In order for any business to strive or even survive, a profit needs to be achieved. Therefore, numerous entrepreneurs and enterprises make this their number one priority. From cutting down overheads to rapid expansion, there are various techniques and tactics that can help improve the bottom line.

However, turnover is still completely dependent on just one thing – the customer. Without a steady stream of purchasers and patrons, your business will ultimately fail. You can streamline and improve internal operations all you want, but disregarding or ignoring the importance of the customer could prove to be fatal.

Consequently, more and more businesses are starting to give consumers or clients their undivided attention. One of the best ways to do this is to make customers a fundamental part of your company culture. After all, there are several immeasurable benefits to prioritising the wants and needs of your clientele, especially when you take into account the following statistics:

• It takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for one negative experience
• 70 per cent of buying experiences are based on how the customers feels they are being treated
• 55 per cent of consumers would pay more for a better customer experience
• A 10 per cent increase in customer retention levels result in a 30 per cent increase in the value of the company
• It is 6-7 times more costly to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer

So if you’re interested in developing a customer-centric culture for your business, consider implementing these five tips and tricks.

Start with the customer experience

First and foremost, think about the experience customers go through when searching, browsing and buying your products. Think carefully about their possible feelings and emotions, as these will have a dramatic impact on whether they decide to convert.

Frustration and annoyance over your sub-standard website or incompetent staff probably won’t lead to a sale. Conversely, joy and relief can be achieved if your product comes with dedicated after-sales support or some sort of money-back guarantee.

If you empathise with your patrons and see where they’re coming from, you’ll be able to develop and implement a forward thinking customer-centric company culture.

Prioritise long-term success

When you start introducing more customer-focused policies, it might feel like you’re sacrificing profit for the sake of satisfying a small amount of people. What’s more, you probably won’t see a big difference in sales straight away, which could cause fear and anxiety that this isn’t the right approach for your business.

However, instilling a new culture does not happen overnight. It is bound to take a bit of time, as staff members have to get to grips with different outlooks and procedures. And it is vital to remember that any drop in short-term profit will inevitably lead to prolonged success.

As mentioned previously, every business needs to make a profit to stay afloat, but money shouldn’t be how a customer-centric company’s success is measured. Instead, your goal should be to deliver unique and unmatched experiences that customers are so satisfied with, they’ll recommended their friends and family at the drop of a hat.

Make it part of your employee’s teaching

There is no point in simply telling your workforce that more time and attention needs to be spent on the customer; it has to be an intrinsic part of their thinking and ideology. Every single encounter, interaction and confrontation has to put the customer first, which can be fairly difficult for people who haven’t experienced this kind of company culture in the past.

Therefore, some sort of training is required. This teaching and tuition should encourage staff to deliver extraordinary customer service at every opportunity without giving it a second thought. Unfortunately, traditional training techniques are far from perfect in coaching customer-centric ideas and concepts. Employees won’t exactly benefit from learning what to do on the sales floor when they’re stuck in a classroom.

But our unique training solution here at Wranx is a bit different. Available on a wide range of devices, employees can learn about customer service principles and philosophies in the workplace. After learning about what is required, they can put theory into practice straight away.

Get creative

Even though the world’s major economies have now recovered from the global downturn, market conditions are still precarious. With competition between companies more fierce than ever before, the need to be different is crucial. But if you get creative with customer-centric policies and develop a culture like no other company, you’ll have a unique selling point that sets your business apart from the rest.

Think of ways you can surprise your customers and provide them with the unexpected. By giving patrons and purchasers something to remember, it will get them talking about your business. In turn, they’re more likely to return or speak highly of their experience to others.

It doesn’t have to be a major new policy or proposal either, as sometimes the small things are what resonate with consumers the most. This is where social media comes into play, as a reply or response on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn could get picked up by thousands of people.

Never lose track of your objectives

If you truly want to develop a customer-centric culture, your business has to be completely committed. This means not losing sight of why you are trying to change in the first place – providing customers with the best experience possible.

By taking a walk in your customer’s shoes, you’ll be able to define some key goals and objectives based on what you’re doing right and wrong. Some of these may comes as a shock, but being honest and humble will give you the best chance of achieving your primary objective.

The road to implementing a customer-centric culture can be tough and is bound to take some time. But if you teach your employees in the right way and set apart the business from industry rivals, there is no reason why you can’t succeed.