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Emotional interactions: the frontier of the customer‐focused enterprise

Robert Heffernan (CRM Global Leader for IBM Institute for Business Value (robert.heffernan@usibm.com).)
Steve LaValle (Global and Americas Leader for IBM Global Business Services CRM Strategy Services (steve.lavalle@usibm.com).)

Strategy & Leadership

ISSN: 1087-8572

Article publication date: 15 May 2007

2623

Abstract

Purpose

Describes how companies can make managing the emotional expectations of customers the frontier of the customer‐focused enterprise.

Design/methodology/approach

Customer experiences have emotional characteristics that companies historically haven't been good at delivering. The customer experience is more than an analysis of hard metrics about speed, availability and information. These performance measures are critical, but real progress in shaping the customer experience comes from addressing the emotional aspects of their interactions.

Findings

The key to success is to fully understand the customers' needs and expectations. By doing so, companies can identify what the most important interactions are – key “moments of truth” – and prioritize delivery on these interactions.

Practical implications

By employing a customer experience framework to prioritize resources according to the impact of particular customer interactions, paying particular attention to emotional experiences, companies can build achievable operational models that create customer advocates.

Originality/value

Best‐in‐class companies understand the entire customer experience and use a Customer‐Focused Enterprise model to foster customer advocates while deploying resources effectively and efficiently. The six characteristics of the CFE are: customer authority, customer dialog, integrated execution, solution experience, human performance and customer focused organization.

Keywords

Citation

Heffernan, R. and LaValle, S. (2007), "Emotional interactions: the frontier of the customer‐focused enterprise", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 38-49. https://doi.org/10.1108/10878570710745820

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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