2014 was regarded by many as the year for mid-sized enterprises to ensure their mobile platforms – mobile apps, mobile payments, and mobile-friendly websites – are in place and functioning at a high-level. For those companies who have accomplished this, well done. Now, as we head into 2015, it’s important to keep all mobile and other platforms moving forward and current. But in 2015, we are also shifting into the year of customer centricity. Customer centricity isn’t just about offering a deal every once in awhile to repeat customers – it is much more than that. A customer centric organisation’s business is built entirely around the customer. It understands the customer’s value and what the customer represents to the business’s profitability. With this knowledge, a customer centric organisation tailors everything they do – from R&D to sales – to deliver the best value at the right cost to their customer.

In 2015, looking to implement these five strategies will ensure your customer centricity is on par with that of the best.

1. Identify Your Team
In 2014, we found that more than a third of survey respondents to Sage’s Business Index survey saw increased customer loyalty as the means by which they would grow their business over the next year (1). This is important because it shows that businesses understand the benefit of a happy customer regardless of whether the customer is providing positive reviews and comments online or recruiting new customers. However, in my mind, this realisation is not as essential as actually implementing customer loyalty programs and rewards. More importantly—before implementation—you must have the right individuals in place to formulate loyalty programs and then execute. Does your company have an identified person or team whose responsibility it is to create customer loyalty programs? Are these individuals aware of the company’s customer loyalty vision and goals? If not, now is the time to delegate these tasks. At Sage, we’ve identified the right individuals among our customer service teams across the globe. With precise communication, our teams are able to stay connected and in agreement with the same goals and purpose.

2. Be Available – At All Times And In Multiple Ways
While your “business hours” may be somewhere around the typical 9-6, the hours in which your customer uses your product may not be the same. We’ve all likely experienced the frustration of needing customer support after normal work hours. By offering your costumers service at anytime, you’re not only helping solve problems, but are building a satisfied customer that can lead to consistent loyalty, positive word of mouth, and less negative online chatter. While there may be additional costs spent in these efforts, there is financial value in the positive outcomes.

Availability shouldn’t stop at one point during the day; customer service should be easy for a customer to access and receive. It can be frustrating for a customer to scour a company’s website searching for a point of contact and ultimately only find their way through a detailed Q&A culminating in a comment box. Solve this frustration by providing customers with easy to find, direct access to a human – not a recorded phone directory. You should have at least one direct email, phone number, and links to your social media pages within eyeshot of your website’s homepage. Take UK’s online and telephone banking company First Direct for example. They ranked first in a 2014 Which? customer service survey. On their homepage, you’re provided with two phone numbers for new users, one phone number for account holders, an email contact address, a link to more contact options, and also an invitation to Tweet them where they are “here to help 24 7 365.” I don’t think I would have trouble seeking help, do you?

3. Don’t Hide Behind Automated Platitudes
Automated responses can lead to many unhappy customers. Automated responses do nothing to help the customer, except keep them momentarily placid. For instance, UK train stations use automated responses when trains are late. The text content is an apology, but doesn’t give detailed information about when or why the train is late and what will happen next. This leaves the riders in the dark as to what they can expect and often creates a negative reaction. Rail companies are shifting to fix the robotic nature of automation by interacting with travellers via social media, direct messaging, and in person. Travellers can get the latest rail travel news, including any rail network disruption and advice on alternative routes, through Twitter and Facebook channels. They’ve also configured to send riders text messages, tweets or emails when their train is delayed or cancelled. By staff actually walking out onto the platform to speak directly and frankly to travellers, they are minimising frustrations.

4. Confront Online Chatter
With consumers and competitors now living in an online, social media world, they have access to your social media pages and countless public review sites where they can also vent their frustrations. This negative online chatter could impact your business as it spreads rapidly to potential customers when deciding to make a purchase. To mitigate this undesirable presence, make sure your virtual presence is sophisticated, personal, and timely. Consumers appreciate the personal tone and presence of corporation’s online channels. Through social media, you have the opportunity to interact on this personal level with current and prospective customers. Having a team in place to assess social media discussions places your team on the front line, allowing you to stay on top of any negative comments and also positive feedback. Nascar is one of the most fan-centric sports brands in the industry, and by partnering with Hewlett-Packard to develop a social media command center, they are staying in tune with fan feedback in real time.

5. Act On Feedback
Earlier I mentioned customer centricity at the R&D level. How does this happen? By digesting customer feedback and using it to alter or advance your product. Positive feedback is like gold – it allows you to rejoice in your hard work, but is also a reminder to continue upgrading so it is a premium product or service. Keep in mind that negative or constructive feedback provides keen insight into how you can better your product. What are customers complaining about? Is it in the production? The offering? The difficulty of use? Use this information at the R&D level to guide you in enhancing your product or offering. It’s important for workers at all levels to be exposed to other areas of the business as to not lose sight of the company as a whole. This creates organisations that react to change, and to customer demand, along product or departmental lines. Companies who are able to react to customer feedback and demand have a much higher chance of taking off at a rapid pace, such as France’s fastest growing 2014 tech companies Creads, Uplike, and Lima.

Many businesses lose track of their customer and purpose over time and end up focusing on only processes and outputs. With these customer centric focused strategies, your company can better understand what the customer needs and your organisation will be positioned for profitability, growth, and sustainability.

(1) The Sage Business Index 2014. Available online at http://www.sage.com/~/media/group/images/media/business%20index/the-sage-business-index-2014-v7-final.pdf.

ABOUT BENOIT GRUBER
Benoît Gruber joined Sage in 2008 and is the VP of Corporate Communication for Sage ERP X3. He is responsible for Product Management & Marketing for Sage ERP X3 globally, and is in charge of ensuring that the Operating Company (OpCo) teams are aligned behind the product strategy. He also serves as the Sage ERP X3 solution expert in relationships with thought leaders, analysts and press. Prior to working at Sage, Benoît worked at SAP (from 2000-2008), where he held a variety of marketing and product management positions before becoming Sr. Industry Principle (Product & Business Development). He was a member of the EMEA Manufacturing Industries Business Group. Prior to working at SAP, Benoît worked for management consulting and technology services companies dedicated to ERP, Business Intelligence and new technologies. Benoît has also owned a company in the Media and Publishing sectors.

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