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

The 90th Percentile: An Unconventional Leadership Podcast

Published: April 19, 2023

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

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