The Customer Focused Mindset

What is a Mindset?

A mindset is defined as the attitudes, inclinations, or beliefs of an individual. Those attitudes affect our actions.

What is a Customer-Focused Mindset?

A Customer-Focused Mindset is when attitudes and beliefs are aligned to help your customers in any way possible. Accordingly, you make sure they are confident that they are being treated with care and respect. And it starts the moment they contact your organization.

Creating a happy customer is crucial for any business looking to grow, thrive and stay ahead of the competition. When the whole company is ready with a customer-focused mindset, then you are ready to put your customer at the center of what you do. Basically, It starts from the product design and follows through to the sales and marketing strategies. Be invested in their needs and goals and prove that you are there to help achieve them.

Take a look at some key areas you can improve in order to foster a customer-focused mindset throughout your organization:

UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS

Start by talking to the customer. Conduct market research, analyze customer feedback, and gather data to identify needs, preferences, and pain points. This information will help you develop products and services that meet their needs and ultimately provide a better customer experience.

TRAIN AND EMPOWER EMPLOYEES

Your employees are the face of your business, and they play a crucial role in maintaining a customer-focused mindset.Train your employees to understand the importance of customer service, teach them how to LISTEN to customers, and empower them to SOLVE problems and make decisions that BENEFIT the customer.

It can be finding a solution to a complicated problem, supplying a discount or add-on to diffuse tension, or just providing daily friendly and helpful service. Employees who have a customer mindset bring added value for you and your customers.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

Again – talk to the customer. Collecting and analyzing customer feedback is critical when working towards customer-focused mindset. Have a system in place that will gather customer feedback, such as surveys, reviews, and social media monitoring. Use their comments and observations, both the positive and the negative, to improve your products and services and to inform future decisions.

COMMUNICATE

Did we mention you should talk to the customer? Effective communication is essential to creating a strong relationship with your customer. Use simple and easy-to-understand language. Keep them in the loop about your current and upcoming products and services. When customers have questions or concerns, respond quickly and respectfully. This will help build trust and loyalty.

CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE

Creating a customer-focused mindset is an ongoing process. Continuously monitor your customers’ needs and preferences, and make changes as necessary. Don’t be afraid to try new things and take risks, as long as they benefit the customer. Hire employees who will share this mindset. As a matter of fact, structure training for new and existing employees to get everyone on the same page.

By understanding your customers, training and empowering your employees, prioritizing customer feedback, communicating effectively, and continuously improving, you can create a culture that puts the customer at the center of everything you do.

Have a customer-focused mindset and bring satisfaction and success for the customer. It will lead to long-term, loyal relationships that will benefit your business in a competitve marketplace.

This topic is from the Improving Communications Customer Service curriclum. Looking for ways to improve your communication skills, register for one of our public classes.

Other Resources:

Customer Focus | Zalando’s Founding Mindset (YouTube Video)

8 Ways to Adopt and Grow a Customer Service Mindset (ZenDesk)

Photo by EpicTop10.com on Flickr