No one can predict what technology and innovation may bring in the future, but for a market leader like Globe, all bases are covered as long as they stick to the one principle that has been their key to success: make employees and customers happy.
In the premiere episode of Clockwork, a new digital series created by Globe Business that consists of exclusive interviews with the country’s top business leaders, Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu shared how Globe continues to successfully push its goals towards reinventing the world.
Cu is the first among the roster of thought-leaders to be featured on the said show. Hosted by Edu Manzano, Clockwork aims to give business owners and managers a front-row seat to inspiring content from extraordinary company leaders.
“In order to truly understand what’s going on, we have to first put ourselves in front of the customer and become a customer-centric company, meaning, truly understand what the customers want out of the service, how they want to receive it, and then give it to them,” Cu said.
He added that mastering customer service is a feat Globe achieved through its employees. “Because if the employees are unhappy, it’s hard to be a customer-centric company.”
Serving millions of Filipinos is what Globe continues to do. From empowering people through connectivity, the company has expanded to provide products that go beyond texts, calls, data, and the internet. Cu said that this is Globe’s way of “creating transformation but also serving a purpose.”
A proof of this is how Globe revolutionized fintech in the Philippines through GCash, an e-wallet platform that has grown to be the largest financial app in the country.
GCash became instrumental in introducing financial inclusion to unbanked Filipinos. When the pandemic hit, it played an important role in helping the public embrace cashless transactions.
“When the pandemic broke, people still needed to transact, move money around, invest and open a bank account during the lockdown. GCash was ready with all those use cases,” Cu said.
“It’s one of the key transformations we can bring to the Filipino society. As you use it more, you get included even more. And as you use it even more, you get financial identity because we have the credit score,” Cu furthered, noting that with GCash, what used to be the tedious task of opening a bank account can now be done in just a few minutes.
Understanding the shift
GCash is also a testament of “serving the new habit,” something that Cu believes businesses have to learn to be able to retune their businesses amid the effects of the pandemic.
“If you're a business, I would look at and understand how consumer habits have shifted during this pandemic. They have permanently shifted,” he said. “Certain habits have really evolved and in catering to that, there's still a lot of opportunities. As they say, don't waste a good crisis.”
While Cu thinks that 2021 will remain a difficult year for all businesses, he encouraged entrepreneurs not to be disheartened.
“It's a matter of being resilient and truly understanding what consumers need. At times, what you start out doing won't be what you end up with as a business. Just keep pivoting. Keep that eye on that customer. Track him down. Eventually, you'll hit the market,” Cu said.
Celebrating small wins
Describing himself as the kind of boss who likes to keep things simple, Cu recalled his fair share of setbacks as a then neophyte in the large world of business. In the Clockwork episode, he recounted how the challenges he faced taught him the way he handles the daily pressures of being the leader of an influential company.
"One talent I have, I guess, is keeping things simple. And that's one of the values I try to instill to the workforce at Globe. I think when things are simple, there's less pressure as well,” Cu said.
With simplicity, Globe as a company realized the essence of honoring small wins. "At Globe, successes are celebrated based on milestones. If you celebrate the small wins, they'll come and build momentum towards larger wins in the future,” he added, pointing out how this circles back to their people-first philosophy.
"At the end of the day, it's the people who run the businesses. You need people to run technology. Technology won't run itself. Getting people motivated, getting them passionate, getting them to love the company and love their customers, I think are the essentials of success in a company,” Cu said.
The secret to business success bared Clockwork invites company leaders to skip the slideshows and data charts in exchange for thought-provoking and inspiring conversations about business longevity. Get to know more about Ernest Cu on the pilot episode of Clockwork by catching his full interview on YouTube and Spotify.