Summary: customer culture - michael basch

This work offers a summary of the book "CUSTOMER CULTURE: How FedEx and Other Great Companies Put the Customer First Every Day by Michael Basch".

Building a business organization which focuses exclusively on what the customer wants and needs doesn't just happen by chance. Instead, the right systems need to be put in place so the people behave in ways consistent with that goal. And in any business, how people behave is an extension of the company's prevailing culture and beliefs. So, to build a company that serves customers well, start by building the firm's internal culture first. Customer Culture means to build a culture that focuses on providing superior customer experiences. This requires six elements:
1. Vision - the compass - develop a clear picture of precisely what will constitute the desired customer experience.
2. Values - the boundaries - the code of conduct or the way everyone in the organization will act towards customers.
3. Goals - the deliverables - the specific time-critical results the organization aspires to achieve.
4. Relevance - the determination level - the incentives and personal recognition people receive when they deliver on the goals.
5. Action - the activities - which ideally will be the natural consequences of achieving the goals.
6. Feedback - the scorecard - which lets the people know where they stand in relation to the goals.

Therefore, concentrate on getting the system right and everything else will follow as a cause-and-effect. Put in place the right culture and your people won't be able to do anything else except deliver outstanding customer experiences. And if you're currently failing to deliver great customer experiences, don't look at your people; look at your system for growing the appropriate culture.