In a market where every brand is under scrutiny, showing genuine care for customers is a necessity, not a choice. It’s the cornerstone for building trust, nurturing long-term loyalty, and ensuring growth.
Customers can easily discern authentic concern from a brand. It goes beyond resolving issues when things go wrong; it’s about creating an environment where customers feel valued at every touchpoint.
The hurdle is in cultivating a culture of care within the organization. While some employees naturally take ownership and go the extra mile for customers, others may deflect responsibility. If unchecked, this disparity in attitudes toward customer support can erode brand loyalty and stifle growth.
Technology Should be an Enabler
Technology should not be a barrier to fostering goodwill; instead, it plays a pivotal role in customer interaction. A caring brand deploys technology to facilitate, not deflect. We’ve all run into brands that just don’t want to talk to us, who make it near impossible to actually talk to a person. Everyone hates that. We’ve also all run into times where we can see exactly what’s going on with our order, and (if we need to) talk to someone who knows about it. That’s always great. The difference between technology deployed to support versus deflect is immediately apparent to customers.
Measuring care can be elusive. While it may not be easily quantified, its impact is profound. Customers reward genuine consideration with loyalty. For leaders, this underscores the importance of incentivizing proactive support and discouraging indifference. While the results may not always offer immediate numerical validation, dismissing care due to lack of immediate measurable outcomes is shortsighted.
Fostering a Culture of Care Creates Brand Fans
Leadership plays a pivotal role in nurturing the right culture. A crucial step is replacing the “not my problem/job” mindset with a culture of ownership and escalation. When issues arise that fall outside standard processes, ensuring they escalate to someone who can resolve them is key. Employees should understand that “not my problem” is not an acceptable response.
This approach not only addresses immediate concerns but also highlights areas for process refinement. Adapting with each escalated exception is crucial to prevent management from being overwhelmed. This also ensures that every resolved escalation demonstrates care, improves organizational structures, and educates teams on handling exceptions.
By addressing the “not my problem” attitude, setting clear escalation paths, and ensuring efficient handling of exceptions, leaders can foster a culture of care. This proactive approach to problem-solving reassures customers that their concerns are valued, cultivating a loyal customer base that propels business growth. When customers are confident in the support they will receive from a brand, that faith armors a brand against future problems.
The Author
Chris is kind of obsessed with the brand fan thing. He’s helped companies truly transform experiences for customers and knows who does this best in the market.
