previous icon Back to blog
Apr 06, 2022
4 minutes read

How The Customer Relationship Will Define Your Business Model

New generations of customers ask for different business approaches. Modern consumers are well-informed and tech-savvy, with high standards for any business. A customer-centric business model can help you live up to these standards. Let’s first have a look at these new generations before diving into how you can take on a customer-centric approach.

Brechtje van Houtum
Brechtje van Houtum,
Content Marketer

Move over Millennials, Hello Gen Z

Today, Gen Z and Millennials are the majority of customers, with Alphas on their way. By 2026, Gen Z will have massive spending power, outgrowing millennials. This generation is raised with the internet, social media, and technology. They were basically born with a smartphone in their hands —no wonder their digital expectations are high, very high. Actually, 85% of Gen Z see online shopping as an experience rather than a transaction.

Why do you buy a particular product? You’d be surprised by the motivations of Gen Z. It’s not just a good experience. This generation chooses products to help express who they are. Personalization is key: Gen Z customers are willing to pay more for targeted products for their individual needs. Moreover, they look beyond products and services, researching what a company stands for. What’s the purpose of the company? Gen Z’s won’t buy from a brand not reflecting their values. Since they’re accustomed to having any information available, they highly trust third parties. This generation prefers using non-company guidance (such as Google Search, YouTube, or Reddit) to resolve their issues independently, even when they have the option to contact customer service. They even turn to social media for financial advice.

The Customer At The Heart of Your Business

We have to realize that expectations are changing. Future customers will only buy at companies matching their values, offering a great experience, with products and services targeted to their individual needs. For many companies, this is not easy. To get there, you need to understand your customers. Focus on what they want and need and how they prefer to interact with your business. Becoming customer-centric requires a change in how your entire company thinks and operates. Every employee should put the customer at the heart of their business.

This shift is more than offering a good customer experience or sending tailored offers. You have to understand and help customers throughout their entire journey, building a long-term relationship. Forrester expects customer-centric business models to yield at least 700% ROI over 12 years, showing you can realize long-term business goals and sustainable growth.

blog 7 skills

How To Create a Customer-Centric Business Model

We already mentioned it above: becoming customer-centric is not easy nor fast. It’s a transformation. You have to stop thinking inside out. Think like a customer. What are their wishes? What do they want to achieve? Then consider how your company can attribute.

We’ll give you five tips to start your transformation.

1.      Get to know your customers.

To become customer-centric and focus on the relationship, you have to know your customers and understand what they want and need. Get in touch with them. Listen. Ask for feedback. Listen. Based on these insights, you can optimize your company. You might even get new ideas or extend your services.

2.      Build an authentic brand.

What do you stand for? What’s your mission? Is this reflected in all your communication? Make sure people get a feeling of your brand. Shared values can be the basis for a relationship. Express your values on your website, on your social channels, and in conversations with employees and customers. 

3.      Be transparent.

Sharing your values is step one, but acting like it is step two. Breath what you stand for. Show your customers what you are doing and why you are doing it. Explain pricing and be transparent about your terms and conditions. It might be worth embracing other platforms since customers are looking for information and support anywhere.

4.      Offer proactive, personalized service.

In every relationship, communication is vital. Ensure customers get the service they expect: whether self-service or assisted service. See every contact as a relationship-building opportunity. Help customers where you can, as soon as possible, and as personal as you can. 

5.      Commit yourself.

A transformation won’t work if you don’t commit yourself. You’ll have to get the entire organization involved. Create a strategy with achievable goals. It’s advisable to start small.

Customer Service as a Starting Point

Who knows your customers best? Your customer service team! Transforming your business into a customer-centric company starts with customer service. They are the ones talking most to your customers. They can express your values and become the face of your brand. We believe this transformation will change customer service into a revenue-generating discipline.

Brian Manusama, Chief Strategy Officer, and Michiel Gaasterland, Evangelist, predict that in 2030 most businesses will be customer-centric. Want to find out more? Read ‘6 predictions for customer service in 2030’. 

Was this article interesting?
Share it!
Brechtje van Houtum
Brechtje van Houtum,
Content Marketer
logo linkedin icon

Whether it’s developing content strategies or creating social media content, Brechtje is eager to contribute. She spreads CM.com’s message far and wide, stays on top of cutting-edge tech developments, and champions a 'customer first' philosophy.

Latest Articles

blog-ai-for-the-future
Apr 22, 2025 • CM.com

How to Build AI for the Future

You start with one agent, and before you know it, you will have an entire agentic workforce! Plan ahead and future-proof your AI endeavors with seamless integrations and monitored control.

blog-interview-halo-customer-service
Mar 19, 2025 • Chatbots

Chatting with the Near Future: AI's New Role in the Customer Experience

AI innovations in customer service are emerging more rapidly than ever before, especially with the latest addition of Agentic AI and it’s AI Agents. We spoke with Wael Ali, our Regional Director MEA, on how these AI advancements are transforming customer interactions and enhancing the experience. With Wael's expertise and vision, discover the future of customer service and what it means for businesses today. Whether you're an AI enthusiast or just curious about the future, you won't want to miss these engaging insights!

halo
Mar 10, 2025 • CM.com

Agentic AI Agents: Helping You Get Things Done

Looking for a smart and capable employee that never sleeps? A little helper that can take over all your menial and repetitive tasks to make your life a little easier? One that will continuously learn and improve itself to keep assisting you the best it can? This may sound like a dream (and an unrealistic one at that), but it's much closer to reality than you might realize! Discover Agentic AI!

blog-ai-agent-creation
Mar 10, 2025 • AI

How to Create AI Agents in Five Easy Steps

AI agents are your virtual helpers. Digital employees designed to perform specific tasks within an Agentic AI framework. What type of tasks? Pretty much anything you can think of: Analyzing data, writing emails, automating cancel or renewal processes, creating tickets, and so on and on and on. But how do you create these AI agents? Let us show you how.

Live 5 ways to optimize customer service in leisure
Mar 10, 2025 • Customer Experience

Make Your Contact Page Irresistible: 8 Essential Tips for Improved Customer Service

Your contact page is the ultimate business card for your customer service and provides a direct connection to your customer service team. It's a crucial part of the customer experience where you have the chance to significantly enhance the experience right away! To make this happen, the page needs to be well-designed. In this blog, you'll discover 8 steps you can take to make your contact page irresistible!

hero-17-sms-customer-service-templates-to-use-today
Nov 22, 2024 • AI

Turning shoppers into loyal fans: how to retain customers post-White Friday

White Friday is a huge shopping event, drawing crowds of eager shoppers hunting for deals. But after the frenzy fades, the real challenge begins: turning one-time shoppers into loyal, repeat customers. Customer retention is vital for long-term success and post-White Friday is the perfect time to build lasting relationships. So, how can your business retain customers post-Black Friday? In this blog, we’ll explore how to make it happen.

Jeroen-buitenland
Oct 26, 2024 • CM.com

Pushing Boundaries: The Path to Global Success

By 2010, CM.com knew it was time to expand beyond our roots. What began in nightclubs had grown into a broader client base across various industries. It was time to push boundaries—both literally and figuratively. Here’s the story of our international journey, filled with challenges, triumphs, and lessons.

blackfriday-2024-blogpost-ar-en
Oct 22, 2024 • AI

The Art of Simplicity: Helping Your Customers Make Quick Decisions This White Friday

White Friday 2024 is just around the corner, bringing with it a great opportunity for retailers to maximize their sales. However, standing out in such a competitive event isn’t easy. Consumers expect attractive offers, fast deliveries, and top-notch customer support. In this article, we’ll show you how to simplify the purchasing process during White Friday, optimizing everything from promotions to logistics and 24/7 customer service. Discover the best strategies to ensure a seamless experience and increase customer loyalty. Don’t fall behind this White Friday!

blog-25-years-diy-to-high-tech
Oct 18, 2024 • CM.com

CM.com’s Journey from DIY Solutions to a World-Class Operation

What started as ClubMessage — focused on SMS marketing for nightclubs — quickly evolved into a technology powerhouse capable of handling millions of messages. Within just five years, the company had not only built a vast reach among young people but also developed its own technology to manage high volumes of SMS traffic. This rapid growth saw CM.com become the Netherlands' largest SMS buyer, with its technology branching out into new sectors like television and banking. Let’s take a closer look at this journey.

Is this region a better fit for you?
Go
close icon