Business leaders in the UK, across Europe and in the USA are telling me of their concerns about the very real challenges of the current business climate.  Major events across the world are impacting in unexpected ways, resulting in many unforeseen challenges- and sometimes unique opportunities.  I am told that for many of my customers the cost-of-living crisis is creating the biggest obstacle- increasingly cost-conscious yet more demanding clients.

Many business leaders feel they are fighting a constant battle to retain customers, to win new business and price competitively, all this whilst trying to protect margins and future proof their organisations.  Despite their best efforts, some are losing clients as their industries and environments change and are finding it difficult to respond quickly and adapt their strategies to stay relevant and appealing.

To thrive in this environment, it is crucial to stay on our toes, to avoid complacency and not fall into the common trap of using the excuses of “it’s the market, there’s not much we can do, what goes around comes around and it will pick up again”.

I appreciate the frustrations around a hard market, yet believe there is always something we can do and a leader with this attitude will not excite, inspire or encourage their teams to be creative, accountable or successful.  What is needed is a focus on something simple, tangible and impactful that resonates with all and that every individual within a team can engage with.

My firm belief is that any business can outperform and differentiate themselves from the competition by focusing on being brilliant at consistently delivering extraordinary service and working in true partnership with clients.

To deliver exceptional service is a straightforward and cost-effective objective. This may sound trite, but I feel the ability to consistently achieve this is fundamentally important to any business’s success.  When service becomes a true focus, people can and will unite around the shared objective of delivering excellence-and business results are usually significantly improved when there is a shift towards a customer first mentality.

It is a simple topic to introduce to individuals at every level, regardless of their job role as everybody has a customer, internal or external, and can quickly identify them.  People generally want to perform well and take pride in their achievements so customer focused objectives and goals (albeit ones tailored to different job roles) will motivate and encourage teams and individuals alike as success is easy to see and to achieve.

Taking and driving a customer first approach can lead to a more galvanised, proactive and effective team who strive to deliver high quality service and support. Making customer needs and satisfaction a priority results in strong relationships and deeper mutual understanding. Happy customers become brand advocates which equals free marketing!

 In turn, this greater understanding of customers will directly impact your ability to pivot quickly, your customer journey and their satisfaction levels- which can lead to increased loyalty, higher lifetime values, longer lasting, more positive relationships and enhanced credibility.

People want to work with, and in, organisations where people matter so staff retention levels may improve – another cost saving benefit-and customer centric organisations become aspirational employers so can lift the bar when recruiting new people.  Focusing on service and getting it right first time saves money and resource and allows headspace and time for innovation and continuous improvement.

No organisation can afford to ignore its customers and this economic climate is the perfect time to seize the opportunity of revisiting our approach to customer service and recognising it as one area that is entirely within our control.

Great service is not about grand gestures, rather it is the small things that show thought, consideration and an understanding of our customers’ worlds.

Donna Murphy is Director at www.whatsnext.uk.com which provides bespoke training for a variety of private and public sector organisations.