customer focus ivan kravchenko, epam systems 2010 © epam systems

Customer Focus

Ivan Kravchenko, EPAM Systems

2010 © EPAM Systems

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I. Customers & Interests

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Customer focus – what’s this

about?

Identifying needs and interests

Acting accordingly

Making sure it’s visible properly

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Customer focus – why bother?

Trust

Comfort

Growth

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Who is our customer?

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Is it a VP who approves the

budget?

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… or a product manager?

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… or a technical lead?

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… or a peer engineer?

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All of them!

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What do they want?

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In general – us solving problems

without introducing new ones.

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Another generic need – peace of

mind.

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What can help to ensure these?

Reliability

Responsiveness

Cooperation

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Reliability – fire-and-forget:

Get things done

Get back if stuck

No surprises

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Responsiveness – never make

the customer to:

Wait

Inquire

Get anxious

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Cooperation – be on the same

wavelength:

Understand

Empathize

Try to help

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What else do customers want?

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Customer’s wants – what to look

for?

Requests and complaints

Specific interests

Bias and emotions

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Handling customer’s requests:

Understand what

Understand why

Decide on actions

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Make sure to understand

customer’s:

Targets

Manager’s expectations

Overall context

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Don’t forget: they are human

beings just like us.

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Being humans, they likely want

to:

Look good

Be right

Earn respect

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Focus on interests, not

positions!positions

interests

requirement

sreasons

ambitions

needs

goals

bias

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Which interests to focus on?

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Find a balance!

Yet favor the job.

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Different interests on different

levels – which to honor?

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Target more critical ones, yet

keep the good relationships.

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Use a proxy where practical.

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Any interests from our side?

Team comfort

Personal career

Technical excellence

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Team issues: share the concern.

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Personal targets: align with

customer needs.

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Perfection: speak customer

language.

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One and only vs. one among

many.

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Perception is reality!

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Bottom line:

Note and act on customer’s interests

Provide proactive and reliable service

Show understanding and care

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II. Situations

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Handling the conflict –

techniques:

Delegate the confrontation

Deflect the argument

Focus on issues

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Leave the dirty job to manager.

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Get out of the line of fire.

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Concentrate on specific

problems.

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Is it ok to disagree with a

customer?

Yes – for his own good!

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Arguments and corrections:

Hear opponent's reasons

Mind feelings and ambitions

Don’t get steamed up

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Staying positive: how to say

‘no’?

Say ‘yes’ first

‘We need … to do …’

Defer

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Show commitment to a common

goal.

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Be careful suggesting

alternatives.

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Considering disobedience?

Think twice!

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Responding to accusations:

Acknowledge

Alleviate

Prevent

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Hide your faults or report

openly?

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“Customer is not an

interruption in our work. He is

the purpose of it.”

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BTW, your managers are

customers to some extent…

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… just as your subordinates…

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Questions?

Comments?

Corrections?

Thanks for Your Attention

Customer FocusBy Ivan KravchenkoSenior Software Engineering Manager

EPAM Systems41 University Drive, Suite 202 | Newtown, PA 18940p: +1 267 759 9000 | f: +1 +1 267 759 8989 | e: info@epam.com | w:

www.epam.com