Helping organisations to be more customer-centric in both the private and public sector has been my lifelong passion.
With uncertainties looming and the economy in recession, building trust and loyalty by prioritising the needs of the people you serve isn’t just important—it’s essential.
This may be contentious but I’d like to bust one myth around the idea of a ‘customer’. In my own experience, the word ‘customer’ is not always considered appropriate in the public sector. However, a customer is defined as ‘a person who buys / uses products and services’. Therefore, whether you work in the public or private sector, you have ‘customers’ right?
So, what exactly does being customer-centric mean? It’s about shifting your focus from product to person, from bureaucracy to empathy, from rules to relationships. Instead of treating customers like numbers on a spreadsheet, it’s about truly listening to their concerns and finding products and services that meet their specific needs.
In a nutshell, it’s about putting the customer at the heart of your organisation and in the heart of your people.
But how do you put that into practice? It means making sure that every decision you make starts with asking, “How does this affect the people we serve?” Whether it’s designing new policies, systems, products or how you engage your customers, their needs are at the forefront of your mind, informing your decisions.
It’s about building trust and confidence in your customer and their community by showing them that their voices and needs matter.
In a world where trust in public and private sector organisations is crucial, being customer-centric isn’t just a strategy—it’s a responsibility.
It’s your way of showing the public – your customers – that you’re here to serve them, no matter what challenges come along…
Are you a customer-centric champion? Are you trailblazing this transition for your own organisation? Love to hear your thoughts below…
It’s your journey – travel it well with Turas.
#CustomersFirst#CustomerVoice#Trust