More than just a buzz word, culture is the very soul of an organization. When thoroughly understood, the culture is what drives the focus on customer service. But the question remains, "How do you bring the culture to life and make it work for you, rather than against you?" The best answer is, People Management Strategies. From recruitment and selection to rewards and recognition, this is how you create a work environment that produces outstanding, consistent customer focused performance every day! Let's simplify by looking at a list of suggestions on just how to build a customer driven culture.

Understanding What Really Makes up a Customer Driven Company Culture

• Gain an understanding of how corporate culture permeates every aspect of your organization.
• Analyze elements of your corporate culture. What's effective. What's not. 
• Explore with your team ways to create a positive corporate culture, one that actually works for you.
• The success of evolving culture in your organization is assuring that it is represented in every part of your organization.

Hiring the Right People for the Right Reasons

• Create a recruitment and hiring process that reinforces a customer driven culture.
  
• Explore with your team ways to set employment priorities/goals.
• Use the hiring process to establish company expectations.
• Hire for the right talent, not just experience.

Train to Expectations and Outcomes

• Explore a comprehensive approach to training, from initial orientation through on-the-job training and beyond.
• Remember to maximize your training dollars.
• Understand there is a crucial link between training and the Total Customer Experience outcome.
• Make your training programs actionable and accountable.
  

Learn the Most Powerful Communication Strategies

• Understand the power of the right communication tools and how each reinforces a customer driven culture.
• Leaders that understand "you" is one of the most powerful communication strategies.
• Determine how to link specific messages and mediums through vertical integration.
  
• Build on-going communication that reinforces your corporate culture.

Reinforce the Right Behaviors through Recognition, Reward & Celebration

• Recognition and reward programs can instill loyalty in employees.
• Brainstorm inexpensive but effective recognition tactics.
• Know what you should be celebrating.
• Benchmark your company with the "100 Best Companies to Work For" and learn their techniques.

Take some time with these suggestions and develop an integrated people management strategy that will dramatically impact your employees loyality, perfromance and retention, as well as improve your customer's overall experience. Need help getting started?

---