How does the concept of “Loyalty” influence business?
How does one influence customer loyalty through Solution Design? What does one need to keep in mind when designing solutions?
I have often wondered about limits to thinking on “solutions”, more so after having read, “The Glass Bead Game” by Herman Hesse. Solutions to problems can be defined or derived from subjects that are diverse – not necessarily from the same domain. When one observes adaptation of concepts from unrelated fields into designing of solutions, one calls it “Innovation”. In that context, one may ask, where does the concept of Loyalty raise its head when we engage in active Innovation? (Active Innovation, amongst other things includes, the act of reserching trends and progress in varied fields to nail down anything that can be adapted to problems at hand).
When we talk about Loyalty, whom are we being loyal to? How does it influence our chances if winning business? Most importantly, how does this subject influence loyalty demonstrated by existing customers?
When we design innovative solutions, we are being loyal to our customers – we are delivering innovative ideas to solve their problems. By delivering innovative ideas our customers remain loyal to our capabilities (that is what they need, that is what we need), and thus, the concept of loyalty plays a role across different dimensions.
One needs to keep this in mind when designing solutions. Our loyalty is rewarded by Customer trust, and in the grand scheme of things, everyone gains.
