October 201719 BY ANDREW CRABB, CIO, TR GROUPCIO InsightsCustomer by Design ­ The centre of everything!The concept of customer experience and for being customer centric is by no means a new concept but what does it mean to you and where does it start and stop. The role of managing and enhancing the customer experience isn't just the role of the Account Manager, Relationship Manager or service personnel. It's not even constrained to the contact points within your organization.Customer Experience must be considered in every part of an organization, from product development through to process design. In pre-sales - gaining an in-depth understanding of the actual needs of your customer (as opposed to what they ask for), methods and frequency of communication and ensuring these discussions are delivered in a way your client relates to.By way of example, at TR Group when a customer approaches us about leasing a truck, we seek to understand the actual use the vehicle will be put to. The answer to these questions will be to ensure that the vehicle proposed is suitable for the task ­ which may or may not be the brand or type the customer enquired about. This is a journey we take the customer on as knowing trucks in-depth; we can explain why and take the customer through our rationale. We also walk through the configuration options and ensure the final product is one that will do a great job for the customer.We also look at options to satisfy any gap in product delivery or customer need. Heavy vehicles take time to build and configure to spec, but that doesn't mean it's not required now. Are there options to satisfy their need in the short term while the final solution is being built? In our case, we look to provide a rental vehicle with similar spec/capability to satisfy the immediate need while their vehicle is sourced and configured. Keeping the customer informed of progress is critical, and every touchpoint is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship.On delivery of the product or service, stand behind it! Knowing that what you have provided is the right solution for the customer means that all parts of your organization are primed to ensure that the customer's experience with their purchase will be a positive one. Quality of product is critical, not only for the customer but also for the business to support the customer throughout the products life.A lot of emphasis should be placed on the handover which is the first time the customer sees and touches the finished product. This means ensuring what has received matches what was ordered from the customer perspective as well as ensuring they are familiar with the product and know how to use it to extract the greatest benefit. This takes many forms including product specific familiarisation or operator training as part of the handover. Post-handover, the Andrew Crabb
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