Customers - Slaves or Heroes?

If you've studied customer relations in business school or worked in traditional organizations, you most likely have been taught to see customers as "them." However, that's only half the story. A customer is much closer than that!

You as a Customer!

Think about it - how often are you a customer each day? You might start calculating the instances when you pay for products or services, thinking, "Not that many times on an ordinary day."

But this isn't a true reflection of today's reality, neither in your personal nor professional life. We live in a service-oriented society where direct transactions are becoming less frequent. Instead, we enter into service agreements. Viewing yourself as merely a "user" downplays your role as a customer.

This change affects everything. In our commercialized world, you spend a significant amount of time in the customer position. Daily, you find yourself in dozens of "me being a customer" situations.

Moreover, there are both internal and external customers. Customer concept isn't limited to the commercial sector; even the public sector now views people as customers!

Being a Customer is a Mega "Job"!

In business, we've traditionally viewed the customer from a fragmented point of view. But for individuals and organizations, the reality is more complex. We each fill multiple customer roles.

The real challenge isn't dealing with a single customer experience, but managing the fragmentation of these roles. As the world changes rapidly, a shift in one customer relationship impacts others. Are customer responsibilities proliferating, making the burden heavier? Could this lead to a kind of "customer slavery"?

In the past, some providers promised to do everything for the customer. However, from a modern perspective, that's simply not feasible. Critical tasks, like decision-making, always rest with the customer. In today's society, even decision making is truly demanding.

Your Choice?

Customers face challenging times ahead. As a producer and a peer customer, you have a choice: Will you push others deeper into burdensome roles, or will you support them in becoming everyday heroes of their lives?

• Respect your customers' challenges and shift from a fragmented approach to a more holistic and supportive one. This benefits everyone by making it easier to adapt to future changes.
• Avoid planning customer relationships on false stability. Agreements that exclude change are not sustainable. A healthy customer relationship always includes flexibility and change.
• Take responsibility for your own customer relationships. Recognize yourself as a customer. "You are what you eat!" If you learn to be a good customer, you're more likely to serve your own customers better.