CUSTOMER

CUSTOMER

 A customer is an individual or business that purchases another

company's goods or services. Customers are important because
they drive revenues; without them, businesses have nothing to
offer. Most public-facing businesses compete with other
companies to attract customers, either by aggressively
advertising their products or by lowering prices to expand their
customer bases.
 To understand how to better meet the needs of its customers,
some businesses closely monitor their customer relationships to
identify ways to improve service and products.
 The way businesses treat their customers can give them a
competitive edge.
Characteristics of Customers

1. Great Customers Understand that It's a

Partnership
Great customers know that success with a piece of
technology is a two-way street. They will most
certainly need your help but you will need theirs
just as much. This will manifest itself in a number
of ways, which are also on the list, but highly
successful customers simply start with this attitude.
2. Great Customers Want to be Self-sufficient
This is an attitude more than anything else and is
often dependent on the personality of the
individual(s) with whom you are working. But the
attitude is often driven by the company's attitude,
which drives the kind of people they hire. People
who know that, in order to take full advantage of
your technology, they must truly own it.
3. Great Customers Pay You to Become Better
Customers
 It sounds too good to be true but it most certainly

happens. We all want our customers to be better

customers. That's why Customer Success exists. But
there are still lines that need to be drawn. There are
times when the best path for a customer to get what
they need is to pay for training or services from your
company. The best customers know this and plan for
it.
4. Great Customers are Demanding
 This seems a bit counterintuitive on first pass but

it's absolutely true. Remember, the job of a CSM is

not to make customers happy, it's to make them
successful and those are not one and the same
thing. I find that the most successful customers are
the most demanding ones. They want to squeeze
every ounce of value out of your product and won't
stop pushing you until they do.
5. Great Customers are Advocates
 Great customers, when they truly are getting tremendous

value from your product, become more than just happy.

They do more than just references. They give you more
than just high customer satisfaction marks. They become
advocates. What does it mean to be an advocate?
Advocates are those who talk about you behind your
back – in a positive way. They don't have to wait for you
to ask them to be a reference or post something on your
Community or speak at your conference.
 Roles of Customers

 Customers depend on the company to supply a product or

service. They support the company with every purchase they
make, and each purchase also shows the company what
products and services to invest in further. In doing so,
customers help guide the direction of a small business.
Customers also share their opinions and experiences with the
customer service department, and they may directly request
changes in products or services. Because customers often
speak directly with small business owners in their
community, these businesses have the opportunity to cultivate
a strong understanding of what their customers need or want.