| Getting people to deliver the customer experience
The ‘people’ factor is one of the most important determinants of customer loyalty. The question is, how do you electrify and energize people in your organisation? How do you align them with your customer-focused strategy? The answer lies in the following four key factors that are critical to successful employee alignment:
Recruit the right people
If you wonder what getting and keeping the right employees has to do with getting and keeping the right customers, the answer is everything” says Frederick Reicheld in his book ‘The Loyalty Effect’. What’s critical is that you first identify the fundamental behaviors and values your brand requires and then recruit people on the basis of those behaviors and values.
Train them right
Develop training that teaches people not just what the core behaviors are but how to live them for customers. Focus on training that enables people to turn brand values into competitive advantage.
Reward the right brand behaviors
The soft stuff needs a hard side. You need to develop metrics for evaluating the use and impact of core and specific brand behaviors and then align reward and recognition systems with these metrics.
Demonstrate the right brand behaviors from the top
Senior managers need to set the example. The way they treat employees is reflective of how employees will treat customers. Leaders must communicate a sense of purpose and constantly reinforce the values of the organisation. They must also remember the connection between what colleagues want and what customers want. Above all, they must encourage colleagues to observe and challenge the organisation through customers’ eyes.
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