Mapping the journey the customer has to take from requirement to product. That is what everyone is focusing on at the department of Customer Value Management at VodafoneZiggo. Director CVM Nicole Verburg explains the procedure.
"We are on the eve of a huge leap in customer-focus", says Verburg. "VodafoneZiggo wants to progress towards a faultless customer experience, in which data play a crucial part. We collect as much relevant data as possible, which we process faster and faster in order to be able to use the results to improve our service to the customer. We don’t think fór the customer, but from the customer."
A sharp eye
The goal of CVM is to keep customer data up-to-date. With dashboards, scorecards and other information the department tries to keep a sharp eye. "We want to know at any given moment what works and what does not", says Verburg. "In responding to that, we can continuously improve the way we service our customer. Important decisions are more and more based on customer data. It is our job to extract valuable insights at the right moment and respond to them adequately. Our ultimate goal: inform, inspire and active the customer at the most suitable moment."
No assumptions but facts
What does VodafoneZiggo do to connect to the customer? "Wherever we are, we always keep our eyes and ears open. Personally, I like taking part in panel discussions, I often accompany our servicemen and regularly visit our shops. In this way I understand what drives peoples. No assumptions, but facts. It remains important to keep looking for this genuine connection with the customer, next to the heaps of data."
Man and machine
Those heaps of data grow bigger every day. Do you manage to distil the right information out of all that? "Sure. We don’t have to do it by hand, fortunately. We have smart computers and programmes that can bring out insights and trends from the data stream. Interpreting the information and drawing conclusions requires more than plain logic. Gut feeling is also vital. Man and machine complement each other nicely in this process."
Relevance is more important than reach
Nicole is a woman of figures. "I studied econometrics and have been involved for years in collecting, checking and interpreting customer data. My department Customer Value Management at VodafoneZiggo responds to trends every day that emerge from our figures. Many people think I’m really pleased if a campaign or an offer reaches huge number of customers. Nothing is further from the truth. After all, it’s not about reach, but about relevance."
Bull’s eye, not a chance hit
"Of course, you can send out a specific message to a very wide target group, hoping someone will snap it up," Nicole explains. "I’d rather start with clearly defining the target group and focus as accurately as possible. The chances you hit something, increase enormously. Furthermore, you are not bothering customers with offers or tips that are not meeting their demands at all. We strive for bull’s eye. Not a chance hit. That’s why I’m always in favour of campaigns as targeted as possible. The more tactful our approach is, the better the results. But even more important, the more valuable we are to the customer."