How ERP Helps Businesses Become More Customer Centric
Customer service shouldn’t just be a department, it should be the entire company.
– Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com
Keeping customers happy all of the time is a tough job which anyone with a customer facing role can attest to. However, today with the IoT, companies must make their customers and the customer experience an even bigger priority. Not only must quality products and services be delivered, but the overall company culture needs to consistently be focused on customer experiences. Doug Warner, VP of Innovation at HP says it well: “In the world of Internet Customer Service, it’s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away.”
In the world of Internet Customer Service, it’s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away.
– Doug Warner, VP of Innovation at HP
It’s Simple. Customer Centric Companies Come Out on Top
Have you ever heard of an unhappy Amazon, Apple, or Salesforce customer? If so, that would be more of a rarity than commonplace. Amazon for instance, is so customer centric that if your Amazon package does not arrive at your doorstep they will send you a replacement without question. Nordstrom is another great example; a retailer whose mission was to offer the best customer experience before most retailers even thought about it. Each of these companies strives for super service and if something is lacking, we can count on them to make it right.
Customer Focus Leads to a Competitive Advantage
Companies that excel at the customer experience gain a competitive advantage, especially against those that are challenging to do business with. If that’s not enough, think about how much harder it is to gain a new customer than to keep an existing customer, especially with the IoT.
The IoT added a new dynamic to the purchasing process. The IoT enables Business-to-Business (B2B) decision makers and buyers to research products before their first interaction with a business, typically eliminating options before connecting with a company.
Business-to-Consumer transactions can be more difficult to capture as today’s consumers have virtually unlimited purchasing choices. The transaction must be easy, pricing must be competitive, shipping must be fast and a less than stellar customer experience risks that the customer will not be a repeat customer.
Not only is customer loyalty at risk, but so is a company’s reputation and the acquisition of future customers. Online social forums, such as Twitter, Facebook and others allow consumers to voice their opinions to many, and quickly; the wrong message can have a bottom line impact.
Most of us recall the negative PR that plagued United Airlines for a period of time after a passenger was forcefully removed from an overbooked flight in 2017. People were angered by the handling of the situation and posts, including videos went global. It didn’t help that social media posts voiced opinions that United Airlines’ CEO seemed insensitive with his apology. Surprise to United Airlines, the news impacted their stock which dropped $1.4 billion within a day. A very expensive PR mistake that the airline has probably not recovered fully from. Business’ must work hard to maintain their reputation.
A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.
– Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon
Conquer Customer Expectations and the Competition with the Right Technology
The capabilities of today’s business technologies are amazing compared to those of just a few years ago and you will realize your Return on Investment (ROI) faster today than in the past. An investment in technology will help your business:
- Reduce costs
- Improve efficiencies
- Provide better customer service
- Gain insights from Business Intelligence and Analytics
- Identify new products and services
- Analyze new business opportunities
- Be proactive instead of reactive
For some, excelling at customer satisfaction will lead to goals being met, for others it’s a matter of remaining competitive, and for many smaller businesses it can be about survival.
ERP for Every Budget
Improving customer satisfaction ratings and brand loyalty does not have to be such a daunting task or huge expense. With the introduction of cloud and hybrid ERP deployment options this past decade, you are sure to find an ERP solution to fit your budget as today there are ERP software solutions to fit every budget.
Are you ready to learn more? Contact an ERP expert at MIS today and take the first step towards meeting your business goals and objectives while achieving higher levels of customer satisfaction with Epicor ERP or Epicor ERP Cloud. The team at MIS has been helping organizations like yours utilize technology to meet business goals and objectives for over 30 years and we look forward to helping you achieve Exceptional ERP™ while conquering your biggest challenges too!
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