Who do you consult when Outlook isn’t working? What about when issues arise with your messaging platforms? Or, worse yet – when your customer experience platforms aren’t working properly?
You likely answered “IT” when thinking about these situations.
For years, businesses have charged IT with providing stability, consistency, and reliability. However, keeping the lights on in today’s customer-centered world isn’t enough. Of all departments, IT is in a unique position to bring customer centricity to your organization.
Not convinced? Consider that 86 percent of consumers will pay more for a great customer experience (CX). This is why CX is expected to overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator by 2020.
What is customer centricity?
Customer centricity firmly puts the customer’s wants and needs at the core of a business strategy. This razor-sharp focus on the customer lays the foundation for delivering valuable, relevant experiences across every touch point.
Technology is critical to the delivery of these experiences, so your role as CIO is key to providing the tools that drive customer-centered experiences. Therefore, you and your teams should embrace and promote this customer-first mindset.
How can you cultivate customer centricity?
“Enterprises with customer-obsessed CIOs and IT departments perform the best,” according to a Forrester analyst. To create a customer-centered business, you must:
- Break down silos to work with the business
- Create a lean environment for innovation
- Set a digital strategy across the company
- Turn customer information into experiences customers want
- Bring new technologies to the business
The key takeaway: Consumers perceive CX as the brand experience, so businesses must become customer centered to deliver that experience.
Gain more insight and guidance on these topics in The CIO’s Guide to Cultivating a Customer-Centered Business. Or, you can download the guide using the form below.
