ORC Tool to Help Clients Get Customer-Centric

ORC International has launched an off-the-shelf customer centricity tool, allowing client companies to assess and improve their performance.

The tool probes employees' reaction to what ORC calls 'five essential ingredients of customer-centric organisations':

• Communication
• Empowerment
• Management behaviours
• People processes
• Customer vision.

The tool analyses answers from different functions and levels of seniority within the company to spot differences and target areas for action.

In developing the new offering, ORC used findings from a panel survey of 1,000 individual employees across the UK, US, Australia and Hong Kong, to identify the biggest gaps between aspirations and reality. Based on this, the firm has devised a 'concise and user friendly online survey' of around 30 questions, using a standard 5 point scale asking employees about agreement with statements. Results are compiled into action-oriented reports.

The company says its 2014 HR Reflections study of 900 HR professionals in 29 countries threw up a significant gap between the perceived value of customer centricity and success in putting it into practice. 93% said customer centricity was important to their organisation, but fewer than 50% were engaged in any of the associated activities - hiring and screening for customer-centric behaviours/attitudes (38%); providing training to deliver the customer experience strategy (47%); recognising and rewarding customer-centric behaviours (35%); and measuring employees on their ability to deliver the customer experience (37%).

The customer and employee satisfaction specialist, independent since 2011, has offices across the US, Europe and Asia Pacific and is online at www.orcinternational.com .