Comments on: The Real Meaning of Customer-Centric http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/ A place to view and share helpful tidbits about eMarketing Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:42:14 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Brian http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-7 Brian Fri, 05 Jan 2007 05:26:34 +0000 http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-7 I think we are ignoring some subtle distinctions between advertising and a customer-centric organization. Many of our complaints about e-businesses revolve around their choice of communication with “customers”. I quote the word customers because many businesses fall into the economic lure of advertising their goods and services by sending mass emails to both customers and potential customers alike with no regard to either parties’ needs or desires. Think junk mail. Customer-centric however assumes at the outset that you are a customer or seeking to become a customer. In other words they have some product or service you need or desire. Customer-centric may be interpreted as how customized the marketing is around the customer. Don’t be fooled by the word marketing. Marketing is not the same as advertising. Marketing refers to “…the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives” (Kerin. Marketing, Seventh Edition. 2002). Most notable examples in e-commerce are permission based, personalized communications like emails, recommendations, web content, notifications, chat rooms, and forums. It is quite possible for an organization to use junk mail, banner ads, and interstitials to advertise to potential customers while leveraging more customized and permission based tools to be a customer-centric organization to its customers. I think we are ignoring some subtle distinctions between advertising and a customer-centric organization. Many of our complaints about e-businesses revolve around their choice of communication with “customers”. I quote the word customers because many businesses fall into the economic lure of advertising their goods and services by sending mass emails to both customers and potential customers alike with no regard to either parties’ needs or desires. Think junk mail. Customer-centric however assumes at the outset that you are a customer or seeking to become a customer. In other words they have some product or service you need or desire. Customer-centric may be interpreted as how customized the marketing is around the customer. Don’t be fooled by the word marketing. Marketing is not the same as advertising. Marketing refers to “…the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives” (Kerin. Marketing, Seventh Edition. 2002). Most notable examples in e-commerce are permission based, personalized communications like emails, recommendations, web content, notifications, chat rooms, and forums. It is quite possible for an organization to use junk mail, banner ads, and interstitials to advertise to potential customers while leveraging more customized and permission based tools to be a customer-centric organization to its customers.

]]> By: Sharon http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-6 Sharon Fri, 05 Jan 2007 01:16:04 +0000 http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-6 Customer Centric is being thrown around today...its one of the new "buzz words" in business. I think way too much time is spent on talking about how your business will become customer centric than just doing it. In the company I work for we are focused on superior customer care and that is the buzz words used in everything. Are we providing it? No. We are talking about it everywhere though. Its time that companies rethink their strategy and just get down to some basics. Stop focusing on all the latest training for your employees as one seminar starts running right into the other one just with different words and phrases. It all comes down to a few simple steps. Do unto others...how do you want to be treated as a consumer? What makes you stand up and notice a company, a store, a website? Who gives you great service and has your business for life? Its not rocket science folks :) Customer Centric is being thrown around today…its one of the new “buzz words” in business. I think way too much time is spent on talking about how your business will become customer centric than just doing it.
In the company I work for we are focused on superior customer care and that is the buzz words used in everything. Are we providing it? No. We are talking about it everywhere though.
Its time that companies rethink their strategy and just get down to some basics.
Stop focusing on all the latest training for your employees as one seminar starts running right into the other one just with different words and phrases. It all comes down to a few simple steps.
Do unto others…how do you want to be treated as a consumer? What makes you stand up and notice a company, a store, a website? Who gives you great service and has your business for life?
Its not rocket science folks :)

]]> By: Khadr http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-5 Khadr Thu, 04 Jan 2007 18:34:44 +0000 http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-5 I agree time is important and whether I am surfing the web or the aisles of 'xyz' shop. I will agree that sometimes poor design i.e., click thru, usability are heavier concerns as opposed to aesthetic design, if looking for a product in the mall I walk past many horrid window displays and sometimes they are attached to the store I plan on shopping in, this does not deter me. But a site that just leaves me with a sense of vertigo and I cannot locate where I am or what I am looking for, "Houston we have a problem". Fortunately for us that is rarely the case and the effort being made to implement an evolved CRM strategy is appreciated. I agree time is important and whether I am surfing the web or the aisles of ‘xyz’ shop. I will agree that sometimes poor design i.e., click thru, usability are heavier concerns as opposed to aesthetic design, if looking for a product in the mall I walk past many horrid window displays and sometimes they are attached to the store I plan on shopping in, this does not deter me. But a site that just leaves me with a sense of vertigo and I cannot locate where I am or what I am looking for, “Houston we have a problem”. Fortunately for us that is rarely the case and the effort being made to implement an evolved CRM strategy is appreciated.

]]> By: Khalid http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-4 Khalid Thu, 04 Jan 2007 15:43:34 +0000 http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-4 You are right and I do agree with you. Companies should care and know more their customers before offering them some useless products or services as this will only lead to dragging down their image. It is commonly known that Market segmentation is the process in marketing of dividing a market into distinct subsets (segments) that behave in the same way or have similar needs. This is an essential step that every company should take before presenting any kind of product to the market. E-marketing should abide by the same rules too because it’s an electronic projection of what is happening in the real world. You are right and I do agree with you. Companies should care and know more their customers before offering them some useless products or services as this will only lead to dragging down their image. It is commonly known that Market segmentation is the process in marketing of dividing a market into distinct subsets (segments) that behave in the same way or have similar needs. This is an essential step that every company should take before presenting any kind of product to the market. E-marketing should abide by the same rules too because it’s an electronic projection of what is happening in the real world.

]]> By: Scott http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-3 Scott Thu, 04 Jan 2007 06:13:55 +0000 http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-3 Well, have to say, this nail has been accurately hit. Yes, I really believe web designers need work. I also believe that a web page should be like a movie script. Let me explain, a movie script should entice the reader to WANT to advance, turn to the next page. Web sites fail this mark more times than most. I cant count the number of times I have been redirected to a website that a search engine as on their top list, only to find the FONT hard to read, the links in the wrong place, and the first thing I do is close out that page. That poor page/company never even got to see if their products where what I wanted since annoying elements about some websites can be too much work to deal with. Since I am a very time orientated and busy web suffer, I would rather search again, then to put up with poor advertising or incompetent web designers that don't "get it". Thanks, Scott Well, have to say, this nail has been accurately hit. Yes, I really believe web designers need work. I also believe that a web page should be like a movie script.

Let me explain, a movie script should entice the reader to WANT to advance, turn to the next page.

Web sites fail this mark more times than most. I cant count the number of times I have been redirected to a website that a search engine as on their top list, only to find the FONT hard to read, the links in the wrong place, and the first thing I do is close out that page.

That poor page/company never even got to see if their products where what I wanted since annoying elements about some websites can be too much work to deal with. Since I am a very time orientated and busy web suffer, I would rather search again, then to put up with poor advertising or incompetent web designers that don’t “get it”.

Thanks,

Scott

]]> By: David http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-2 David Thu, 04 Jan 2007 03:56:30 +0000 http://emarketingmaven.wordpress.com/2007/01/03/the-real-meaning-of-customer-centric/#comment-2 I think you hit the nail on the head here!!! I think you hit the nail on the head here!!!

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