In this age where the customer is considered to be king, a company should look to be customer centered because if the company is not paying attention towards their customer than chances are customer will also not pay attention towards company’s products. A customer-centered company refers to that company which focuses on customers while making their strategies and try to make products according to customer needs even it involves making major changes in company’s overall strategy and plan. Given below are some of the important features of customer-centered company –
- The first and foremost feature of customer-centered company is that it is not the employees, promoter or competitors which matter but it is the customer who comes first in the scheme of things of the company and therefore customer is at the center and focus of all the people in the company is at the center which is the customer.
- Another characteristic of the customer-centered company is that it has to be flexible because customer mind is not static and it keeps on changing and company should be ready to make changes according to change in demand from the customers. So for example, if in a newly constructed restaurant customers are satisfied with everything but they do not like the dark color of walls and complain to management then the management should be willing to change the color and customize it according to the customer’s wishes even if it involves cost and going against the original plan.
- Another feature is that company’s top management has to keep their ego aside and make changes to products and company policies according to the customer. So for example if the top management of a mobile handset company has introduced a mobile phone with all the latest features but its design is not liked by majority of the customers then management cannot deny in their ego the consumers verdict and they should be ready to make the same phone with new design and accept their mistake.
- A customer-centered company should make sure that customer should not suffer at any cost due to mistakes of the company and that is the reason why a company like Samsung recalled its galaxy note 7 phone from all over the world or Toyota recalling many cars due to airbags problem and so on.
- Another feature of customer-centered company is that listening skills of the company should be good and this is applicable not for top management only but right from bottom level employee to top level employee because if one does not listen to the customers then how will they be able to solve their problems and rectify the mistakes on the part of the company.
As one can see from the above that customer oriented company focus is on customer and every action of the company is taken keeping in mind the customer as the main focus and everything else is secondary.