Ensuring a sustainable customer experience is a long term project. Sustainability represents the continuity of your business now and in the future. To ensure customers grow together with their businesses, companies need to invest time in meeting customers where they are. Customer satisfaction plays an essential role in the success of any business, and CCC always seeks to build a solid relationship with its valued customers. But how can companies achieve this level of excellence?
Building sustainable customer experience strategy
In CCC, we recognise our responsibility towards our stakeholders through improved corporate governance, rigorous and transparent reporting of environmental metrics, minimising environmental impacts, creating a safe and motivating workplace, conducting business ethically, respecting human rights, and building long-term partnerships. Our sustainability strategy is based on the pillars of sustainable development, and our efforts focus on providing growth in a sustainable and equitable way for future generations. Integrating sustainability within the company strategy has led to the achievement of social, environmental, and economic goals, which subsequently enhance our customer’s satisfaction.
To facilitate the integration of sustainability across the company, a solid internal pledge has to be established, grounded upon specific strategies, procedures, and structures. Our ISO certified, environmental management system (EMS), corporate policies, camp manual, green construction guideline, and supply chain sustainability assessment tool are examples of how we embed responsible practices in our decision making and operations. We have also established procedures to monitor sustainability metrics and track local as well as global developments.
We are specialised in the construction of megaprojects (either civil or mechanical), across the MENA region, and we have completed eight certified green building projects. We are currently managing seven major projects aiming for certification, worth in total 5 billion US dollars.
Combining customer satisfaction and business impact
Implementing the concept of sustainable construction and achieving green certification for such projects is a real challenge in this region due to the recent implementation of the green building concept in the areas where we operate. We recognise that construction companies play a vital role in promoting long-term sustainable value for society. Therefore, we are increasingly concentrating on the business opportunities of green building megaprojects, and for the near future, CCC is well placed as a leading Green solutions provider.
The company takes bold actions against global warming and has established energy efficiency and carbon footprint management programs. For example, we are is intensifying the reliance on renewable energy as a source of power for operations, investing in innovation to make the company’s fleet more environmentally friendly and deploying improved air-conditioning technologies that substantially reduce energy consumption on accommodation camps.
Additionally, drawing from CCC’s experience in green building and infrastructure projects, we apply sustainable best practices and circular economy principles in core categories such as site works, waste management, and energy conservation.
Overall, these specific and measurable actions in the past year have helped us make significant achievements: 9.7% of our carbon footprint was reduced, 22% of on-site water consumption was sourced from a recycled water source, and 67% of construction waste was either reused or recycled.
Building your CX programme with SDGs in mind
CCC has streamlined its corporate sustainability strategy with the UN’s SDGs for 2030. We are particularly committed to specific goals and follow targeted strategies. For instance, we resonate with SDG’s “#4-Quality Education” and “#8- Decent work & Economic Growth” by focusing on vocational training in the various countries where CCC has an operational presence.
The objective here is to empower the local workforce with technical skills and build competent manpower for our projects.
SDG’s “#9-Build Infrastructure & Foster Innovation” and “#11– Make Cities Sustainable” are directly relevant to our core activities of providing infrastructure that matters. CCC’s projects in transportation, water infrastructure, green building, and solar energy address global infrastructure needs and also provide sustainable solutions for the delivery of reliable energy, clean water, transportation, and housing.
SDG “#12– Sustainable consumption and production” SDG “#12– Sustainable consumption and production” for CCC translates into taking responsibility for how materials are sourced, used, and disposed of throughout the life cycle of projects.
Applying conscientious material procurement, using advanced technology, and following circular economy principles, significantly reduce projects’ environmental impacts. On-site sewage treatment systems, reuse of construction waste and recycling materials are some of the targeted practices CCC applies.
Business benefits of investing in sustainable customer experience
In every country, we operate in, and as part of our core values, we strive to add value to the local economy by applying a comprehensive local content strategy. We contribute to the development of our host countries by supporting local recruitment, building regional business relations, procuring local materials, and transferring expertise. CCC also contributes to the local social welfare of the communities where it executes its projects by assessing the needs and working with authorities and institutions to satisfy them. For instance, the company contributes to local schools, roads, and hospitals either through voluntary work or by financing some of these development plans that help to facilitate the company’s operations as well. Last year, 19% of our workforce was hired from the local market where we operate, 59% of our business partners were locally situated, and 51% of the construction material was locally sourced
In conclusion, customer satisfaction is a crucial component in ensuring the sustainability of any organisation. Customer satisfaction is a measure of how the services of a company meet or surpass client’s expectations. Our clients expect high-quality services and exceptional experiences. We should understand what they are seeking and continuously improve the quality of our services to meet their needs and expectations.
Samir is a Judge at the Gulf Sustainability and CSR Awards 2020.
This article is co-authored with Lila Aggelopoulou, Sustainability and Communications Coordinator at CCC.