The Path to True Customer Centricity: Why Many Get It Wrong

Let’s be honest: “customer centricity” is one of those corporate buzzwords that gets thrown around endlessly, but few companies genuinely embrace it. You can’t just slap an NPS survey on your emails and call it a day. True customer centricity is about embedding the customer into everything your business does—from product development to how your chatbot solves problems.

But here’s the tricky part: not every customer’s feedback should dictate your decisions. I’ve seen it firsthand—social media often amplifies the loudest, most extreme opinions, and they’re not always representative of your entire audience. The real challenge lies in finding balance: listening to what customers are saying without losing your company’s vision and delivering value that works for the majority.

Customer Centricity Is a Mindset, Not a Slogan

Customer centricity starts with leadership. It’s easy to say “we’re customer-centric,” but do Decision-Makers really believe it? Leaders need to not only talk about customer focus but live it. That means setting aside egos and embracing openness.

Too often, I’ve seen organizations operate as if expertise only comes from within. Leaders assume they know what customers want—and sometimes, they’re wrong. This is where humility plays a crucial role. Leaders must be willing to challenge their own assumptions, listen to customers, and empower teams to experiment and learn.

Balancing Metrics: Financial and Customer-Centric KPIs

Here’s the thing: financial KPIs like revenue, profitability, and cost efficiency are essential—they keep the lights on. But they’re not enough. If you’re serious about customer centricity, you need to extend those financial metrics with customer-focused ones, like Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Effort Score (CES), and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).

This isn’t just a feel-good initiative; it’s practical. Customer-centric KPIs give you a real sense of how your business is performing in the eyes of your customers, not just on paper. And when these KPIs are part of the company’s top-level goals, they guide every department—from marketing to operations—in aligning their efforts with what truly matters.

Here’s what works: team OKRs that directly feed into company-wide KPIs. For example, if your service team is responsible for improving post-purchase interactions, their success should be tied to metrics like CES or retention rates. This approach ensures customer value is prioritized alongside business outcomes.

Bridging Digital and Traditional Approaches

Digital-first companies like the Brazilian Neobank Nubank have mastered customer centricity by combining great products with exceptional customer experiences. Nubank turned a boring product—a credit card—into something desirable, creating excitement and exclusivity through invite-only launches and modern, inclusive communication.

Traditional companies can learn from this. While they may not have the agility of startups, they can embrace similar principles: every customer touchpoint should feel intuitive and valuable. Whether it’s a chatbot, an email, or an in-store interaction, the goal remains the same: solve the customer’s problem quickly and effectively.

However, traditional organizations often face a unique challenge: silos. Teams operate in isolation, and communication breaks down. This is where cross-functional teams or competence centers can play a critical role. By centralizing expertise and creating collaborative environments, businesses can align their efforts and deliver a seamless customer experience.

Iterate, Don’t Overthink

One of the biggest advantages digital businesses have is their ability to iterate quickly. A/B testing, real-time analytics, and customer feedback loops allow for rapid experimentation and improvement. This iterative process isn’t just about refining small details—it can also reveal insights that drive major innovations.

Traditional companies might not have the same digital infrastructure, but that doesn’t mean they can’t adopt this mindset. Testing ideas, learning from customer feedback, and implementing changes in smaller, manageable increments can make transformation less daunting.

And here’s the key: iteration reduces risk. Instead of betting everything on a single “big idea,” companies can validate concepts step by step, ensuring they’re aligned with customer needs before scaling.

Leadership: The Real Driver of Customer Centricity

At the end of the day, customer centricity lives or dies with leadership. Leaders need to set the tone, model the right behaviors, and back their words with action. Promoting customer centricity isn’t about using it as a trendy buzzword—it’s about embedding it into the company’s culture and goals.

This requires leaders to be ego-free. They must acknowledge that their expertise might not always align with what customers want and be willing to adapt. It’s about empowering teams to focus on solving customer problems, even if that means challenging traditional ways of working.

Making Customer Centricity a Reality

Customer centricity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the foundation for sustainable growth and meaningful customer relationships. Whether you’re a digital-first D2C company or a traditional business navigating transformation, success lies in putting the customer at the heart of your strategy.

This journey starts with leadership embracing customer-centric values and aligning the entire organization around delivering value at every touchpoint. It’s about balancing financial success with a commitment to understanding and addressing customer needs.

The companies that excel in this area don’t just attract buyers—they create loyal communities and build brands that people trust and love. By embedding customer centricity into your culture, metrics, and processes, you set the stage for lasting growth and deeper connections.

The path isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it. After all, the businesses that prioritize their customers today are the ones shaping the future.