Courageous Culture

COVID has changed us. It has changed the world in ways we never could have imagined just 12 months ago. Good and not so good. One of the very good things to happen is the innovation and creativity we have witnessed in the online space.

For the past few decades we have had the world at out fingertips. That access has never been more critical than it was in the past year. With a lot of world in lockdown at various times this was a link to an otherwise shut off world. A lifesaver in many ways.

For me it reinforced my belief that regardless of the technology it is the company culture that will dictate the experience that you are going to have. Under the blazing spotlight of a year of reliance on the online world many "great" companies were exposed and just as many little known companies excelled.

Some industries were hard hit and it became clear that some companies in those industries were not the gold standard customer focused organisations they claimed to be. Think travel. Think airlines.

If the experience you received was fractured and broken when it came to dealing with a company then I can guarantee you that the culture of that company is also broken to the same degree. On the other hand if you felt looked after and cared for then rest assured that is a company you would want to work for.

I have always believed it is in times of need and times of stress that companies show their true values - not what is up on a wall in reception but what is in the hearts and minds of each employee when they turn up to work. What happens internally always makes its way to the customer experience and in 2020 many companies have been badly exposed.

Culture takes courage. Changing a culture is hard work. It is not quick or easy. Words don't change anything. Actions do.

For companies that are successful in the market place it is easy to look past poor behaviours, conflicting attitudes, inappropriate commentary at an individual level forgetting that the combined impact eats away at the soul of the organisation. Eventually this has a top line and bottom line impact on the financials.

In the online world the emphasis on culture I think is heightened. If all of the pieces do not fit together in a way that the customer is given the feeling that they are dealing with one company, one attitude, one approach then that same customer is going to find a company that can treat them that way ... they do not even need to move from the chair they are in, they just need to click. Placing an order online and then struggling with the company beyond that is a classic disconnect that we see time and again. From that you can read the company cares about sales not you. Some make it deliberately hard to cancel. We all know the pitfalls.

The shining stars in the online world are well led and well structured based on how they want to actually serve a customer before, during and after a transaction. Many have transferred superior customer experience from the bricks and mortar world to online - no easy feat. Culture underpins all of this. A single unified customer experience comes from a single unified and aligned workforce.

As we transition to the next phase of our new world remember those companies that took care of you during the pandemic. Reward them. They deserve the recognition through ongoing loyalty. Repay the effort they put into a culture focused on making your time with them a positive memorable experience. Pay it forward.