Customer Obsession Isn't Easy

In theory, being customer-obsessed seems like it might be fairly easy, right? But many organizations have had a hard time pivoting to this strategy, often struggling in a few key areas:

• lack of buy-in at the executive level: Customer obsession requires a top-down approach. If there are dissenters at the highest levels, then employees further down the chain won’t be persuaded to fully get on board.
• complex organizational structures: Organizations with ambiguous departments or complex matrix management often suffer from confusion over roles and responsibilities; in addition, larger organizations often create silos to facilitate structure. These situations inhibit collaboration and reduce the agility needed to quickly meet customers' needs and pivot toward their ever-changing desires.
• lack of investment: It takes the right people in the right roles with the right tools to support true customer obsession—and all of these things require financing. Companies that fail to invest in these areas have a harder time making significant shifts to being customer-first in every area.
• failure to bring technology up to par (or to exceed it): As mentioned, the Age of the Customer is driven by technology. Thus, customers today expect a technological brand and product experience. Among other things, customers demand superior website and mobile experiences. Without meeting customer needs in these areas, a customer-obsessed approach is dead in the water.

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