There is only one customer.

You may have heard me correct people when they refer to co-workers or other parts of their business as “customers”, or using the term “internal customers”. I believe this is damaging trend, as the more we water down the term “customer”, the more employees of a business will lose the importance of understanding & knowing their actual customers.

There is only one customer. Customers are people who receive value from the people in our company. A customer that is human, who we can empathise with & should be revered as the only reason a business exists.

Customers have real world problems that are in constant change. As the world turns, as time progresses forward, as societies & economies ebb & flow, customers will in return give value to those people that solve these problems.

Its only when we understand people well, that we get to know them that it can almost be like having a sixth sense predicting when their needs change.

Innovation is a buzz word that has lost its meaning. If you want to be the change that innovation stands for, then be a leader in understanding & championing people’s problems. In knowing these & focusing our powers on working to solve them, true innovation lies.

There is a lot of pain in the world.  Most of this pain can be solved. Make your change about relieving pain, not making more of it.

How might we;

• empathise more with our customer?
• understand their ever-changing problems?
• design our business model around them?
• ensure we employee the right people?
• empower our people to make this change.

We are all part of companies that deliver value to customers, that only exist if we receive value in return.

The customer is king, if you aren’t serving them, who are you serving?

Shane Williamson