A case study by Brand Biology

There’s a saying that goes, ‘to the customer, your people are your company’. But a recent report by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services revealed that organisations implementing a customer centricity strategy are failing to invest where it arguably matters most – their employees.

“Making Customer-Centric Strategies Take Hold” uncovers some of the pitfalls that businesses, in their rush to differentiate themselves through the customer experience, are likely to encounter. And it starts at the top: fuzzy visions, unclear strategies and senior management who aren’t aligned.

The vision must come first, and be based on a clear understanding of what customer centricity actually means… to customers! What do they want, what do they value, what do they need? Business leaders need to bring their customers into the boardroom so they are at the centre of the strategy and the vision behind it.

But where the report really gets to grips with the challenges organisations face isn’t so much about the vision, but rather their ability to deliver it. Rather than talking customers, we’re talking employees. After all, they are where the company meets the customer, so their ability to deliver the vision is critical.

“Training is critical to organisational readiness,” the report states. “It builds awareness, drives buy-in and provides the needed capabilities for customer centricity efforts to move forward.”The survey respondents agreed, with nearly 80% believing it is very important. But worryingly, only 39% thought it was something that their organisation does well.

This points to a large proportion of businesses whose employees aren’t capable of ‘being’ customer centric. And the survey reports that they aren’t empowered to do so either, as only 33% said their employees understood the difference they could make.

So to succeed, the organisation also needs to understand its employees. What do they value and what’s going to engage them? What do they want and what do they need in order to do what’s being asked of them?

By bringing both customers and employees into the boardroom, organisations can build a vision that aligns to customer needs, and define a strategy that employees will buy into and be capable of delivering. And by investing their money in their people to deliver the strategy, they’ll reap the rewards in terms of ROI.

Case study – Endsleigh Insurance Services Limited
Against a backdrop of increasing competition and regulation, Endsleigh wanted to cement its position as the UK’s number one provider of insurance for students, graduates and young professionals, and took the strategic decision to really put the needs of its customers at the heart of the business.

A new COO brought in a vision of customer centricity. Endsleigh spent a lot of time listening to what customers wanted, and from this they were able to identify the key elements to focus on. But they also listened to their employees, to gain an understanding of where their challenges lay in delivering the desired customer experience. Working with Brand Biology, Endsleigh were able to engage and empower their people, and give them the capabilities they needed to create a different outcome.

And they’ve reaped the rewards. Employee engagement and commitment have increased. Net Promoter Scores and customer satisfaction have soared. Complaints are down, and renewals are up. All this translates into a direct and tangible impact on their bottom line -the investment in the part their people play in delivering customer centricity has paid off.

“This programme is a significant investment and is designed to equip people with the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deliver a powerful market-leading customer experience,” commented David Nichols, Interim Managing Director of Zurich Personal Lines and Endsleigh. “It supports our plans to make customers the number one priority within the business, providing a helpful and friendly service with intelligent needs-based selling at its core.”

Endsleigh was a finalist in the UK Financial Services Experience Awards.

In summary
With a clear and compelling vision of the future, organisations can start the process of engaging and empowering employees at every level to achieve it. Here are some principles to adhere to, to maximise success.

  • It must be relevant – success means every individual understands the difference they can make. Everything you do must be relevant not only to people’s roles, but to them as individuals too.
  • It must overcome resistance –make it a priority to understand the resistance that will stop people going on your journey with you, then actively confront it and work together to overcome the barriers to change.
  • It must demonstrate respect – people’s jobs are tough enough and change is never easy. So strive to demonstrate to your employees that they have your unwavering support in what you’re asking them to do, and that they’re empowered to do it.
  • It must reflect reality –actively confront the challenges people face while doing their jobs, and equip them to create a different outcome, even when nothing else has changed.
  • It must deliver a return on investment –measure every initiative in the right way to ensure it delivers against agreed KPIs, contributes to customer centricity, and ultimately builds brand loyalty in both customers and employees.

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OUR CONTRIBUTOR

Brand BiologyAbout Brand Biology

Brand Biology exists to increase its clients’ brand loyalty. Their tailored programmes – focussed on improving employee, customer and ultimately brand loyalty – produce the changes organisations need to win. Brand Biology works with national and multinational organisations across the UK and Ireland, EMEA, and the Americas, including Endsleigh, Zurich Personal Lines, Costa Express, Jaguar Land Rover and the Post Office. Their aim is to transform workplace behaviours and make corporate cultures more people-centric, to improve performance, boost brand loyalty and deliver a substantial return on investment.

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Employee Experience