THE ART OF CUSTOMER CENTRICITY Harnessing technology to surprise and delight customers in moments that matter

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The Art of Customer Centricity

In today’s digital world, businesses must put their customers at the very heart of everything they do.

‘Customer centricity’ is one of the most talked about and sought-after brand qualities, yet one of the hardest to achieve. Consistently great customer

ever more competitive marketplaces. And the penalties for those that fail can be harsh.

New advances in technology should render maintaining these relationships seamless. Yet, many organisations struggle to act on the intelligence they acquire, overwhelmed by the amount of data they receive.

How can your brand really understand and surpass people’s expectations? This series of articles looks at how your organisation can adopt

truly customer centric.

Toys “R” Us is making preparations for a liquidation of its bankrupt U.S. operations. The heritage toy retailer entered bankruptcy in September 2017 when it couldn't keep up in today's quickly changing service climate, whilst competitors with more digitalised and agile shopping experiences sped ahead of the game.

Chicago Tribune - 25 September 2017Bloomberg - 9 March 2018

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The Art of Customer Centricity

Research from Kantar TNS reveals that most companies fail to leave a lasting positive impression on their customers.

70% unaected

10-15% disappointed

15-20% enchanted

Indeed, 10-15% of customers surveyed were disappointed or even angry about their last interaction with a brand. Whether caused by a badly handled complaint, broken ATM, or an ignored query, customer dissatisfaction was instantaneous and driven by varying factors.

And at the other end of the scale, just 15-20% of customers were left ‘enchanted’ after a brand interaction resulting in a strong positive emotion.

The vast majority, 70%, were simply una�ected, the interaction was neither positive nor negative. This simply isn’t good enough in today’s hyper competitive world, where low barriers to switching have placed the power �rmly with the customer.

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The Art of Customer Centricity

What should you do?

In an age where brands struggle to di�erentiate and people have instant choice, your organisation will only be successful if you:

Deliver consistent and reliable products and services without fail

Create delightful and memorable experiences during moments that matter

Reinforce brand choice and loyalty

Be clear about what your brand stands for, and deliver experiences that match your brand promise

This is certainly easier said than done, especially as when a service fails somewhere along the customer journey, another o�er may be just a click away.

And, when switching is easier than �ling a complaint form, if your company is merely monitoring operational KPIs, such as the number of complaints, you may be missing the overall picture.

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The Art of Customer Centricity

Mastering the art of customer centricity

“We’re not competitor obsessed, we’re customer obsessed. We start with what the customer needs and we work backwards.”

- Je� BezosAmazon CEO

What does it mean then, to truly master the art of customer centricity? A customer feedback process must be �rmly rooted in your company’s DNA. Data must be accessible by every facet of your organisation, and seamless processes must be in place to ensure responses are timely and coordinated.

Customer experience management platforms play a huge role, instantly capturing customer feedback and relaying it to the right person within your organisation. And where necessary, allowing you to close the loop with those who’ve had a negative experience.

These platforms also allow performance to be benchmarked, and �ag where improvements are needed. When used well, these feedback loops create a continuous cycle of intelligence gathering, action and improvement.

A customer feedback process must be �rmly rooted in your company’s DNA.

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The Art of Customer Centricity

The �rst wave of personal computers had limited functions, and the real value of this technology was only realised when more sophisticated software and capabilities came to market. Software demands drove hardware developments such as processing power, screens and other features.

The same is true for customer experience technology: the real value of feedback systems is driven by how companies apply them on a daily basis.

First, the data must be directed to the right place, so a response can be prepared. Feedback systems alone won’t solve the problem, humans must interpret and act upon the data collected.

Without supporting systems in place - to direct the data to the right people, and train them on how to respond to it - your employees would not know how, where and when to act.

You must also link customer performance scores to operational and �nancial data. In this way, you can understand whether the system is working:

Are you managing to increase overall customer loyalty and increase your market share?

Are your employees engaged and delivering against your company's objectives?

And how do you integrate other data sources to obtain a more accurate picture of what’s really happening?

These are only a few examples of the many considerations and transformations required to achieve real customer centricity, yet they help reveal the level of complexity it requires.

Feedback systems alone won’t solve the problem, humans must interpret and act upon the data collected.

Why do companies with the right technology still struggle to achieve customer centricity?

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The Art of Customer Centricity

Where to start

The path to customer centricity is a challenging one, but if you embrace this challenge, you will reap the

will help you master this journey.

Stage 1: Understand and prioritise

1. AuditStart by auditing the maturity ofthe existing customer experience(CX) systems and activities withinyour company. What’s the currentcustomer strategy?

2. Map your customer journeyPut yourself in the shoes of a customerexperiencing your brand across your

journey from beginning to end.

3.Prioritise when and where to actNot all moments along the journey areequal. Which touchpoints should yourcompany optimise for maximum return?

Stage 2: Tackle the detail

4. Tailor your technology platformWhich features do you require froma technology platform? Who needsaccess to the results and what type ofinformation do these users require?Do you want to be able to set hotalerts, close the loop with customers, and integrate other data sources?

strategy and ambition of becoming truly customer-centric? Can you align your existing KPIs with these? Set targets to meet them.

Stage 3: Align your company culture

6. Break out of company silosIncorporate a solid governancestructure. How will your entireorganisation successfully live andbreathe customer centricity, and whoneeds to be involved?

7. Train and empower the right peopleWho will work with your data and

feedback? Create inspiring training

close the loop where necessary.

8. Stellar 360-degree communication

is essential to get the buy-in and

work with customer feedback.

ensures that customers are willing to provide their feedback.

Stage 4: Monitor the present and anticipate the future

9. Unlock the power of foresightLink customer feedback with other datasources and apply predictive analytics. How does employee engagementcontribute to the satisfaction andloyalty of your customers?

10. Activate change Ensure your initiatives are centred

on customer moments and emotions.Engage your employees with theseprojects and always use customerfeedback to gauge success.

from implementing a range of service design improvements.

bene�ts. The ten steps outlined here

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The Art of Customer Centricity

Kantar TNS: Your trusted partner for the road ahead

Mastering the art of customer centricity is a di�cult and sometimes bumpy road for any business. Kantar TNS has decades of experience helping you navigate these twists and turns – whether it’s improving an existing CX programme or integrating a customer-�rst culture – it’s our long-standing philosophy that customer centricity is critical for a thriving business.

It’s about �nding the sweet spot between the customer’s needs and expectations and delivering pro�table growth to your business.

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Kantar TNS: Your trusted partner for the road ahead

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The Art of Customer Centricity

Susanne O’Gorman is Global Head of Customer Experience for Kantar’s Insights division, where she

is responsible for leading the

expertise in customer research, and implementing best practice across 80+ markets.

Based in Munich, Susanne has worked in the area of customer experience management for over twenty years. She has provided consultancy services to large multinationals, and has extensive knowledge of the Technology industry.

e: susanne.ogorman@kantar.com t: +49 (0)89 5600 1326

About Kantar TNS

Kantar TNS is one of the world’s largest research agencies with experts in over 90 countries.

With expertise in innovation, brand and communication, shopper activation and customer experience, we help our clients identify, optimise and activate the moments that matter to drive growth for their business.

We are part of Kantar, one of the world’s leading data, insight and consultancy companies.

Find out more at www.tnsglobal.com

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