Sundaymail Editor
“Either run the day or the day runs you.” – Jim Rohn
EVERY company’s dream is to have a lasting influence on its relationship with customers.
A positive impression will always turn into positive experiences and loyal customers.
The year 2021 began with a national lockdown that has greatly affected many businesses and customers.
However, this extraordinary tectonic shift in the operating landscape for both businesses and consumers requires migrating to digital platforms.
Traditional strategies are slowly getting out of fashion, and organisations are now increasingly creating their entire customers’ journey using a digital eye to create new customer experiences.
The digital realm requires customer involvement, as organisations seek to turn their customers from reactive customers to invested creators who give pointers on how the business should move forward.
- Customer Involvement all the way
Organisations make the mistake of leaving the customer out at the initial stage of creating ideas. Customers must be part of generating ideas on how the company should serve them, even during lockdown. Whatever ideas customers may have will be centered on consumer behaviour and their real pain points. Most of these customers have business experience and their objections and suggestions are from an informed point.
Thus, the company must know their target market’s preferences and consider their strategies based on those preferences. Doing this puts the end-goals at the beginning, and the final service or product will be up to the customers’ expectations.
- Board of Customers
Some companies have groups or boards of customers. The organisation uses this board to know more about their target customers, their expectations and how certain services can be bettered or served in a different way to their satisfaction. Most of the projects are run past the board for approval before implementation.
- Use customer journey for feedback
Whenever there are changes, organisations need to measure their effect and see if there are any benefits or challenges. It could be the new online payment platform or a new ordering system for the customers – organisations should solicit for feedback and see if the services are customer-friendly. The journey used by customers in using the new service must be known by the organisation as it helps gathering information. The same information is then used to come up with better products or services. Thus, in this lockdown, when movement and direct interaction is restricted, customers’ input is essential in serving them better.
- Make use of that feedback
When customers provide feedback, they also want to see change. Organisations must show their customers that they listen to them, and this can only be done when they communicate to them regarding the feedback they receive. Customers are humans too and they feel bad when their contributions are not considered. Incorporating their views will make them feel like they are being taken seriously and are part of the organisation. Suppose the target market prefers to transact using electronic mail over WhatsApp, the organisation must respect that choice and use the customers’ preferred form of doing business. This shows the customer that they are influential in business decisions. It also creates a bond with the brand.
- Monitor the system
The platforms to be used to interact with the customers must be tested regularly so that they are no recurrent complaints. For example, if a company and its customers agree to transact on certain social media platforms, awareness and testing must be done so as to inform them on where they can get in touch with the organisation. The more customers use the new online methods available to them to do business, the more they can see if there are any benefits or hurdles.
Thus, the organisation has the opportunity to correct anything that would be inhibiting customers from enjoying a smooth user experience. This can only be possible if there is a lot of organisation-customer liaison.
Businesses need to know that whatever operational strategy they will implement, it has to be customer-friendly. In fact, customers must be at the centre in coming up with online or offline methods to be used, be it in procurement, payment and delivery.
Big brands know that involving your customers or buyers helps in building bigger, long lasting and stronger brands.
Cresencia Marjorie Chiremba is a marketing enthusiast with a strong passion for customer service. For comments and suggestions, she can be reached on or on 0712 979 461.
Online Reporter