 OUR TAKE -
The Irony of the CCO
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All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.
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George Harrison
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Should your company's primary customer advocate be a VP, Customers for Life or a Chief Customer Officer (CCO)? Yesterday, we heard from one CCO who feels the "Customers for Life" title limits the focus to retention rather than broader responsibilities of customer acquisition and retention.
Another CRMAdvocate reader wrote, "I firmly believe there is only one way to maximize focus on the customer and drive long term and/or lifetime loyalty. The entire senior executive team, particularly the CEO and his/her direct reports, must all adopt and execute the key responsibilities typically assigned to a CCO. It must be a cultural indoctrination that filters all the way to the front line to ensure that daily decisions at every level support the strategy. Insane internal policies and poorly thought out strategies can often make or break the loyalty factor."
This reader brings up an organizational phenomenon I have observed ever since the idea of creating a job description for a singular customer advocate. When others in the organization see someone else is chiefly responsible for customer interests, it is easy to assume that the customer experience is not a part of their job.
The irony is that the creation of a CCO, or whatever you call it, can actually do more institutional harm to the customer experience than it was intended to enhance. That's my take. Do you agree? What's your take?
Gary Lemke, Publisher
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