Evolve Insights

As it appeared in the Daily Nation of January 6th 2015   by Lucy Kiruthu Why do we really celebrate a New Year? Is it because we have made it through another 365 days or is it because we are looking forward to something exciting in the New Year? Looking back over the past year provides an opportunity to reflect, take stock and assess how we did. Looking ahead into the New Year provides an opportunity to resolve and to plan to do better going forward. I have no doubt that many organizations have resolved to improve their customers’ experiences this New Year. Here are my top 4 insights to give 2015 a good start. Listen more to your Customers Do you know what your customers both internal and external are saying? This New Year is an opportunity to listen more. Listen to what your customers have to say when they come to your office or when…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation of December 30th 2014 Lucy Kiruthu Year after year some businesses put together their work plans while others meander through the year without any sort of plan. I hope your business had some sort of a plan for 2014. A salient feature of many annual work plans is the action items. Some of the actions especially in the forward looking business relate to the customer experience. In any case customers are the reason for business existence and the businesses provide not only a product or a service but an experience. Answers to questions such as: - 1. How can we better serve our customers? 2. How can we make them happier? 3. How can we make them loyal for life? etc are well articulated in these work plans. The key question though is does the customer feel an improvement in the experience year in year out? Did the Customer Experience…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation of December 23rd 2014 Lucy Kiruthu Service is rated by oxforddictories.com as one of the top 1000 frequently used words. Perceived by many differently, service whether as a verb or a noun is a word that makes our world go round. To some it is the simple act of assistance while to others service is what they do every day.  The word whose origins according to different sources range from slavery to religious devotion is used across sectors and across borders. In the military for example we have service men, when we take a car to the garage we say we have taken it for service. We also make reference to public service, to community service, to food service and so on. In business, customers want service and staff provide service and even on Sundays many Christians refer to their religious gatherings as a service.   There is no doubt…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation of December 16th 2014 Lucy Kiruthu At a past speaking engagement in a leading bank, the CEO sought to know what I foresaw as a key game changer of the customer experience in the banking sector. Technology was my best bet. In recent years, the customer experience has been greatly enhanced by technology not only in the banking sector but across all other sectors. George Colony and Peter Burris’ report "Technology Management in the Age of the Customer" points out the importance of customer experience as a common language for information technology and customer-facing groups to build successful customer experiences. To support business performance, managers in charge of information technology and those in charge of the customer experience must work together to improve the overall customer experience through use of technology. One or two decade ago many things were inconceivable. Who would have imaged that one can transfer money to a bank…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation of November 25th 2014 Lucy Kiruthu I have made online purchases for the last 14 years. My first experience was at amazon.com. At the time, it claimed to be "the world's largest bookstore" and Barnes and Noble took them to court. I trust it possibly was because over 80% of my hard copy books and 100% of my e-books are from amazon.com. In the current issue of the Harvard Business Review Jeff Bezzo the Amazon.com CEO tops the list of Best-Performing CEOs.  In addition, the online store is number 2 on the 2014 Fortune list of most admired companies and has taken the lead for the last 5 years in the Customer Service Hall of Fame. Online shopping though goes beyond Amazon.com. Just recently alibaba.com a company that plans to last at least 102years as stipulated it its vision has made headlines. Other online stores that have left a…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on November 11th 2014  by Lucy Kiruthu I recently visited an organization whose receptionist seemed to find the many visitors a bother. At yet another reception, the staff taking cover behind the computer had ear phones on possibly listening to some music and not noticing visitors walking in. At other reception areas I have overhead greetings such as “Yes!” and “Next!” or witnessed a mere stare to those walking in. Such experiences are not only unique to reception areas; many have had similar experiences in banking halls, sales floors, behind the counters, switch board, restaurants, in the field and other front office operations. When the personal touch is lacking in customer interactions it becomes difficult for any organization to build a reputation of customer focus. Do such frontline staff and their managers really understand their crucial role in building strong customer relationships? Staff in the frontline are the face…

As it appeared in the Daily Nation on November 4th 2014 Lucy Kiruthu When an announcement was made regarding a menu well tacked in the seat pocket, I realized that I was flying a no-frills airline. That was several years ago on a Mesa Airlines / United Express operated flight. I recall a crew walking down the aisle carrying a kettle of coffee and cups in her hands whispering “coffee, coffee, coffee”. Coffee was and I believe still is a complimentary drink on offer in many such airlines.  I should have known better and carried a snack or better still taken a meal beforehand. Also referred to as low cost (LCC), budget or discount carriers, such airlines have been in existence for decades. The salient features in many include more seats, packed flights, a fee for just about anything – checked-in luggage, snacks, water, priority boarding, seat allocation, checking in at the airport, pillow, blanket and…