In the last step, which is: customize, the company underlies or adjusts each of its behavior in treating customers on the basis of the knowledge they get from these customers, so the company can treat different customers differently. Customize does not mean that you have to customize every single product or service for the needs of one customer, but this customization can be done en masse called mass customization or it can be done by customizing things outside the physical product (Peppers et al. 1999, h 124 - 127).
Mass customization is done by making many modules for a product and then based on the needs of individual customers the company then combines the right modules, and produce many possible product configurations, this method is called modularization. For example, Levi's jeans company is able to produce 5,700 different jeans choices, which is done by combining 227 kinds of waist size with 25 different lengths of legs (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 126).
How to do customization
Peppers and Rogers (1997, pp. 199-200) explain that in customizing companies can do it through 3 levels: product, product service bundle, and enhanced need set. For more details, it will be explained further as follows.
ProductIs a product or service offered by a company to meet the needs or desires of customers. If what is offered by a company is tangible products, the company can customize the size, configuration, type and color of the product. Whereas if the company provides services, the company can customize things such as timings, services provided to customers and frequency. Customizing products can be done in several ways, namely:
1. Configuration of the productWithout having to physically change the product itself, the company can adapt to the system configuration of existing products with the aim of meeting individual customer needs, for example the system configuration of each Nokia mobile phone model can be adjusted to meet individual customer needs (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 128).
2. Size, color and type of productBy applying the principle of mass customization the company can adjust the size, color and type of the product to the customer's needs. The trick is to make several modules for these products, so that by combining a number of these modules, the company can produce many variations of products that can meet the needs of customers. As Levi's did, it can produce 5,700 choices of jeans by combining 227 waist size modules with 25 foot length modules (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 126).
3. Time or frequencyThe company can offer time choices to customers, so customers can choose the time or schedule that suits their wants and needs. Likewise, airlines provide a choice of departure times that can be chosen by customers according to their needs (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 120).
4. Packaging of the productCompanies can make many models and sizes of packaging that are intended to meet customer needs. For example, a company can provide several sizes of shampoo packaging for consumers. It is intended that consumers can choose the size of shampoo packaging that suits their needs (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 128).
5. ServiceIn the service industry, companies can customize the services provided to customers according to the needs and desires of customers. Like providing food made from vegetables for vegetarian customers.
The Product-Service BundleIs the service and facilities that surround the product. Customizing the product-service bundle can be done in several ways, namely:
1. Invoicing and billingThe company can provide the opportunity for customers to determine their own period or time of invoicing. Or the company can provide facilities for customers to get invoices through the company's web site, so customers can easily access their invoices wherever and whenever they want (Peppers and Rogers, 1997, p. 204).
2. Product delivery servicesCustomizing the delivery of products based on the needs of individual customers, for example giving choices about the speed of product delivery as done by Amazon.com. Where Amazon.com provides 3 choices in the delivery of goods ordered by customers, customers can choose delivery within 1 day, 4 days and 6 days (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 128).
3. Marketing communicationAccording to Peppers et al (1999, pp. 331-336), companies can customize the marketing communication media used, by doing 3 important things, namely:
a. VersioningEnsuring that the right message is received by the right customer. The trick is to create a special version for customers of certain products or services. For example, companies can provide magazines or bulletins that are only intended for customers or users of the products or services produced by the company. In the marketing communication media can be added with greetings (greetings) to customers by mentioning the name of the customer concerned, this is done as a form of personalization and company efforts to treat different customers differently.
b. Cultivating FeedbackMake it easy for customers to be able to express their complaints and opinions about products and services from the company. For that the company can provide communication media that customers can choose in accordance with the wishes and convenience of customers. To make it easier for customers to interact with the company, the company can write a uniform resource locator (URL), telephone number and company address in the magazine or bulletin of the company.
c. FulfilementThe last thing that must be done by the company is the fulfillment of customer needs. In this case the company can apply the principle of mass customization. You do this by making a module of the content of the media used, it could be a magazine or bulletin. So by combining these modules so that it can create many versions of marketing communication media used by companies to meet customer needs. NMFF, a newspaper in the United States. Can produce 50,000 different versions of a newspaper, by combining several dozen (dozen) individual articles.
4. Product supportThe company can provide a one-stop-shop for customers. For example, by providing next-day computer repairs or overnight laptop overhauls services. This service is intended to meet the needs of customers who have limited time to care for their laptops.
The Enhanced Need SetNeeds set is a need that may still be related to the initial needs of the customer for the core product or product-service bundle. Enhanced need set means that the company can meet the needs of customers even though those needs are not the main business of the company.
According to Peppers and Rogers (1997, p. 199) customizing the enhanced need set can be done in several ways, namely:
1.Products and services related to the product concernedSelling two or more products together. Products sold can be interconnected products such as computers with monitors, printers and toner cartridges (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 128).
2. Cooperating with other partiesThe company can cooperate with other parties or cooperation conducted between one division with other divisions in one company. The purpose of this collaboration is for the company to continue to be able to serve its customers well, even if the customer's needs are not the core business of the company (Peppers and Rogers, 1997, p. 424).
3. Collaborative opportunitiesCooperation that occurs between the customer and the company, where the customer helps the company in creating or designing products or services that suit individual customer needs (Peppers and Rogers, 1997, p. 417).
4. Value streams that follow the sale of the productProviding added value is more than just selling products or services to customers. For example a company can provide a lifetime guarantee, product maintenance and repair as well as consulting and complaint services (Peppers and Rogers, 1997, p. 425).
How to Distinguish Customers during the Interact StepIn addition to being identified, customers who interact through CIC are also differentiated based on their needs. In CIC customers can be distinguished in 4 ways, namely:
1. Skill path routingBy using the path routing skill, each customer who calls will immediately be connected to a specific desk or a service representative who will serve the customer according to their needs, or for MVC to be connected directly and quickly to a service representative compared to other customers (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 87).
2. Applying the principle of mass customizationCompanies can also apply the principle of mass customization to create a profile of customers which is a summary of every interaction made by the company with each customer. In this way the service representative can obtain knowledge about these customers precisely and quickly. And based on knowledge about the customer service representatives can customize the services provided to these customers (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 288).
3. Quick find menu and drop down menuCompanies can find out the needs of customers who visit the company's web site through the media quick find menu and drop down menus, because through this media it can be seen directly what the needs of these customers (Peppers et al. 1999, p. 288).
4. Give ratings to customers who visit the company's web siteIn addition to differentiating customers based on their needs, customers who interact through CIC are also differentiated based on their value to the company. Customers who have high value (MVC) will get different treatment from customers who have lower value than those customers. According to Peppers et al (1999, p. 290) web site visitors can be grouped into 4 groups, where each group has different levels of access to information:a. Guest (Guest) is a first-time customer who visits the company's web site and has not yet registered on the web site.b. Registered users are customers who have registered themselves on the company's web site.c. Client, is a user who has registered and has repeatedly visited the web site.
How to Customize the Interact StepAfter being identified and distinguished, then proceed with customization. According to Peppers et al (1999, p. 310) customization of CIC can be done in 2 ways.1. Welcome message / greetingsCustomization can be done by giving a greeting and greeting by mentioning the name or user name of the customer concerned.
2. Personalized information or contentCustomization can also be done by adjusting information or content (content) from the web site. For customers who interact through the call center, customization is done by applying the principle of mass customization to the profile of the customer. So the service representative can adjust the services provided to customer needs. Meanwhile, for customers who interact through a web site, customization can be done by adjusting information or content (content) from the web site to the needs of customers.
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