maintain over time as customer needs and preferences can change quickly, making it difficult for companies to keep up.

• Companies must be agile and responsive to customer needs in order to stay ahead of the curve.
• Customer focus can also be limited by the company’s culture and organizational structure, which can make it difficult to drive the necessary changes.
• The customer focus process can also be costly, as companies may need to invest in new resources, tools, and technologies in order to keep up with customer demands.

Other approaches related to Customer focus

In addition to surveys and customer retention data, there are several other approaches companies can use to enhance customer focus.

• Developing a customer service strategy: Companies can use customer service strategies to better understand customer needs and preferences, and create a more personalized customer experience. Strategies can include providing self-service options, using customer feedback to improve products and services, and using customer data to build relationships.
• Establishing clear customer service policies: Companies should create and communicate customer service policies to ensure that customers’ expectations are met and that customer service is consistently delivered. Policies should include procedures for dealing with customer complaints and feedback, as well as how to handle customer inquiries.
• Implementing customer-centric processes: Companies should review their existing processes and look for opportunities to improve customer experience. Companies can use customer feedback to identify areas for improvement and ensure that processes are customer-focused.
• Utilizing customer analytics: Companies can use customer analytics to better understand their customers and the value they provide. Analytics can help companies identify customer needs, preferences, and behaviors, and can be used to make decisions about product and service offerings.

In summary, customer focus is an important part of any successful business and there are several approaches companies can use to enhance customer focus. These include developing a customer service strategy, establishing clear customer service policies, implementing customer-centric processes, and utilizing customer analytics. By utilizing these approaches, companies can ensure that their customers’ needs are met and that their customer experience is positive.

Customer focus — recommended articles

Customer driven — Chief innovation officer — Market orientation — Sources of competitive advantage — Value innovation — Meet the expectations — Organizational learning theory — Customer orientation — Customer needs

References

• Cook S. (2012). Customer care excellence: How to create an effective customer focus, Kogan page publishers.
• Eliyahu M., and J. Cox.(2016) The goal: a process of ongoing improvement, Taylor & Francis publishing.
• Steinman D., Murphy L. (2016) Customer success: How innovative companies are reducing churn and growing recurring revenue, Wiley publishing house.

Author: Mykyta Bitkov

.