According to a study, the majority of companies in Germany are aware of the importance of consistent customer orientation, but many continue to underestimate the importance of digitalization. Modern technology not only helps to increase customer loyalty and boost sales, but also to simplify processes and save costs.
We show strategies on how companies can use both software and soft skills – which are still important – to work in a more customer-oriented way. Because appropriate measures play a role for companies of all sizes and in all sectors – and are not as costly to implement as some people think.
What is customer-oriented work?
Customer-oriented work means focusing on the needs and expectations of customers. To achieve this, companies analyze customer wishes, optimize products or services accordingly and strive for the highest level of customer satisfaction through individual solutions and excellent service. This may sound obvious, but it is not.
We explain where things often get stuck and what opportunities companies have to act in a truly customer-oriented way.
1st tip: Honestly assess the status quo of customer orientation
According to a review by Prof. Dr. Haas, employees rate their customer orientation higher than customers or superiors. This means that although the teams themselves consider themselves to be service-oriented, they are not. Why is that?
Customer-oriented work is hindered, for example, by
- Dissatisfaction within the team: according to Prof. Dr. Haas, job satisfaction and personal commitment to the company have a major influence on whether customer service is truly customer-oriented. Shortcomings in the corporate culture quickly have an impact on customers.
- Doubtful customer understanding: Companies do not always understand the actual needs and expectations of their customers. They may have ideas about what their customers need, but no up-to-date and well-founded analyses at hand.
- Overloaded customer service: Slow response times and incompetent or misleading communication can affect customer satisfaction. This can result in the customer journey being ended prematurely.
- Lack of flexibility: Rigid company structures can hinder adaptation to individual customer needs.
Overemphasis on sales: Focusing on short-term sales targets instead of long-term customer relationships can be counterproductive.
Do any of these issues sound familiar? Fortunately, all these problems can be solved. With modern technology and clever planning, you can not only improve your company’s customer focus, but also its efficiency. Various departments are involved – not only customer service, but also the product department, marketing, sales and management. We show you where companies can start.
2nd tip: Really put the customer at the center
In order to work in a customer-oriented manner, a mindset is required that places the customer and their behavior at the heart of all company activities. At the information level, it is about looking at problems from the customer’s perspective and developing solutions at the product level that offer real added value.
A prominent example of meticulous customer orientation is the Amazon “Empty Chair” rule. Jeff Bezos introduced this method to ensure that customer wishes are always at the forefront of decision-making. At meetings, one chair is left empty, symbolizing the customer. This reminds all participants that they should take the customer’s point of view and never ignore customer wishes.
Although this measure is exemplary, it is not enough to change the mindset of all employees in the long term.
More is needed to establish values:
- Clear vision: formulate a clear, compelling vision that reflects your focus on customer orientation and communicate this vision to all employees.
- Managers as role models: Managers must credibly exemplify customer-oriented work. Then the employees will also follow suit.
Training courses: Offer training to impart skills and knowledge that support the new mindset. - Feedback and recognition: Establish a system that assesses and rewards customer-oriented work.
Adaptation of processes: Individual departments may need to adapt their processes and find new ways to always keep the customer’s wishes in mind. - Share successes: Have you been able to measurably increase your company’s customer focus? Celebrate this success and show everyone how important this topic is!
3rd tip: Collect relevant data and understand customers better
Of course, you can only focus on your customers’ wishes if you know what they want. This is where a CRM system can help you.
A CRM system collects detailed information on every customer contact, whether through direct communication, sales channels or digital engagement. This data provides information about the individual needs and preferences of customers.
Example of more customer orientation through data analysis:
If you track which newsletter subscribers click on which links within a newsletter, you can draw conclusions about their interests and send them suitable offers. The goal: happy customers and more sales.
Are you not currently using a CRM tool but would like to change this? We are happy to offer you customized CRM consulting! We have implemented hundreds of successful projects in the
customer service and CX projects and know the requirements and corresponding solutions inside out.
4th tip: Analyze data better with business intelligence
If you have collected a lot of data, it can be very time-consuming to analyze it manually. If you want to be supported by modern technology, you can use Business Intelligence. BI enables companies to gain valuable insights into customers from the flood of data that is generated every day.
Example of BI at customer level:
Business intelligence can analyze customer data from social media to identify sentiments and opinions about products. If many customers express similar suggestions for improvement, companies can use this information to adapt their products.
5th tip: Use customer feedback to improve products
Of course, you can also use customer feedback directly to adapt products or services even better to your customers’ needs.
This is how you proceed:
- Evaluation: Collect and analyze feedback, for example through surveys, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your product
- Prioritization: Determine which feedback occurs most frequently and prioritize it for improvement.
- Product development: Integrate the findings into product development to optimize features or develop new ones.
- Communication: Inform customers about changes based on their feedback to show appreciation and encourage customer loyalty.
- Continuous optimization: Make the collection and implementation of customer feedback an integral part of your product development cycles.
6th tip: Speed up customer service response times
A lack of staff or tight budgets can mean that customer service cannot keep up with answering inquiries. This is where software like Zendesk comes in handy to speed up the process.
Zendesk offers a central platform for communicating with customers. The software makes it possible to record and process inquiries from different channels such as email, social media, chat or telephone in a standardized system. This leads to faster and more coherent responses.
Zendesk also offers functions for self-service management, such as knowledge databases and customer forums, which enable customers to find answers to their questions themselves.
Example:
As Zendesk experts, we specialize in improving our customers’ customer service. Globetrotter, one of our customers, was able to reduce response times to customer inquiries from over 8 hours to around 4 hours in three months by implementing Zendesk. We improved transparency across all communication channels and facilitated the integration of existing chatbot and survey tools. Our goal was to find an omni-channel customer service solution that could be used globally and remain compatible with existing tools to reduce the manual effort for the customer service team. When employees can act more efficiently, their satisfaction increases – not just that of the customers.
7th tip: Really listen to customers
When the flood of emails decreases thanks to Zendesk, your customer service employees have more time for other tasks, such as phone calls. This is where soft skills come into play. Friendly interaction includes active listening, for example.
Active listening is about not just hearing what the customer is saying, but understanding the entire message that the other person is trying to convey.
This includes
- Letting the speaker finish without interrupting.
- Summarizing what was heard and asking questions to make sure the message was understood correctly.
- Expressing empathy and recognizing emotional undertones.
- Avoiding hasty judgments or advice.
This type of interaction can be an expression of a healthy corporate culture and helps to set you apart from the competition. Active listening also builds trust, strengthens the relationship with the customer and shows respect for the speaker.
8th tip: Use customer-oriented formulations
In direct customer contact, for example by email, friendly and appropriate wording is important to give customers a good feeling.
But how do you use customer-oriented wording? Here are a few examples:
- “We have received your inquiry and will ensure that it is processed as quickly as possible.”
- “Thank you for your feedback. It helps us to continuously improve our service for you.”
- “We understand that this is not ideal for you. Let’s work together to find a solution that meets your expectations.”
9th tip: Make processes more flexible
Flexible processes are crucial for customer-oriented work, as they enable companies to react quickly and effectively to individual customer needs and market requirements.
They facilitate the adaptation of products or services and the personalization of customer communication. In addition, problems and inquiries can be solved in a more customer-friendly way, as it is not necessary to proceed strictly according to a rigid scheme, but can respond to the customer individually.
10th tip: Be transparent with customers
Transparency creates trust and strengthens communication between customers and companies. Honest information about products, services and business processes enables customers to make informed decisions. This clarity promotes a positive customer relationship: customers feel valued when they see that the company has nothing to hide and is honest with them.
