6 Strategic Lessons For Any Company

Customers are more demanding than ever. They demand more value and a better experience. That experience is what gets them to come back the next time, and if that “next time” is consistent with the first time, they will continue to give you another try. Consistency in the transactional experience, combined with value that includes product quality and a fair price that is commensurate with the overall customer experience, is what gets customers to come back. With that in mind, we get a peek behind the curtain on how Verizon, the telecommunications giant, is reimagining how more than 100 million customers will interact with the brand.

I spoke with Sowmyanarayan Sampath, the CEO of Verizon Consumer Group, to learn about their investment into a multi-year consumer strategy.

Before we go further, Sowmyanarayan goes by one name, his last name: Sampath. I asked him about that, and he joked that it’s much easier for people. I mentioned he’s like Madonna, the pop star with just one name. He quickly said more like Prince. As we joked, I realized that as the leader of a Fortune 50 company, he was making himself friendly and approachable. That could be considered Leadership Lesson One: be approachable and human, but that’s too soft. Below are some of the lessons that Sampath shared, along with my commentary. With this valuable information, any company in any industry can learn from the investment Verizon is making in customer experience (CX).

1. Why Now: Sampath takes pride in Verizon’s customer experience. Verizon has always had a north star of setting the standard for its network. Sampath said, “This is the start of the journey to be No. 1 by a country mile in customer experience.” In the competitive world of cellular service, he wants to provide the best value at every turn, from the network to the multiple interactions customers have with the company and its employees.

The Lesson: It’s never too late to get customer-focused. And, even if you always have been, it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.

2. Taking CX Personally: Why would a CEO give out his email address? According to Sampath, “I’m the CEO of the consumer business, and I’m accountable for it.” He knows that when customers reach out, it’s not to say, “You guys are great. You’re doing everything right.” No, there’s a problem. Every call that comes into customer care is because somewhere along the process, the customer’s expectations weren’t met. And if it’s worth the customer’s time to reach out to the CEO, he wants them to do so. His email address is [email protected], and he is proud that he and his team read and respond to every email sent to him.

The Lesson: Make it easy to contact your company, and give the customer contact information to take their problem to a higher authority if necessary.

3. The Customer Champion: Sampath shared that the majority of calls from customers get resolved on the first try. However, there is a small percentage of calls with complex issues that may take longer or need others to be involved. This is where the concept of a Customer Champion comes in. This person is the customer’s dedicated expert who owns the issue from start to finish, keeping the customer informed with updates until the issue is resolved. In the contact center world, this may not appear to be the most financially efficient way to handle issues, but Sampath is prioritizing the experience over efficiency. In the long run, this pays off with repeat business and reputation.

The Lesson: Sometimes an expensive solution (based on cost per transaction) can become the most profitable solution based on cost per customer retention and future business.

4. The Strategic Use of AI: With all the hype around AI and digital customer support, the focus on human-to-human interaction and the Customer Champion initiative is counterintuitive to the way businesses seem to be approaching AI. Sampath says, “We are a little different from our peers. I’m not digital-first, I’m not store-first, I’m not call center-first. I’m customer-first. My role is to provide the best experience in any channel.” Verizon won’t push customers to digital solutions if the customer doesn’t want it. Yes, the live agent is always available, but Verizon also invests in and utilizes technology, including AI, agentic AI, generative AI and proactive AI, to make things easier and more convenient for customers.

The Lesson: Technology should adapt to customer preferences, versus forcing customers to adapt to your technology. The best AI strategy is invisible to customers who don’t want it, yet available for those who do.

5. Meeting Customers Where They Are (Literally): Verizon is a retailer, both online and in-store. Even in this technological and online-focused world, where customers can get everything they need from Verizon online, the company has expanded its footprint, adding more than 400 stores in the past two years. This means that 93% of the U.S. population is within a 30-minute drive of one of its stores. In addition, they want to create a local feel. In some areas, Verizon may be the only cellular store in town. Sampath said, “I want a store to feel like the hub in the local community. In times of emergencies and natural disasters, the store becomes a convenient point for people to get their phones charged, get water and get basic connectivity.”

The Lesson: Regardless of the size of your company, you’re never too large to think small and local.

6. Four Big Success Metrics: There are many ways to measure success, but Sampath focuses on just four:

1. First Call Resolution: Was the customer’s issue taken care of on the first try?
2. Transactional Satisfaction: How satisfied is the customer after the call?
3. Churn: How many customers did we keep?
4. Net Promoter Score (NPS): Would the customer recommend Verizon?

The Lesson: With all the metrics used to measure success, choose just a few you would consider your critical numbers, the ones that give you the most information in the shortest amount of time.

Final Words

Sampath’s goal is to set the industry standard and be recognized as No. 1 in customer experience. Yes, this is a lofty goal, but when you break down what it takes to get there, it’s not a complicated strategy. And one of the most important tactics behind this strategy is common sense. He said, “At the end of the day, listening to your customer is the most important thing. The customer is the boss. Listen to the customer, and you’ll be in very good shape.”