To be clear, that doesn’t mean that if a complete arse walks into your establishment and disrespects everyone you should bow to his needs, but what it means is that any brand that is rooted in the customer needs can’t go wrong.
So what does being customer-centric actually mean?
- Firstly, listening. You know the saying… two ears one mouth. But are you really listening to your customers? Have you taken the time to understand their needs and drivers and the specific problem that needs solving?
- Once you’ve nailed what the problem is, it’s time to work out how you’re going to solve it. And then go back to the customer with your proposed solution to check it’s actually what they want.
- If you get a positive response, keep going. If not, it’s time to flex and stretch ’til what you have works for them.
- Once you’ve finally cracked it, tell them about how you’ve made changes in line with what you’ve heard them say. Show that you actually care about their needs.
- Then keep checking in to make sure your solution still works for them. And if at any point they indicate they’re not getting what they need, shift again. And tell them you’ve shifted again.
- We call this the continuous loop of improvement.
