Real Customer Focus is about listening to your customers and understanding their specific issues and challenges. The response you give to your customers must be tailored to them, this is not a size fits all, customers do have the right to choose. The majority of customers want a Partner of Trust, are you that partner? Once you have listened, it’s about offering a service that both parties can agree adds value to the ongoing working relationship.

Customer Focus is understanding the needs of (internal and external) customers, taking action and ownership to resolve problems, exceed expectations and develop business.

Responds to needs:

– Responds to the immediate needs of customers.

– Is polite and helpful towards customers.

– Maintains professionalism with customers at all times.

– Follows through on customer problems, enquiries and requests.

Addresses underlying needs:

– Sees things from the customer’s perspective.

– Seeks feedback from customers to understand their expectations and perspective.

– Understands the customer’s issues, challenges and business.

– Demonstrates adaptability in meeting specific customer needs.

– Goes the extra mile to deliver excellent customer service.

– Builds on-going contact and relationships with customers.

Builds partnerships:

– Uses deep understanding of customer needs to implement ideas that deliver value.

– Spots opportunities to develop business with customers.

– Initiates new products and processes to meet needs.

– Is an ambassador for the customer within the business.

– Shares customer feedback with colleagues across the business to improve performance.

– Takes action to overcome obstacles that prevent excellent service.

Builds a customer focused culture:

– Builds a customer focused culture across the business.

– Benchmarks customer service against stretching standards.

– Uses customer feedback data to shape strategic direction.

– Removes organisational barriers that hold back effective service.

– Initiates new programmes and changes to improve customer satisfaction.

– Understands the wider national and international marketplace and competitive landscape.

When engaging with our customers we should always be looking ahead and not just at the here and now. We must engage the whole team in delivering customer focus; this is not just about the upfront engagement to secure work. Our delivery teams must understand the importance of good customer focus at all times to deliver on our promises. The final account and management of the finances are essential to ensure both parties are happy and we can look to move forward together. All three aspects of business are essential in working together in harmony to provide real customer focus, early engagement, delivery and settlement of the finances. One cannot work without the other – they are all equally important to the retention of happy customers. Customers are one of the two most important aspects of business, the other being your people including your supply chain.