Classroom/ Online: Yes/ Yes
Scheduling Date(s):
1) Dec 16, 2024 (classroom)
Note: Please click specific date for detailed venue and course fee etc.
Essential Soft Skills for the Digital Age: CUSTOMER-CENTRICITY
How to Develop a 'Customer-First' Mindset Critical for the Digital Age
"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it." - Mahatma Gandhi
Customers (consumers, patients, citizens, students, etc) are more informed, discerning and demanding than ever before. Many organisations say that they put the Customer first, but yet we still see so many opportunities to improve the overall customer experience in using our products or services. So how do we change our thinking, practice and habits to be truly customer-orientated? One of the essential ways to accomplish this is by learning the critical mind skill of Customer-Centricity. In the new era of hyper-empowered customers, developing the ability to put the Customer at the Centre of Everything is of critical importance to understanding Customer Value and translating that into the design and execution of products, services and processes so that we can achieve Customer Delight in their entire journey.
"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it." - Mahatma Gandhi
Customers (consumers, patients, citizens, students, etc) are more informed, discerning and demanding than ever before. Many organisations say that they put the Customer first, but yet we still see so many opportunities to improve the overall customer experience in using our products or services. So how do we change our thinking, practice and habits to be truly customer-orientated? One of the essential ways to accomplish this is by learning the critical mind skill of Customer-Centricity. In the new era of hyper-empowered customers, developing the ability to put the Customer at the Centre of Everything is of critical importance to understanding Customer Value and translating that into the design and execution of products, services and processes so that we can achieve Customer Delight in their entire journey.
Objective
The aim of this course is to learn the critical skill and habit of putting the Customer at the Centre of Everything. You will then be able to take better actions to serve customers (internal and external), leading to improved Product/Service Design, Quality and Customer Experience. We will equip you with the right thinking patterns and practices that are needed to deeply understand the needs of Customers. At the end of this workshop, you will be able to truly put 'Customer First' in practice, not just in lip service, and thus form a fundamental basis for the design, development and execution of a Superb Customer Journey.
Outline
Just what is 'Customer-Centricity'?
We start with a brief introduction to Customer-Centricity: its definition, meaning and organisational relevance. We will present a compelling case for why Customer-Centricity is one of the most essential soft skills of our time, using research and examples to illustrate its critical importance. Applications relative to modern organisational issues will be used to provide context. The connection to well-established improvement methodologies such as Design Thinking and Lean Thinking will be explained.
Truly Putting the Customer First
Nearly every organisation says that they place the Customer as a first priority, but few actually put that into practice. We will examine the common tendency to focus on what is best for ourselves and our own self-serving KPIs, a condition known as the 'Producer Mentality'. Techniques for using Customer-Centric Thinking to reverse that tendency into a 'Customer Mentality' will be introduced and discussed thoroughly. Without having the basic thinking of 'Customer First', no tools or methods will ever truly achieve the desired state of Customer Delight.
The Criticality of Understanding Customer Value
A relentless focus on what customer's value is a key enabler for Customer-Centricity. By deeply understanding Customer Value we get to prioritise the aspects and features that will contribute to that value and reduce or eliminate all other things, thus helping to ensure that a customer's spoken and unspoken needs, wants and desires are fulfilled. To facilitate this, we will examine various tools and techniques to capture customer value, such as the Kano Model.
Using Empathy to Put Yourself in People's Shoes
How to get inside someone's shoes without stealing them?! Empathy is one of the key approaches to achieving Customer Centricity. Some specific techniques on how to understand customer's implicit and explicit wishes will be introduced, along with some examples to illustrate potential applications. Every situation is different, but we will share with you some general approaches, including listening, watching, confirming, mirroring and reinforcing. The relationship between Empathy and good design for the customer will also be covered.
Connecting Customer-Centricity to Results
The ultimate goal of Customer-Centricity is to translate the deep customer understanding into improved relationships, service levels, experiences, strategies and/or product/service design. Specifically for this course, we will show you how to connect Customer-Centricity with the User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX) and Customer Experience (CE). Positive UI, UX and CE will help lead to customer delight and improved financial performance.
We start with a brief introduction to Customer-Centricity: its definition, meaning and organisational relevance. We will present a compelling case for why Customer-Centricity is one of the most essential soft skills of our time, using research and examples to illustrate its critical importance. Applications relative to modern organisational issues will be used to provide context. The connection to well-established improvement methodologies such as Design Thinking and Lean Thinking will be explained.
Truly Putting the Customer First
Nearly every organisation says that they place the Customer as a first priority, but few actually put that into practice. We will examine the common tendency to focus on what is best for ourselves and our own self-serving KPIs, a condition known as the 'Producer Mentality'. Techniques for using Customer-Centric Thinking to reverse that tendency into a 'Customer Mentality' will be introduced and discussed thoroughly. Without having the basic thinking of 'Customer First', no tools or methods will ever truly achieve the desired state of Customer Delight.
The Criticality of Understanding Customer Value
A relentless focus on what customer's value is a key enabler for Customer-Centricity. By deeply understanding Customer Value we get to prioritise the aspects and features that will contribute to that value and reduce or eliminate all other things, thus helping to ensure that a customer's spoken and unspoken needs, wants and desires are fulfilled. To facilitate this, we will examine various tools and techniques to capture customer value, such as the Kano Model.
Using Empathy to Put Yourself in People's Shoes
How to get inside someone's shoes without stealing them?! Empathy is one of the key approaches to achieving Customer Centricity. Some specific techniques on how to understand customer's implicit and explicit wishes will be introduced, along with some examples to illustrate potential applications. Every situation is different, but we will share with you some general approaches, including listening, watching, confirming, mirroring and reinforcing. The relationship between Empathy and good design for the customer will also be covered.
Connecting Customer-Centricity to Results
The ultimate goal of Customer-Centricity is to translate the deep customer understanding into improved relationships, service levels, experiences, strategies and/or product/service design. Specifically for this course, we will show you how to connect Customer-Centricity with the User Interface (UI), User Experience (UX) and Customer Experience (CE). Positive UI, UX and CE will help lead to customer delight and improved financial performance.
Who should attend
This course is aimed broadly at staff and professionals who are proactive in nature and wish to be on the leading edge of their journeys towards the Digital Age, especially those focused on
Quality, Innovation, Customer Service, Customer Experience and Customer Journeys. They will leave this course equipped with a critical soft skill essential to all organisations, including the private sector as well as the public sector.
Quality, Innovation, Customer Service, Customer Experience and Customer Journeys. They will leave this course equipped with a critical soft skill essential to all organisations, including the private sector as well as the public sector.
Testimonials
"Thank you for this great training, one of my best training ever had, your vivid examples; personal experience, sense of humor and team exercise is very helpful." Jeff Tong, Manager - Dell
"It was a great master class and I enjoyed myself thoroughly."
Erik Wee, Quality Manager - Pan Pacific Hotels
"Thanks for your enthusiasm in bringing us through the workshop. We felt our passion as much as we felt yours". Ong, Sing Chin, Director - NTUC Eldercare
"It was a great master class and I enjoyed myself thoroughly."
Erik Wee, Quality Manager - Pan Pacific Hotels
"Thanks for your enthusiasm in bringing us through the workshop. We felt our passion as much as we felt yours". Ong, Sing Chin, Director - NTUC Eldercare
Profile of John S. Hamalian
John S. Hamalian is a Change Catalyst with over 20 years of experience at General Motors, Dell and his own business, specialising in Innovation, Change and Transformation, Digital-Age Management, Strategy, Team Development and Lean/Agile Thinking. With assignments based in the USA, China, Korea, India and Singapore, he has held 2 Asia-Pacific Director positions. John coaches and trains organisations on how to innovate and transform, and is a lecturer at various universities, a published writer on Management and an active speaker at conferences, global corporations and public agencies.