If, over the past five years, you haven’t embraced a “customer-centric” strategy, then you’re either intentionally leading your company to failure or you’re unaware of the current trends in the industry. Either way, your business is at risk.
But before we dive deeper into this topic, let’s address some misconceptions. Contrary to what some executives believe, becoming “customer-centric” is not an overnight decision. It requires time, effort, and significant resources to align all services, people, and information systems towards a common goal: satisfying the final customer, rather than focusing solely on operational objectives. This is no easy feat, and unfortunately, many companies have experienced failures in their attempts due to a lack of coordination between departments and individuals. While the business world moves at lightning speed, it’s important to remember that people don’t always keep the same pace.
In the luxury retail sector, the path to being customer-centric begins with becoming advisor-centric. Salespeople play a crucial role in the customer experience, as they represent the brand and embody the efforts of countless individuals who work behind the scenes. They serve as the conduit for delivering the best possible customer experience. Any challenges faced by the salesperson can compromise the quality of this customer-centric approach. However, it’s important to note that not all salespeople are committed to delivering exceptional experiences, as we’ll discuss later.
To create an environment that prioritizes salespeople and empowers them to excel, we must make their lives easier by providing quick and simple access to information and high-value content that they can share with customers. This requires a comprehensive understanding of their habits, analysis of selling procedures, and an acknowledgment of the constraints they face on a daily basis.
It’s quite disheartening to see projects being launched without considering the actual constraints faced by salespeople. Brands often overlook the valuable insights that can be gained by asking for the honest opinions of in-store staff. This attitude only diminishes the value of their initiatives.
The “advisor-centric” approach can manifest in various ways, depending on the brand’s commitment to it. However, stopping at the surface level would be a mistake, as it wouldn’t address the underlying issues that hinder customer relationships on a daily basis. Let’s explore a few examples of different degrees of the advisor-centric approach:
1. Quick win: When a customer asks for a watch reference and price, a salesperson without any support scribbles an illegible reference on a business card. Instead, it would be more elegant to collect the customer’s details, register them in the CRM, and send them a digital product sheet.
2. Transformation of tools: Although a product catalog may be “digitalized,” salespeople still rely on a search function within an e-reader, which is essentially a PDF version of a paper catalog. This forces them to seek assistance from colleagues when they don’t know specific product references. A dedicated digital tool would enhance the fluidity of the selling process.
3. Data transformation: When a customer needs to submit an item for after-sales service, the salesperson, due to the lack of seamless communication between systems, has to ask for their personal information again, search for the product reference in another system, take photos of the item, and import them into the tool. This inefficient process leads to unnecessary delays and frustrates both the customer and salesperson. Overhauling databases and ensuring streamlined communication between information systems would make the salesperson’s job easier and prevent customer dissatisfaction.
These examples highlight the various shortcomings, disorganization, and complex procedures that salespeople encounter daily. They often bear the brunt of the customers’ frustration, which undermines the brand’s goal of being customer-centric.
It’s worth noting that the blame doesn’t solely rest on the sales force. Before criticizing them, we should ensure they have received proper training, their daily challenges have been considered, and they have been equipped with the necessary means and tools to excel. If all these factors have been addressed and the sales force still falls short, then it’s crucial to hold them accountable and strive for excellence in all areas. However, if these factors have not been addressed, it indicates a failure in achieving an advisor-centric approach, necessitating continuous improvement and iteration to enhance both the salesperson’s and customer’s experiences.
In conclusion, becoming customer-centric requires a fundamental shift towards an advisor-centric approach, especially in the luxury retail sector. It requires a deep understanding of salespeople’s challenges and aspirations while providing them with the necessary support and tools to excel. Prioritizing their needs is crucial to delivering a truly exceptional customer experience.
For more insights on implementing a customer-centric approach in luxury retail, you may find the following links helpful:
1. Forbes – Five Keys to Building a Customer-Centric Culture
2. Retail Dive – Why Being Customer-Centric Should be a Retailer’s Top Priority
