Empathizing with the client, but listening to the process

Nowadays we have innovative methodologies and solutions that come to enrich and revolutionize the way we analyze our organizations and their surroundings. Concepts such as empathize, devise and prototype are without a doubt very powerful methods that facilitate the involvement of the staff (client-focused) in the generation of innovative solutions.

Consequently, these paths have led us to the clarification that the concept of defining efficient processes has a very important focus on the investigation of the market, always listening to the clients voice.

It is important that the moment we define our venture in a project of change and improvement, we break our expert paradigms and we stop thinking for a moment that we know our clients 100% (externs or interns). The richness of this exercise will greatly impact solutions more focused on their real needs. Before we initiate the development of applications or technological upgrades, for example, (with money and time investments) it is key to determine which variables really make a difference for our clients: the prices, the quality, the service, attention time, the flexibility of changes, the reliable information?

Methods such as one on one interviews, work groups observations or mystery shopper create a very high value in the knowledge of these needs.

Once we’ve understood and interpreted the real needs that will make our business more competitive, it’s time to trace and design the processes considering the key points of contact with customers. The Customer Journey is a tool that encompasses the entire process in which the client has contact with our organization; landing in an example of a commercial area, this would start before you hire us, following with the registration process, continuing with the process of providing the service and ending with the actions after the provision of the service. The development of this process has to consider the contact point with the client, both in the front and the back office, given that only with the integration of these two fronts will we be able to generate fundamental solutions to their real “pain”.

Behind the definitions of improvement of this “customer journey” (once again clarifying that it applies to external or internal customers of the organization), there must be risk analysis, cost-benefit and validated implementation plans to ensure that all this exercise will have the forcefulness and strength to generate real results; Otherwise, we may run the risk of having invested time and resources generating ideas that have not landed and generate little value for our business.