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Fundamental Truths That Define How Organizations Treat Customers - Law #3

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Jun 1 2009

In previous pieces I've spent time examining what Bruce Temkin, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research on customer experience, calls "The 6 Laws of Customer Experience." These rather tongue-in-cheek "laws" actually provide a great deal of wisdom about the challenges organizations face in providing their customers with the best possible experience in their everyday interactions.

Today I'll look at Law # 3: "Customer familiarity breeds alignment."

I agree with Temkin's take on the problem organizations experience, across industries, in trying to align internal business goals with the goal of building customer relationships and providing superior experience. As Temkin points out, "not many people wake up in the morning and say "today, I want to make life miserable for our customers."  And yet, more often than not, companies end up annoying, frustrating and even upsetting their customers with bad interactions.

So what does go wrong? Where is the disconnect? Temkin attributes it to a lack of cooperation or coordination across organizations. In my own experience, I have often seen companies, with the best of intentions for their customers, create internal roadblocks to sharing or coordinating customer strategies or insights.

What steps does Temkin suggest to start companies down the road to improving customer experience?

  • Don't wait for organizational alignment. Temkin suggests that companies start improving their interactions with customers immediately by focusing on customer needs to align company decisions and actions. Structural change will come over time.
  • Broadly share customer insight. Front-line employees are not the only members of an organization to affect customer experience. Therefore, it's important for as many people in the organization as possible to understand customers, which he calls the silent alignment process.
  • Talk about customer needs, not personal preferences. Instead of members of an organization discussing what they think customers want or like, it's important to focus on what is known about customers and their needs. The more information about customers informs decision making, the better the customer experience.

Temkin's bottom line: "An external focus in an antidote to internal politics."

What about your organization? Do you think your customer strategy is built on customer insight, or simply on what your organization thinks your customers want?   Or have you had a recent experience with a company that has left you annoyed, frustrated or worse yet, has caused you to take your business elsewhere?

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