Making a customer-centric change doesn't have to be overwhelming

When companies think about improving the customer experience, the fear is often:

❌ 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲

❌ 𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺

❌ 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿

❌ 𝗜𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

But here’s the truth: 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

I recently rolled out a new process in a company where one team now owns the client journey end-to-end. Instead of juggling multiple handoffs, clients now have one dedicated contact, and the team has more clarity and ownership.

And here’s the twist:

This isn’t a classic setup with a dedicated CSM team. The client owners are the SMEs (subject matter experts) on the service they provide, deeply knowledgeable and hands-on. That means this shift wasn’t just about managing relationships; it was about empowering the right people to deliver a seamless experience.

What made this work smoothly?

1. 𝗪𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲. A clear playbook, streamlined workflows, and defined responsibilities. No over-complication.

2. 𝗪𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺. This wasn’t just about the customer—it was about giving tax preparers more control, efficiency, and confidence in their work.

3. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Change is uncomfortable. We addressed concerns up front (like workload) and built-in support and flexibility.

4. 𝗪𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. No change is perfect from day one. We set up ongoing check-ins to adapt as needed.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁?

• Faster, smoother client interactions

• Less frustration for the team

• A process that works better for everyone

Customer-centric improvements don’t have to be scary. Start small, focus on what truly matters, and make it a team-driven effort.