Mastering customer orientation: Strategies, skills, and examples

Every business claims to put customers first, but there’s a fine line between being truly customer-oriented and  falling short of expectations. Businesses that prioritize customer orientation will put the consumer first every time — even when it means sidelining the company’s needs.

And customers notice the difference. More importantly, they remember when it’s time to make a purchase. Customers who feel prioritized are more likely to remain loyal to a business over its competitors, even if they could save money elsewhere. 

Putting customer needs first can lead to increased sales, higher revenue, and stronger loyalty. Of course, achieving those goals requires more than simple lip service. It means an unwavering customer focus and a willingness to learn as much as possible about what your customers need.

What is customer orientation?

Customer orientation means centering your business decisions on what your target customer needs and wants. It requires prioritizing the customer above business goals and objectives, which the customer-oriented approach can help you achieve.

The key is not to abandon your goals but to align them with customer success and loyalty. For example, instead of targeting an increase in revenue, aim for a 5 percent increase in repeat purchases or a 10 percent reduction in problem-oriented support calls. By tying customer satisfaction to your bottom line, you easily see the business benefits of being customer-driven.

Benefits of a customer-oriented approach

When implemented well, customer orientation has the power to transform your marketing strategy. Customer-oriented companies allocate substantial resources to meeting customer needs. Unlike businesses focused on generalized demographics, these organizations learn as much as possible about their living, breathing buyers. 

These companies develop unique marketing campaigns, not to mention product or service offerings, centered on those needs. In doing so, they boost their market position in three key ways.

Customer retention

Think about someone in your life who “gets” you — who understands what makes you tick and accommodates your needs. When you have the chance to help them, you show up. It’s a natural human instinct, and it’s what drives customer loyalty as well.

According to a recent survey, 88 percent of customer success leaders “somewhat” or “strongly” agree their work helps reduce their organizations’ churn rates. Their customers know the business is on their side, and they don’t need to go elsewhere.

Competitive advantage

Customers know when a company has done the work and understands their needs. While non-customer-oriented businesses rely on generalizations and assumptions of what people want, customer-oriented companies cut through the noise. Their offerings and messaging truly resonate with their customers.

Marketing research offers proof: A recently published study showed businesses can create more effective service experiences by learning about customers’ lived experiences. According to researchers, a customer-focused approach helps these businesses “go beyond surface-level improvements” and create value that competitors struggle to duplicate.

Increased revenue

Genuinely satisfied customers tend to make more frequent purchases and spend more. In a 2024 survey by Khoros, 83 percent of shoppers cite excellent service as their top reason for choosing a brand, and 86 percent are more likely to spend more on a brand that treats customers as individuals.  

A customer orientation approach helps companies meet those needs more consistently, which increases loyalty and encourages spending across the board. In fact, McKinsey researchers have found that when a company refocuses resources on buyer needs, its customer lifetime value increases by 10 percent. 

3 key elements of a customer-oriented culture

While excellent customer service is a policy, customer orientation is a way of life. Companies with customer-oriented cultures put the buyer at the center of everything they do, from employee onboarding to policy development. Here are three key examples of how that manifests.

1. Deep customer understanding

Customer-centered companies have a detailed grasp of what their buyers want and need. While competitors satisfy themselves with basic data, such as shopping trends and review patterns, customer-centric organizations go directly to the source. They conduct surveys, host focus groups, and analyze data from multiple sources to learn what customers love — and what companies can do better.

2. Employee training

To truly make customer orientation a part of your culture, companies need to do more than tell employees to “put customers first.” They need to teach a customer-centric approach through hands-on training programs, teaching people how to identify and address customer pain points. 

Most importantly, organizations need to teach their people the “why” of customer orientation. Their onboarding and ongoing training should instill values, such as customer empathy, personalized service, and proactive problem-solving.

3. Feedback mechanisms

Online review sites and two-way customer service chats have made it easier than ever to gather feedback. The key is learning how to use that feedback to create workflows for improvement.

For example, Nationwide Insurance created a feedback loop that gets customer input from frontline employees. Nationwide sends that input to the appropriate departments, makes improvements accordingly, and then circles back with the employees to obtain additional insights from customers.

3 strategies to implement customer orientation

Unwavering customer orientation looks like magic from the outside, but each company that excels has built its culture from the ground up. If you’re embarking on a new customer orientation journey, here are three must-haves to get on the right track.

1. Recruit the right people

You can provide and teach customer service scripts, but there’s no substitute for genuine people skills and the ability to connect with customers organically. If you’re looking to fast-track your customer orientation strategy, focus on hiring people with a service mindset. Prioritize these qualities in your interviews and refine them during onboarding, so people can wow customers from day one of direct contact.

2. Leverage customer feedback

To meet customer needs, you need to know what they think, which means learning how to measure customer satisfaction. The most straightforward and accessible method is through customer surveys, which convert general impressions into quantifiable data. Ask customers about different aspects of their buying experience; then analyze the answers to identify points of improvement.

3. Collaborate across departments

Few things irritate customers more than having to explain their problems to multiple representatives. Eliminate that frustration by streamlining your interdepartmental communication channels, and make sure everyone can access customer data. Encourage teams to collaborate to solve customer problems.

5 examples of customer-oriented companies

Nearly every company claims to have great customer service, but only a few truly excel. Consider these five companies that have made service integral to their reputations.

1. Jotform: Easy, customer-centric support

Jotform excels at customer service with the user-friendly Jotform Customer Support tool, which makes it easy to get help with any Jotform product or function. Six colorful buttons invite customers to get in touch with a single click, offering a variety of contact methods, including Zoom and WhatsApp. Customers can also use the easy-to-complete service request form, which accepts links and screenshots for an easy explanation of the issue.

2. Zappos: Delivering WOW through service

Zappos is famous for going above and beyond to make the customer happy. The first of its 10 core values is to “Deliver WOW Through Service,” and every employee has to complete four weeks of Customer Loyalty Team (CLT) training. Each new hire, including those who work behind the scenes, starts by taking customer phone calls. This grounds them in customer-centricity from day one.

3. Amazon: Customer obsession on a global scale

Amazon provides a gold-standard experience for its e-commerce customers, despite having over 6 billion of them. According to its About Us page, Amazon accomplishes this goal with “customer obsession rather than competitor focus” as its primary guiding principle, and by striving to be “Earth’s most customer-centric company.” In 2023, it ranked second in the American Customer Satisfaction Index for retail customer satisfaction.

4. First Direct: Money management with heart

First Direct is the online division of HSBC, a multinational bank headquartered in the United Kingdom. Its comprehensive support page directs visitors to a wealth of money management and customer service resources, from budgeting tips to help with managing the affairs of a deceased loved one. First Direct has 87 percent of its workforce serving on its customer service team, whose members undergo six weeks of training to learn customer-first techniques.

5. Nordstrom: Employees empowered to satisfy

The high-end clothing retailer Nordstrom goes above and beyond to provide a top-quality shopping experience. Customer-first policies include free shipping and free returns, with curbside pickup available for returned items. The company is also recognized for its personalized service and empowered employees, who have the flexibility to make decisions that best serve the customer.

Transform your business with a customer-oriented approach

In a market where companies pay lip service to their customers, a genuinely customer-oriented approach can set you apart. Getting started is as simple as integrating customer satisfaction surveys into your daily operations and using the results to build stronger relationships. By shifting what people think to the center of your operations, you become the kind of company that people can’t stop talking about.