Marketers harp on customer experience for growth

Ahead of the 2019 polls, marketing experts have urged organisations to improve on positive customer experience for their internal and external publics, as a means to grow their businesses.

The experts spoke at the second annual public lecture organised by the National Institute of Marketing Nigeria (NIMN), Ikeja Chapter, in Lagos. They observed that despite the uncertainties around the political terrain, there would be opportunities for firms that offer positive customer experience to thrive.

Leading the call in a paper, titled, “Creating positive customer experience in 2019,” the President/Chief Executive Officer, Oska Royal International Nigeria Limited, Olufemi Oyewole, observed that there are a number of key parameters that have to be met in order to achieve sustainability in delivering positive customer experience in 2019.

He identified some of them to include, a clear customer experience vision that should become part of the operational ethos, providing customer feedback mechanism to boost loyalty and retention, and creating emotional connection with customers.

He noted that the global market has become extremely competitive, and if organisations are not there for the customer, the customer will not be there oganisations in return.

According to him, the focus on customer experience is currently the biggest business opportunity, as it helps to reduce churn and impacts all areas of business.

Oyewole explained that as a guide, an organisation must be willing to calculate how much turnover money in percentage will be spent to achieve the desired customer experience expectation and what is expected as return on investment.

He said: “Demand positive customer experience from your employees; train your team members, work towards delivering a great customer experience that no one is ever going to forget. If everyone in the organisation worked towards achieving happy customers, the organisation, employees, and all stakeholders will be happy in a sustainable, manner and profitable growth will be assured. Start customer experience with smile principle and achieve result with smiling face”.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, Business School Netherland, BSN-Nigeria, Lere Baale, and the General Manager, Crown Flour Mills, John Olaoye, posited that marketers would need to emphasise value addition in their campaign to maximise the potential that the 2019 polls offer.

For Mrs. Folake Oyediran, a Pharmacist, and Victor Ugorji, there is a need to advance customers experience through the use of technology.

According to them, technology should be used for stakeholder’s engagement, and there must also be a daily upgrade on improvement because yesterdays’ innovation is today’s tradition.

“We must use technology to raise the bar in customer’s expectation and the reality of their experience. Customer service should transcend pre-sale and include post sale services. Marketing is not for marketers but for everyone. It is based on research and development,” they said.

Earlier, the Chairman, NIMN, Ikeja Chapter, Peter Folikwe, said the lecture was organised to establish a link between the ‘town and gown’ as well as boost the competence of members.

He said the speakers were drawn from higher institutions, and professionals from industries to deepen knowledge of the profession.