By Joyce Mwaura
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 4 – At some point in our lives, we have had exciting experiences that never leave our minds, it stays there rent-free because of how they made us feel and the memories we have of them. Maya Angelou once said that “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but they will never forget how you made them feel”. Generally, whether it’s a customer, a student, or even the president we all expect a level of satisfaction from the items we buy, to the partnerships we form, and even the places we visit.
Customer inclusivity entails dealing with a diverse audience and providing them equitable access to assistance whenever required. It is also being in the client’s shoes and offering unique come flexible options that provide great experiences while incorporating customer feedback. To enhance great customer service, it is important to adopt best practices on sustaining customer inclusion being the heart of every organization as it contributes greatly to the growth of the business.
They say charity begins at home hence creating a culture of inclusion within the workplace is important and it starts with the internal customers who are the employees. The internal customer needs to feel like they are part of the team, that they are heard, and are important to the organization. This eventually trickles down to providing an exceptional customer experience for clients. Satisfied employees contribute to a bigger chunk of sustaining customer inclusion in any organization.
A good example of a company that has been sustaining customer inclusion over the years is Whole Foods which takes into consideration their customer health needs and wants by providing online materials on how to prepare healthy recipes after their first purchase. Health-conscious Whole Foods customers are given access to online educational programs that teach them how to prepare new recipes using Whole Foods ingredients. By providing Whole Foods customers with the tools and knowledge to do their convenient meal prep, these programs cleverly maximize customer experience. Whole Foods is building brand loyalty by making a measurable difference in the lives of its customers, which will likely be well rewarded when those customers need to purchase new ingredients in the future. This is a continuous experience that makes the customers feel like they are part of the organization.
Organizations can therefore sustain customer inclusion by creating an inclusive organizational culture. This is because culture plays a critical role in creating the right environment in the organization and influences the nature of the long-term plans that move the organization toward its vision. Culture also dictates the policies and processes that enable the organization to live its mission every day. Customer inclusivity can be sustained as a culture by aligning internal communications, getting employees involved in the decision-making process, and giving their views on the same.
Offering great customer service is no longer just a “nice to have” it is fast becoming the key differentiator between business success and failure. Empathy has always been a cornerstone of customer experience, but now it is taking on even greater significance. It simply means putting yourself in your customer’s shoes. And, simultaneously, trying to address their concerns with an unprecedented understanding of what they’re going through. Empathy is the best way for you to show your customers that you care, while it’s not always possible for customer service representatives to solve a customer’s problem, showing empathy helps customers to feel that their concerns matter.
Clients can greatly benefit from inclusive customer service as it fosters a more supportive and open environment. Sustaining the same is a process, although with extensive training. At CPF Financial Services, we are reinforcing our commitment to providing excellent customer service while also encouraging greater inclusion of both our internal and external customers. Customers want to be treated as partners with respect and empathy, they no longer want to feel like they are mere consumers thus as customer service champions we can put the icing on the cake by allowing them to cocreate experiences with us; try it today !
The Writer is the Customer Experience Manager of the CPF Group
