How to support the customer when everyone is supporting change

The Automotive industry is undergoing unprecedented change, and this transformation brings challenges for both employees and stakeholders. It inevitably results in more work and pressure on top of usual role responsibilities. However, one stakeholder who cannot be allowed to suffer during this time is the customer, and it takes leadership to ensure this remains a priority.

Although change has always existed within the automotive industry, it has been steady or ad hoc. Today, technology, societal pressures and competition are driving a transformation. The introduction of electrified powertrains, connectivity and new retail models are making the scale of change vast and rapid, and although the scale will diminish over time, the pace of future evolution is likely to be continuous. As an industry, our leaders should make change a part of business by creating a culture, structure and way of working that manages development whilst continuing to support exceptional customer experience (CX).

People are key to driving change whilst also supporting the customer, as they are flexible and provide the emotional energy that leads to success, whereas systems and processes do not. Strong leadership is key to people’s buy-in, engagement and continued motivation.

It begins with ensuring the business understands how the end goal of the change will drive business growth, but this end goal must strongly connect to supporting the customer experience. The urgency of the change and its necessity are also vital to convey and reinforce this message. Although this seems obvious, in a stressed environment it is easy for teams to focus on tasks or revert to former ways of working. It is the leader and their vision which will keep people focused on the change and keep the customer central to people’s priorities.

Setting achievable short- and long-term goals to support people’s understanding of how they are making progress towards the vision, and including CX within these goals will keep the importance front and centre. Celebrate successes but also allow people to learn from mistakes, not fear failure, by actively encouraging people to speak up early so action can be taken, and errors are not repeated.

Leaders need to demonstrate an interest in the change and their teams delivering it. Not just through data and management reports, but by talking to their teams directly or through a trusted network of champions. Their presence and their continual commitment to the change and customer experience will reinforce their teams’ actions and motivation. This interest will also stress the importance of responding to customer scores or feedback as a priority and not as an end-of-month task.

The best way to demonstrate interest is to walk the floor of the business. Take time to get that first-hand impression of how your teams feel by talking to them. Observe their actions to understand how they relate to customers. Take an interest in housekeeping standards or congratulate people for navigating new systems. Interacting with people and offering genuine words of encouragement will support motivation and will also help leaders understand their business’ emotional state, so they can react accordingly. Happy teams lead to happy customers!

It is important to demonstrate empathy for the extra effort teams are making and the difficulties they might be facing. Communication is vital and should be open and two-way as this helps people to understand that leaders are there to support them and that they are part of a greater team. A managed escalation process and honest reporting on the business’ progress can support this feeling, alongside managers making the time to listen to their team. This helps people to retain their motivation, which makes it easier to lift their heads, smile and go that extra distance to give the customer the best experience possible.

All this requires resources (time or budget), which are not infinite. Making change management an ongoing topic within business planning will ensure the appropriate allocation of resources for communication, learning and development and coaching. This will ensure the senior team can provide the leadership that supports the change whilst maintaining the focus on the customer.