The strategic advantage of an organization’s CS core values

Building healthy relationships with customers is not just a matter of understanding their needs and solving their issues, but how committed you are to delivering the success they want and believe they can achieve. 

I interviewed Tyler Wonderlic, Vice President of Customer Success at Balto, to share his thoughts on the importance of an organization’s CS core values, its purpose, and its impact on a business as a whole.

Ask yourself: Do you think businesses can survive, thrive, or succeed without these core values as their customer-driven framework guide? 

CS core values include:

• Commitment to long term relationships
• Commitment to customer growth and success
• Dependability and reliability
• Dedicated service relationship
• Excellent service
• Customer-centricity and outcome-focused

Operating and institutionalizing these [core] values helps companies fulfill their objectives by creating an unwavering commitment by focusing on customer success and optimizing their experience (from willing client to brand advocate). It requires a holistic approach because customers now act quickly and respond negatively (when things don’t work out as they plan and expect to happen).

The essence of a relationship

Customers are no longer just consumers of the product. They now act as a contributor, advocate, collaborator, and initiator of success. These are why organizations have to build good relationships with customers or lose business (if not taken seriously).

When organizations articulate and share the idea of [success] with their customers and shape their perception of why successful [relationships] are of paramount importance, especially in a world (of software) where this relationship value puts on the edge.

To fortify this relationship, the organization must:

• Identify the needs and desired outcomes of their customers. 
• Focus on delivering consistent value in every interaction. 
• Deliver success as quickly as possible.
• Be sincere and obsessed with the well-being of their customers.
• Listen and understand customer feedback.
• Focus on their short and long-term goals.
• Proactively engage and ask questions tailored to their needs, goals, or challenges.
• Optimize customer experiences and build enduring partnerships.

As customers invest in technology and partnership, they want to foster change, deliver constant value, and be successful in their organization. If we do not build our organizations aligned with our business core values, we will not promote a good experience inside or outside our organization.

In this age of customers, word of mouth is the best form of marketing and advertising. It is one of the [good] reasons for having a successful relationship by letting our customers promote our business through word of mouth. Having CS as part of our core values allows us to stand differentiated and helps people talk about us. 

Trust and loyalty

In today’s business landscape, customer trust becomes a necessity and a responsibility. Why? It is hard to earn it without commitment and demonstrated accountability. Remember, there are thousands of businesses that do the same job and offer the same service. How should companies cut the noise and make a difference?

First, you need to make sure your communications and interactions are interactive and easy to understand. Second, show customers what others have achieved (or will achieve) while partnering with you. 

Consider online review platforms. It brings customers closer to the organization. It helps the organization boost its capability to serve its customers, but it also supports its cause and mission. This simple gesture brings trust and reliability. 

As a CS leader, we work to ensure that our customers are successful. If we do not treat our customers the way we want to treat ourselves, including our partners and employees - success is unlikely to achieve. 

Everyone in the organization must be responsive to customer growing needs, challenges, and demands. It must be a top priority for any organization. Remember, our customers’ success is the gateway to unlocking the value of our success to other customers we partner and work [with].