Episode 108: How Leaders Focus Externally to Improve the Customer Experience

The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast

Details

Have you ever been on the phone for an hour with customer service, and once you finally get to talk to a human to resolve your issue, they only say: “I’m sorry, I can’t help you.” And it’s true; they can’t. They don’t have the power or authority to resolve the problem. It’s frustrating to both the employee and the customer. So, what impact does a leader have on customer experience? A lot. In this episode, we look at seven of the most valuable capabilities leaders can utilize to influence customer satisfaction.

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Key Learnings

• Customer expectations go up every year, and the challenge of getting and satisfying customers is a primary focus in most organizations.
• We had 360 data on 81 managers who were linked to customer satisfaction ratings. These were the behaviors that made the biggest difference.
• Inspire and Motivate– If managers want employees to care about their customers, they need to help them understand how their job provides meaning and purpose to the organization.

• Collaboration and Cooperation. What customers want is an organization where people work well together and cooperate. Organizations with internal conflicts and disagreements often frustrate customers and create difficulties.

• Quickly Delivering Results- While customers want to be inspired, they also want results quickly delivered. Speed is critical here.
• Clear Vision and Direction- Leaders with a clear vision and strategy are always better at delivering a quality product on time.
• Honesty and Integrity- Customers know quickly if they are dealing with a salesperson who will carefully honor their commitments or someone who is likely to promise one thing but fail to deliver.
• Takes Initiative- Leaders who are excited to take on challenging goals and delivery deadlines are valued by customers.
• Having a good product delivered with excellent leadership support will take a good product and make it remarkable.

Connect with Joe Folkman

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Webinar

Zenger Folkman hosts an exclusive live webinar every month, where you can meet Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman and join in a conversation about their latest research in leadership development. Find out more information and register here.

Research

How Leaders Influence the Customer Experience— Article by Joe Folkman

The post Episode 108: How Leaders Focus Externally to Improve the Customer Experience first appeared on ZENGER FOLKMAN.