Without loyal customers, most companies would crumble within years, if not months. Thus, it’s become increasingly important for leaders to constantly prove that said customers are valued and respected at each touchpoint along their journey. In many cases, this means establishing an internal Customer Bill of Rights (CBoR) that dictates precisely what perks and services customers are entitled to and how to maintain these agreements to enhance CX.
Years ago, for instance, in the aftermath of an unavoidable February storm, JetBlue instituted its own Customer Bill of Rights to repair subsequent damage to its reputation. From compensation to cancellations, this document outlines the company’s ongoing promises to its client base in the event that another inevitably uncontrollable situation should arise in the future.
Yet, while many companies embark upon creating a CBoR with the best of intentions, they don’t always have the capacity to uphold the promises they inevitably make. Here are three elements to consider when drafting your CBoR that’ll help your company maintain focus on the customer and establish the foundation for future business success:
- Ensure that every article has the customer’s best interest at its core.
When drafting your company’s CBoR, every single article established must have the customer in mind, first and foremost. Customers, after all, are the reason why your brand continues to excel and they are the key to future success. Thus, their best interest must be top of mind at all times. To develop a solid foundation, you must think like the customer and apply the Golden Rule. By adopting this “Do Unto Others” mindset, you’ll be able to approach your CBoR with the correct perspective. What do you expect from other companies? We are all customers in our own right, so treat your base the way you’d like to be treated.
- Guarantee that all employees understand your CBoR and are dedicated to advancing CX.
Once you’ve drafted your CBoR, you must obtain buy-in from employees at every level within the organization. Customer service must be an enterprisewide effort to succeed, so everyone—from the C-Suite to the frontline—must adopt the articles of the CBoR and bring them to action in all that they do each day. Frontline employees, in particular, must adhere to the CBoR across all interactions, as they are typically the customer’s first point of contact. These employees are essentially the face of the company and they have the delicate responsibility of making sure all customers walk away satisfied and delighted with their overall brand experience.
- Troubleshoot how to handle potential issues that might threaten your CBoR.
No matter how comprehensive your CBoR might seem, there will be rare instances when issues arise that aren’t explicitly addressed within the articles you have already developed. To prepare, you’ll need to sit down with your team and brainstorm various scenarios that might threaten the sanctity of your CBoR. Be sure to include frontline employees during this brainstorm session, as they are the first point of contact for most customers. They’ll have firsthand knowledge of the problems that occur most frequently and the challenges they present. By incorporating these varied perspectives, you’ll be able to institute safeguards that rectify latent issues, while also protecting the promises made within your CBoR.
Here are the 10 articles of CRMI’s NorthFace ScoreBoard Award:
Article I:
Companies agree to provide goods and services that will consistently exceed their customer’s expectations.
Article II:
Companies agree to provide their employees a workplace where employees are motivated, trained and skilled, customers are valued, and relationships are maximized.
Article III:
Companies agree to recognize and reward their employees who consistently exceed their customer’s expectations.
Article IV:
Companies agree to consistently measure the level of customer satisfaction with a company’s product and services.
Article V:
Companies agree to consistently report levels of customer satisfaction for products and services to executive management and the enterprise.
Article VI:
Companies agree to adopt change management strategy to consistently provide corrective action to poor performance in products and services.
Article VII:
Companies agree to consistently measure their performance versus industry standards and/or best in class company performers.
Article VIII:
Companies agree to consistently validate their customer satisfaction results via being recipients of industry awards-certifications and/or independent audit of their customer satisfaction results.
Article IX:
Companies agree to a chief customer advocate position, reporting to the President whose sole responsibility is the ombudsmen for customers, and who consistently reports the level of customer satisfaction on product and services and provides the corrective action plan to the executive management team.
Article X:
Companies agree to annual review of their customer experience management strategy (CX), which must include Article I thru Article IX.
Which elements apply to your business? Use these articles as your guide to establish an outline that demonstrates how much your company cares about its customers.
Not sure where to begin? Reach out to CRMI directly for some quickstart tips and successful hints that will help your brand secure customer loyalty and advocacy for years to come.
