Customer Delight: Waves of Change

No Strategy is borne or executed in a vacuum, and the customer delight principle is no less subject to the environment in which it is implemented. Today’s market is far different from any of the past. It poses problems of seemingly insurmountable difficulty. In these challenging times, the attention of several writers has focused on what is being labeled “the new economy” and how it seems to be changing the rules of productivity, growth, and profitability how it is changing the very ways we conduct business. The expanding economy places a premium on retaining both high-valued customers and dedicated employees were underappreciated and often “downsized” out of their jobs. Businesses must adapt to their rapidly evolving market. The marketing department is one of the primary corporate departments that can help effect this change, and it’s capabilities to assist evolution. In general business must become three things:

1.       More” Outside-focused,” because that is where revenues come from.

2.       More long-term-oriented, because long-term customer relationships are the key to revenues.

3.       More focused on service excellence because delighting customer is the key to long-term success.

Customer delight being outside focused is very easy to spot. The focus on the customer, delighting him or her and in so doing building long-term relationships, long-term success can be easily achieved. These three things can be practiced in any business enterprise, though the outlook tends to be more prevalent in the service sector or where the servicing component can be made an important point of differentiations. Too many companies long for relationships with their customers. The truth of the matter is, it’s a one sided longing. While some do, most customers don’t long to establish a relationship with a company. The truth of the relationship goal is the marketer’s perspective that with a relationship, customers will be less likely to leave. This means that the underlying strategy is retention; establishing to help accomplish that goal.

As a long-term view of customer relationship is adopted, loyalty becomes a desire for both the company and the customers. To earn loyalty, the company has to be willing to evince long-term commitment toward its most valuable employees. Companies need to treat their employees better in order to retain them longer and to encourage them to give better service that customers are seeking. Many business organizations have begun to recognize the need of customer delight and excellence. “Your satisfaction is guaranteed.” This statement is self-evident. Dissatisfied customers are bad for business. They don’t come back and all too often, they tell their friends why. If dissatisfied customers are bad for business, then satisfied customers are good for business. Nothing is more important than satisfying the customer. Everybody talks about customer satisfaction but few companies measure it and even fewer implement it.