TO INSTILL CUSTOMER PURPOSE By Anubha Walia

Good customer service is critical to any business.

It is important to respond to customer needs, but customer purpose

goes beyond this. It comes from a deep understanding of the company’s value promise. Companies and employees

who are customer purposed proactively consider how any task delivers value to the customer. Hidden leaders who

demonstrate customer purpose have five key traits:

1. Enthusiasm for the work. Hidden leaders have a passion for their work because they understand how it benefits

the customer. This creates an energetic environment and builds enthusiasm and a positive attitude among

coworkers.

2. Balanced skill/communications proficiency. Hidden leaders have the technical expertise to get their jobs done and

the communications skills to ask good questions and relay information to the customer.

3. A sense of urgency. This is not just moving fast, it is taking action on behalf of the customer and not stopping until

the customer is satisfied. Hidden leaders with a sense of urgency capitalize on market opportunities, address

customer needs, and embrace chances to improve.

4. An owner’s mind-set. Hidden leaders take ownership of their jobs and their organizations’ successes. They define

how they do their jobs based on strategies outlined by their organizations, and they recognize that they make a

difference.

5. An ability to lead change. Organizations can get complacent. Hidden leaders understand that change is vital to

meeting customer needs and addressing market challenges. They challenge the status quo to better serve

customers, and their excellent communication skills allow them to collaborate on changes with coworkers and

customers to gain acceptance.

Hidden leaders are naturally customer purposed, but managers must ensure that their company cultures support

them and allow others to develop this skill. Companies can develop customer purpose through two key steps:

*Redefine the definition of customer. Leaders should remember that the customer is the person who pays the bills.

Some companies use the term “internal customer” to remind employees to treat one another with respect. This

should not distract them from the main goal and focus, which is pleasing the external customer.

*Cascade the value promise. Employees at all levels should understand the company’s value to the paying customer.

Each employee should also understand what role his or her job plays in the strategic goals of the company. A clear

message regarding the company’s value promise should be delivered through different media and contexts. These

communications should be timed to support one another and be understood at all levels