With customer expectations and demands changing because of the power of technology, creating a customer-centric and digitally enabled workforce has become of paramount importance for organisations.

By Hope Lukoto, Chief Human Resource Officer, BCX

Companies that do not retain or attract new customers will simply not stay afloat.

A customer-centric organisation is one that places the customer at the core of its operations, strategies, and decision-making processes. In a customer-centric organisation, the customer’s needs, preferences, and satisfaction take precedence over other factors.

The primary focus of such an entity is creating value for customers, building strong relationships, and delivering exceptional experiences throughout the entire customer journey.

Technology has enabled companies to gather vast amounts of customer data, allowing them to personalise products, services, and marketing messages.

Customers now expect tailored experiences that cater to their preferences and needs. This ranges from personalised product recommendations to targeted email marketing.

Social media platforms have given customers a powerful voice. They can easily share their experiences, both positive and negative, with a wide audience. Companies need to actively engage with customers on social media and address their concerns promptly to maintain a positive brand image.

It is also important to note that customers no longer interact with businesses through a single channel. They expect a seamless experience across multiple touchpoints, whether it’s a website, social media, mobile app, chat, or in-store. In this digital era, companies are now challenged to provide consistent and integrated experiences to their customers.

In essence, technology has transformed customer expectations from being focused solely on the product or service itself to encompassing the entire customer journey, from pre-purchase research to post-purchase support.

With the advent of smartphones and high-speed internet, customers have come to expect instant gratification. They need quick responses, fast services, and seamless experiences. This has led to the rise of on-demand services, same-day delivery, and instant customer support through channels like live chat and social media.

Businesses that successfully adapt to these changing expectations by leveraging technology can build strong customer relationships and gain a competitive edge.

With all these new changes brought by technological advancements, it is vitally important that companies create a digitally enabled workforce. 

As consultancy firm Deloitte puts it: “To successfully ride this wave of change, companies need to continuously evaluate how digital disruption is changing customer behaviour, rethink their customer engagement model to leverage disruptive technologies, and redesign employees’ roles to form customer success capability that maximises value for customers and enables an enhanced experience for them.”

Creating a customer-centric and digitally enabled workforce involves a strategic approach that encompasses culture, skills, processes, and technology.

With technology advancing at an unprecedented pace, a digitally enabled workforce can easily adapt to new tools, software, and processes, ensuring that the organisation remains competitive and innovative. Another benefit of creating a tech-savvy workforce is that digital tools and automation can significantly enhance efficiency and productivity.

In that vein, a digitally literate workforce can leverage these tools to streamline processes, reduce manual tasks, and focus on more value-added activities.

The digital workplace encompasses the entirety of technologies employed by your staff for work purposes, ranging from human resources and customer relationship management software to e-mail communication.

Many organisations currently use a diverse array of digital solutions to facilitate their tasks, enabling the establishment of a more efficient digital workplace setting. In reality, formulating a well-defined strategy for transforming the digital workplace has proven beneficial for numerous organisations, yielding quantifiable results in their endeavours to modernise their operational environment.

By equipping employees with digital skills and integrating technology seamlessly, organisations can achieve enhanced efficiency, improved customer experiences, and increased innovation. 

This transformation fosters adaptability to technological changes, facilitates collaboration across geographies, and supports remote work arrangements. Moreover, a digitally literate workforce enables data-driven decision-making, leading to strategic insights and improved agility. With a strong foundation in technology, companies can attract and retain top talent, align with evolving customer expectations, and maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly digital world.