Don’t strip away your customer’s identity.
by Tijs Besieux, PhD
In one of my earliest management consulting jobs, I had regular check-ins with colleagues from the consulting firm's legal team. We served the same customers (enterprising families) but from different angles. They were the "legal team." I was the "leadership development" guy.
In those meetings, there was a strict rule: never say the customer's name, only their account number. The reason? To protect customer confidentiality. I respected that rule very much. And I felt there was also something "nerdishly cool" about knowing 30 codenames by heart. Only a handful of people could actually match those codenames to real, enterprising families.
But after some time, I learned this habit carries a risk: it (be it unintentionally) widens the company-----customer gap.
Accounts, lines, users, subscribers, files, dossiers, members, and many more labels.
Every sector has its own labels for customers. There are good reasons for this, and I get it. But here's the downside: generic labels strip away identity. They turn many different customers into one faceless group. They add a curtain that employees must see through before they can recognize the person behind the label. Only then can they see what that customer needs and wants, and work to create value for that specific group.
I know that a telco with millions of customers can't use everyone's full name when discussing strategy. And I know that in a law firm, topics can be highly confidential, so using codenames is often in the customer's own interest.
That said, leaders can help close the company-----customer gap. Do it by naming specific customers (or at least precise segments) at key moments.
For example, at the start of a project: instead of asking, "How can we reel in more lines?" ask, "How can we improve the customer experience for SMBs in the pharmaceutical industry?"
Or when sharing customer insights: instead of saying, "Our accounts require us to be on call 24/7," say, "We've learned that multi-generational enterprising families often need our counsel during the holidays, when they gather together. How do we optimize for that?"
Using labels for customers makes sense, as it's often the efficient approach. But it also erases customer diversity, specificity, and maybe intimacy. And you need all three to truly align your company's resources with what your customers need and want.
As a leader, ask yourself: when is a powerful moment to remind yourself and your people that you're in the business of serving others? Think of a ritual (perhaps a team weekly, a standup, a town hall meeting) where you unveil the person behind the label.
Doing so closes the company-----customer gap. Eventually, your customers will feel it. And so will your bottom line.