Businesses drive customer-centricity despite major challenges

Brands throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa have been struggling to build customer-first cultures, according to the findings of a recent CX Network report.

The Global State of Customer Experience in EMEA 2022 report found that more than 20 percent of respondents noted their struggles to solve customer-centricity issues or that moving from a product-focused to a customer-focused business were among their key challenges.

Anders Normann, senior director of customer experience transport company DSV Panalpina, said that he is aware of the challenges of shooting for a high level of customer-centricity and offered his advice for overcoming them. He said businesses should appoint ambassadors for customer-centricity by elevating team members that have a desire to work with management.
Normann also suggested waiting until customer-centric initiatives have gained momentum before “tackling the skeptics”.

He explained: “The value of a CX program only comes with the number of years it has been adopted and lived-out in an organization – while it is nice to have the CEO mandate, having the local leaders is absolutely key.”

Perry Gale, regional vice-president, for the EMEA region at Cyara, also had some advice for CX practitioners. He recommended keeping a close eye on key insights for contact center agents by assessing traditional metrics, such as net promoter score (NPS), customer satisfaction (CSAT) and key performance indicators (KPIs) for contact centers and brand loyalty.

He expanded on this advice and noted that: “The important piece of this puzzle is ensuring this work extends beyond marketing or the call center. The data and insights should be shared regularly and throughout the organization. This consistent drumbeat of customer-focused stories and information sends a strong message to your organization about the importance of a customer-first orientation.”

Has your business experienced the challenges of driving for customer-centricity? Let us know in the comments below.