Management > Customer-responsive culture in small and large companies

 

I think the answer to this question is not that simple. It may seem at first that smaller businesses are more likely to have a customer-responsive culture then larger organizations. This is of course not the case. In today’s world information technologies make it possible for any firm, small or large to create a customer-responsive culture, however the means of achieving this goal can be quite different.

In today’s business world Henry Ford and his company would clearly fail. He had the authority and power to offer only one color of his famous T Model. Not because it was the best car available to the customer of the early 1900’s, but because it was the only one. Customers had no other choice. If they wanted to be fashionable by driving an automobile, they went to the only auto maker, Ford, and bought one of his black cars. This concept is clearly unimaginable to work in our times. Every business owner knows that the only way to make sales and eventually profit is to produce and sell whatever products the customers want or need. Customer satisfaction is the number one priority for any business operation whether it’s as large as Wal-Mart, or just a tiny pizzeria down the block.

Depending on the size of the organization, the way of achieving customer satisfaction differs greatly. Today’s customers demand higher quality products, superior service and customer support. Let’s examine now how a small business, like a restaurant interacts with its customers to ensure they get the best service possible. I will use restaurant as an example because I work in one as a waitress, and have personal experience. First of all we, restaurant workers need to convince new customers to try us out, and by giving them a great service they hopefully will return. Other very important thing we need to understand is that the returning customers are the best customers. By providing them with high quality food and trying to make them feel home, we doing the best we can to make them come back for more. We always have to make effort to take their dining experience to the next level. Restaurants of course get a direct response from the customers, right on the spot. The manager and the servers as well talk to the guests, ask them how they like the food, the music, and of course the service. Therefore we can see immediately if there is anything we can do to improve or what is that we doing right.

Waiters of course get immediate reward in return for their services, in the form of tip, which is the most obvious sign of whether they doing their job right or not. I’d say it’s pretty simple to make the servers understand that what’s beneficial for the restaurant’s owner is beneficial for them as well. This way the waiters always keep the company’s interest in mind. If the customers feel they’re getting the best for their money, they stay longer, consume more food and beverage. This means increasing revenue, which is the company’s primary interest. The role of management is extremely important. They hire the workers who they think is professionally qualified and have an outgoing personality. They also have to constantly motivate and remind employees that a satisfied customer is what we all work for. We all have a little authority as to how far we can go to fulfill request and we all get instant response and reward in exchange for our efforts.

In the case of a large company the tools of creating a customer-responsive culture is rather different. All large companies have to realize that by creating this culture they guarantee satisfied and loyal customers, and profitable operation. Every large company has to take the competition into account when making a business decision. Competition is so rigorous in these days that a company’s main concern has to be the satisfied customer. Large companies don’t have the advantages of what small businesses have; they have no direct contact with the customer. By direct contact I mean that the owner of a company rarely ever have a chance to meet his customers. The contact exists between the employees of a company and the customers. The managers of a large company have to find a way the keep the workers motivated and interested in providing outstanding service. This can be achieved by giving commissions after sales, or other benefits. Other way is to give authority to the employees for them to be able to make minor decisions, making them feel more important. If they feel important they take their job and position more seriously. Managers of large companies have to hire friendly, sociable people, especially in the service industry, to be able to create a comfortable atmosphere for the customer.

Finally, but not least another important factor to include when talking about creating a customer-responsive culture is the use of technology, especially those related to information technology. The employment of e-commerce makes it possible for companies to create websites to present their products, filling orders, and to keep in touch with their buyers through emails. Large companies, for example computer software development companies can create online forums where they get the customers involved in the development of a new product. They can post their ideas, report any bugs in the programs, this way the company gets an instant feedback from its buyers. In addition you can read blogs, or join an online chatroom, where your problems can instantly be solved by a technician or by another chatroom member. Most importantly the company can immediately start working on problems that customers experience, or learn what they like or dislike. There are also businesses that are completely internet based, in their case technological advancements made it possible for them to have a business operation. The incorporation of internet practices can only improve a company’s communication with customers and of course within the company itself, which also translates to better customer service (ideally).

As we can see every business organization, no matter how small or large, has a way to establish or improve a customer-responsive culture, and it is in their best interest to do so. To listen to their customers and satisfying them the best possible way, should be the primary interest of today’s competitive business organization.

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