Why a customer-focused approach is the best way to run your business

I think it would be arrogant for anyone to suggest you can run a business without paying heed to your customers. After all, any entrepreneur knows that if you are launching a new idea, your first steps must include some market and consumer/ client/ customer analysis and feedback.

A good company knows its customers. A great company thinks only of its customers. That new product? Will your customers like it? Will they love it? Will they hate it?

In this era of social media, reviews, influencers and greater awareness of everything from sustainability to supply chains and product provenance, we simply cannot afford to ignore our customers.

Customers who now, more than ever, wield the power to make or break a business’s reputation.

A few statistics I unearthed make for alarming reading.

Data from Commbox reveals that 90% of Americans consider customer service when deciding whether to buy from a company, and almost 50% of Americans switched companies last year due to poor customer service.

Did you know it takes 12 positive reviews to make up for just one negative review?

However, Commbox’s data also suggests that customers will spend 17% more on a company with excellent customer service, and almost 80% of customers would recommend a business to friends after receiving a positive customer experience.

Given the unstoppable rise of technology in all our lives, savvy companies are working with apps to ensure there is always an effective, efficient way to communicate with their customers.

And you are probably acutely aware that it’s more cost-effective to retain customers than it is to attract new ones. An app provides a direct channel for (good) communication with your customers – most of whom are already loyal by virtue of downloading the app.

Today, we consumers are familiar with – and almost expect – an app for all aspects of our lives, from grocery delivery to language learning and everything in between.

We pre-order our morning coffee via app, pay for parking via app, do our banking and investments via app, order lunch, organise services like couriers, dry cleaning and housekeeping and even keep track of prayer times via app.

And now, as part of its mission to keep customers front and centre, I’m excited by the prospects the DAMAC Living App brings to DAMAC’s customers.

The app, launched after consultation with consumers, brings a host of benefits to all those who live in DAMAC properties and communities.

Already being used by 25,000 owners and 15,000 tenants, it’s a one-stop shop for property owners, residents, family members and visitors in DAMAC communities, offered in both Arabic and English.

Users can pay instalments and service charges, set up auto payments, and view outstanding invoices and statement of account – in real time.

Even in a situation where you are considering purchasing a property, the app can help – allowing potential buyers to register, view sales offers, pay a token payment and complete property bookings… more than 1500 people have taken advantage of sales registration and booking

When you have made a purchase, through the app you can organise the property handover. The app allows you to book and view property inspections and do key handover and collection with digital acceptance. To date, we’ve seen more than 12,000 digital handover bookings.

When selling a property, transfer formalities can be completed online and the NOC received digitally. The secondary buyer is automatically onboarded.

Finally, the app has facilitated more than 110,000 service requests – including such things as moving in and out, amenity bookings, work permits and car parking permits, for example.

In the modern era, consumers expect to be able to conduct their lives online, anywhere, at any time. Businesses need to respond to this demand or get left behind.