A leading citrus provider turned to Zinata for guidance on becoming more customer centric.
Situation
A company-wide initiative to internalize the Voice of the Customer (VOC) was identified as a vital step to becoming the top “partner of choice.” This was required to remain competitive and delight their customers and consumers every time.
Diagnosis
Very little information about the customer was shared outside of the Sales department. Information gathering was not formalized or consistent. Very few in the organization really understood what was important to the customer. The organization lacked a cross functional approach to communicating and meeting customer expectations. An improvement initiative was required to gain a clear understanding of the needs of the customer and how to incorporate their voice into every aspect of the company.
Implementation
Customer interviews were conducted gathering feedback on topics such a service, pricing, quality, communication, planning and account management. The customers were extremely candid and eager to provide their input. The collected information was collated and presented at a one-day executive workshop. Some of the feedback shared with the executive team was not a surprise, but many of the customer comments were not anticipated. It was the opportune time to implement an improvement plan to drive change.
The workshop process involved identifying value drivers that were important to the customer. Initiatives were brainstormed to leverage strengths, improve weaknesses and create new capabilities.
As a result the leadership was committed to transitioning the company from market focused to customer focused. To increase customer centricity across the organization, it was vital for all employees to understand and internalize the VOC.
Outcome
The “Path to the Customer” was a change in strategy requiring the company to define a rallying cry for the organization. A detailed journey map was required for identifying organizational redesign, communication plans, measurements and the culture changes required to be successful.
The internal communication, collaboration, and strategic planning required to undertake the improvement initiative strengthened the company’s ability to engage with their customers effectively to ensure that they are truly heard, and their needs consistently met.