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28 February Defining Business Purpose and Mission: The Customer (Who...)

Whom is the customer of the corporate training function?

The CEO?

Line of Business Executives?

VP of HR?

VP of Learning?

Stockholders?

Learners?

Customers of the Learners?

All of the above?

When it comes to measuring customer satisfaction with the learning experience - which of the above do we listen to?

When it comes to asking for payment for the learning experience - which of the above do we ask to pay?

So, I would like to ask again - Whom is the customer of the corporate training function?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Paul Terlemezian on February 28, 2012 at 5:26pm

Drucker would add that we would need to be sure that our mission was defined before we defined our customer. After we defined the customer he would ask that we define what the customer valued (by observing and asking vs. thinking) and then we need to objectively determine how well we are helping them with what they value. Finally he would challenge us to build and execute a plan to provide that value.

So while each of the "above" might be our customers I think we would also agree that wht they value might be different - and that this could be a good thing. I think that the "silent customer" - the one whose voice in not heard clearly or correctly is - "Customers of the Learners."

What do you think?

Permalink Reply by Paul Terlemezian on March 6, 2016 at 9:20pm

It is common to focus on the customer (or voice of the customer) and perhaps do so in a manner that defines the ideal customer. With technology and the concept of 21st century "free" the concept of multi-sided markets has grown rapidly but I do not believe it is well understood. "Business Model Generation" by Osterwalder and Pigneur educated me on this concept. This discussion group http://ifivealliances.ning.com/group/business-model-generation and the text beginning on page 76 of the book is helpful.

Complex interwoven markets where our customer segments provide value for each other because separate offers that we make to each segment were designed to increase their need for our capabilities in order to provide this value (think of the credit card industry - separate customer segments - banks, merchants, consumers.)

How might the corporate training function change its approach to its customers by applying a multi-sided market approach?