10 Tips to Strengthen Consumer Affairs' Position
Communicating the value of consumer affairs is a constant challenge in many
companies. Here are 10 ways to help strengthen and position your
department's role:
- Think like a consultant. Look at the big picture: the global economy,
what's happening in your industry, what the CEO's concerns are, etc. What
perspective can you bring to those issues that are important?
- Lead by example. Don't wait to be told what to do. Keep your eyes and
ears open for things that will affect you and your company.
- Hire the best employees and empower them.
- Bring the outside in. Be proactive in bringing consumer issues, needs and
concerns into the company. Identify emerging issues before they hit your
industry.
- Get to know key decision makers. Cultivate a relationship with the CEO's
assistant or senior manager's assistant. Let them know what you're doing
because they may pass it along. Also, develop an internal advisory board
composed of senior managers from quality assurance, marketing and other
departments that could benefit from your department's knowledge and data.
- Be strategic -- measure everything. Look at the size of gaps (i.e., the
gap between what is known about customers and their expectations and what is
being delivered). Make the gaps visible to others in the company.
- Act as if you have authority. Even if you don't, others will respect you
if you have an air of confidence.
- Know the price of all the tasks your department does. Determine the costs
per minute to handle a toll-free number call and how much it costs to open a
letter, etc. Then work to reduce the costs.
- Think in management terms. Look at your company's mission statement or
the corporate plan and become familiar with it. When you know and understand
senior managements' priorities, you can determine how consumer affairs fits
into the big picture.
- Be passionate and stay focused. Doing this will help you grow your
department's position and widen your sphere of influence.
-- Excerpts from the CRM article "Sage Advice: 28 Ways to Position and
Strengthen Consumer Affairs in Your Company."
