Core Values of Customer Centric Organizations

I'm often asked what being customer centric means. Lately, the question is being posed more frequently. This is the result of companies trying to develop social media strategies, focusing on customer experience and customer engagement and dealing with tight budgets.

"Being" customer centric results from adherence to a set of core values that are appropriate for your customers, products/services, employees and business goals.

Here's a general list of core values that you can adopt to your situation.

BTW, this list is an excerpt from a forth-coming presentation "On Becoming Customer Centric and Engaging Customers".

Core Values of Customer Centric Organizations

1. Every interaction with customers (or lack of interaction) tells customers how much they are truly valued.
2. Customer interactions are moments of truth when a customer learns if promises made to them will be honored or not.
3. Experiences must match the level of importance/value/meaning of the interaction. That is, a “wow” experience is NOT always required, in fact it might be viewed as wasteful by the customer.
4. In order to create great experiences for customers, organizations must define what they want customers to think, feel, and do at every stage of the customer life cycle.
5. Processes must be developed with business goals AND customer experience in mind.
6. Customer experience “failures” are analyzed to learn how to create great experiences and value WITH – not for – customers.
7. Communities of customers and prospects are actively fostered and supported.

What do you think? What core values create your customer centric organization?