What Is a Customer-Centric Organization?

Afsheen Chitnis
Member

Posted 19-Dec-2004 08:46 AM
Dear david

What is a Customer centric Organization? What is your point of view and if there are other definitions please note them.

Thank You

Afsheen Chitnis

David Rance
Guru
Member

Posted 23-Dec-2004 05:05 AM
Afsheen

In my view a customer-centric organisation is one where the customer is at tbe heart of everything the company does; not just a marketing slogan or a culture programme. One definition is: A company organised to develop and maintain long-term mutually, trusting and profitable relationships with customers. It’s the way the whole organisation relates to customers at every customer touch point, decision point and influencing point. It's about aligning the business to be consistent and cost effective. The customer experience is at the heart of the business and is fully reflected in the metrics used to drive operational performance. The acid test is seeing customer service people measured and rewarded. If it is purely on customer satisfaction, then there is a good chahnge that the company is customer-centric. Another tell-tale sign is how improvements to products, processes and policies are initiated. If it's from customers or those who serve them, the company is probably customer-centric.

In our experience there are 5 key enablers that have to be consistent or aligned:

- Business leadership (company vision, brand values, goals etc)
- Customer strategy—managing the customer thorugh the lifecycle and aligning marketing, sales, customer service and collections
- Organisation design—how the company is organised and its culture (including the reward & recognition, decision-making authority)
- Information architecture—the technology that underpins the customer experience and
- Performance measures—How people are measured acorss the business and at all levels

I hope that answers your question. If you need more information, please let me know.

Best regards,

David

David is a specialist in customer centricity—helping companies put customers at the heart of their business.

Afsheen Chitnis
Member

Posted 23-Dec-2004 12:07 PM
David

Can you explain more about the enablers you have mentioned in your reply.

Thank You

Afsheen Chitnis