CONSULTING – MANAGED SERVICES – EDUCATION

The age of the customer arrived some time ago and the last twenty years have seen an explosion of customer management innovation, with various approaches and techniques designed to enhance customer service (CE) /customer experience (CX/UX) through design. Much focus has been on technology and automation but, too often, promise and expectation have been inflated. Organisations seem to be facing just as many challenges now as we have observed.

Our focus goes back to fundamentals: the Customer Value Proposition (CVP) – ‘who is the customer’, the acquisition-development-retention curve and lifetime value and the driver of Customer Management (CM) Strategy. We view technology as an enabler, not as a solution, in the omnichannel environment within which many products and services now exist to meet market expectation.

There are many approaches available, like ‘Voice of the Customer’ but the ‘secret’, if there is one, is to keep things as simple as possible in a B2C context. Of course, we should also mention the ‘B2B’ client engagement side so often overlooked in the plethora of market analysis.

For many organisations, the B2B client proposition has become even more challenging with the increased use of network partnerships and supply chain relationships. Though for many, still, the principles of good client account management are invaluable, as is again the definition and clarity of the product/service offered; understanding the reason(s) for purchase behaviour; and importantly protecting against brand or product/service erosion.

Our comprehensive understanding of value propositions and their design means we can understand the market context of the organisation and the degree of complexity of its client dynamics. This provides insights into an organisation’s performance from different layers and perspectives.
Our services include a ‘cornerstone’ customer/client evaluation architecture – a playbook of building blocks that provide both structure and flexibility for client engagements to ensure suitability and cost effectiveness.

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See also:
Service Design & Futures Thinking
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