5 Tips for Driving Valuable Customer Experiences Through Company Culture

Improving the customer experience requires continual company-wide dedication. However, not all team members may see the connection between what they do on a day-to-day basis and how it contributes to their company’s customer experience goals, especially if their job does not require them to regularly interact with customers.

To truly drive a customer-centric culture, organizations of all sizes need to start by ensuring their “customer-first” lens permeates through all areas of the business and all team members are invested in the company’s success. Here are five tips for creating a company culture rooted in driving positive customer experiences.

Start by listening.

It may seem simple, but there is no better barometer of whether a company is achieving its customer experience goals than what customers say is important to them. Offering trouble-free solutions and resolving issues quickly are just a couple ways companies can show customers they are listening. However, it is critical for organizations to listen across all channels in order to get to the heart of what customers need, actively showing customers they are listening and taking tangible steps based on their feedback.

Leverage customer data.

Analyzing data gathered throughout the customer lifecycle is the best way to gauge organizational performance when it comes to meeting and even exceeding customer expectations. It also offers the opportunity for companies to take a hard look at their processes and identify any hiccups or issues that may have developed. Combining this data with analytics further enables organizations to identify emerging customer patterns and behaviors, creating opportunities to develop products and services that anticipate their needs.

Foster a sense of accountability.

A company’s goals and values need to be aligned behind maximizing customer value and growth. Every team member -- from contact center agents to the CEO -- should play a role in driving a stellar customer experience. Moreover, when a decision is made or news is announced regarding the customer experience, business leaders need to clarify not only how this will impact the customers but also how it will impact employees. Ensuring everyone, from the top-down, understands why a decision was made is the first step towards nurturing a sense of accountability, driving team members and setting a good example right off the bat.

Be bold.

Often times organizations will yield incremental improvements if they listen to their customers, apply data and analytics, assign accountability and drive the required actions. However, sometimes setting a really far-reaching goal can drive a significant and transformative change. Aiming to accurately resolve all customer inquiries within an hour, for instance, may not be one hundred percent feasible, but it will create a sense of urgency amongst employees as they strive to reach a common goal. As a result, it has the potential to improve an organization’s overall resolution time and customer happiness.

Celebrate customer experience wins.

Organizations rarely take a step back to acknowledge how the changes they make have driven tangible improvements to the customer experience and driven positive business outcomes. Further acknowledging those employees that have gone above and beyond to create spectacular customer relationships is an effective way to showcase company-wide appreciation for their efforts. Recognizing employee achievements in regards to customer experience fosters an understanding of how each and every team member provides value by pushing the company towards the same goal.

As technology continuously evolves, the way consumers interact with organizations will change with it. As a result, it is important for organizations to build their culture around one goal -- delivering positive customer experiences. Achieving this goal is an ongoing journey that an organization and all of its team members must be committed to and one that will ultimately increase loyalty and revenue.