How to Build a Customer-Centric Workplace Culture
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Whether businesses realize it or not, customer-centric culture is critical for businesses these days. Cutting-edge brands and companies know this and are setting the trends, rather than chasing them. Before it can be effectively implemented into a company, however, it’s first important to understand exactly what customer-centric culture means.
To put it as simply as possible, a customer-centric culture means everyone in a company understand the value of the brand, what the brand means to customers and how to deliver that brand meaning to customers on a regular basis. This doesn’t mean the company gives the customers everything they want. It means that what the customers value most about the brand is focused and delivered upon, so that it works with the company’s business strategy and overall promise. For example, customers may want small television screens in the backs of airplane seats, but if this means tickets will increase, then giving customers TV screens in airplane seats is a bad idea. Customer-centric culture is about effectively balancing these customer wants and desires with what’s good for the company.
Of course, it’s easy to sum up a customer-centric culture in just a few words. It’s much harder to convince your employees to think and work in this fashion. Below are some suggestions for doing just that and creating an organic, customer-centric culture amongst employees, so that everyone is working for the same common goal with the customers in mind.
Communicate a Customer-Centered Vision to Each Employee
Clearly and succinctly communicate the customer-centered vision of the company to every employee. If all employees see and understand the ultimate goals of the company and how it wants to be seen and hopes to grow, then they will feel a part of that goal. Providing your employees with a common objective to work toward and focus on will help change their mindset, so that they feel valued as employees and committed to the work that they do.
Offer Rewards for Supporting this Customer-Centric Vision
To further inspire and push the customer-centric vision and culture within the workplace, create an environment where rewards are given to employees who are most aligned with the customer-centric vision on a regular basis. What this is will obviously vary from company to company, as will the rewards. But they can include things like gift cards, quarterly parties, or bonuses. These incentives should inspire employees but also serve as an example of what the ideal work environment should be like within the company.
Create a Relaxed, Fun Work Environment
Going to work should be an enjoyable experience, one that doesn’t seem like work but an addition to your employees’ lives. By creating this kind of workplace culture, your employees will be better able to accept the customer-centric philosophy your company establishes and enable them to feel like a valuable part of the business.
You can create a fun work environment in many ways. Including fun things to do at the office, like ping pong and pool tables, to organizing fun group activities after work as well as employee parties. Providing employees with alternate and flexible work schedules that can be organized with staff-scheduling software like When I Work can help employee morale.
The When I Work software allows for online employee scheduling, so people can work when they’re available. This means employees have the freedom to create their own work schedules. A company that has the ability to give its employees this type of flexibility is highly valued and will benefit from happy employees who are dedicated to their work.
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