Customer-centricity: from windowdressing to lived-in thinking

In this respect, the real estate agent occupies a special position. As a sales broker sitting at my kitchen table, beautiful vistas are sketched out in which a lot of attention will be paid to achieve the best result. The fact that representatives of that same real estate agency sit passively on the couch waiting for me to finish my rounds or even smoke in the garden is in stark contrast.

Here, customer-drivenness is fleshed out as a marketing or sales strategy, a form of window-dressing, and not as a mindset lived by the organization. But it can be done differently, and I found the perfect realtor (a lady, dear gentlemen realtors) who acted in my best interest in everything. And that's the bridge to the results of the first National Customer Drivenness Monitor conducted jointly by Blauw Research and CYS.

Because, in a general sense, we are moving forward in customer-driven thinking and action. Whether we are talking about the financial service provider, retailer or government agency, the idea that customer orientation should be at the basis of an organization's actions, even in good times, is pervasive everywhere. However, putting this into practice is still quite a task.

‍

In one in four organizations, the urgency to act customer-driven is completely clear

Not so long ago, customer thinking often equated to monitoring KPIs, and if they weren't up to par, it was down to research. How different it is anno 2018. So our research also shows: in three-quarters of the organizations, the urgency to act more customer-driven is clear. And in one in four organizations, the urgency is even clear to every employee. At my brokerage firm, that was really lived through. Every representative of the firm, treated me with the same passion and drive. They, like more and more organizations, are aware of the competitive landscape. Especially as disruptive thinkers begin to successfully stir in traditional markets. Listening to, collaborating with and acting on behalf of clients is then of paramount importance.

‍

On the road to adulthood

The more customer-driven is part of awareness, systems and actions, the more mature an organization is in this area. By analogy with the Temkin Group in the United States and their CX maturity model, we can say, based on our research in the Netherlands, that a quarter of the organizations have reached the status of mature customer-driven organization or are at least teetering on it as adolescents.

Many reasons are given to strive for that maximum stage of customer drivenness. Many respondents argue that the importance of ambassadors and loyal customers should not be underestimated. But even more relevant, it is not infrequently indicated that insufficient focus on the customer will herald a competitive disadvantage or even immediate bankruptcy. The interpretation given to this varies greatly among organizations. From window-dressing to lived-in thinking and everything in between. Wherever you stand and whatever your ambitions: being customer-driven starts with insight and awareness.