Our portfolio: Seven routes to significantly higher sales inside six months
6. Setting up a company-wide customer-oriented organisation
Every company is paid by its customers. And they are getting more and more demanding. Times have changed. Any mistakes you make nowadays are ruthlessly punished by your customers. Some may well go as far as switching to one of your competitors.
Structure your company the way you'd like to find it if you were the customer. That means much more than just a nice friendly woman at reception - especially if the friendly impression she leaves is immediately negated by the rest of the workforce.
What you need is a structure with clearly defined and efficiently organised areas of responsibility to ensure customers receive the help they need fast, and with friendly, well-trained employees (even the "back-room boys" in administrative or internal service departments) who are readily accessible for customers and fully aware of the importance of good customers relations.
You may be surprised how important a customer-orientated approach and service still are for your customers. If your country isn't renowned for its service mentality, you'll soon see how relatively simple measures can produce a very positive echo - and discover that price (fortunately!) isn't everything.
