Five CX lessons from unexpected sources - The Thirukkural

If you've been following this blog for a while now, you'll have noticed that I like opening my posts with idioms or proverbs from the Tamil language. You'll have also noticed that once in a while, I share CX lessons from unexpected sources—like those from Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet and the video game Minesweeper. So I asked myself, "Why not look for CX lessons in unexpected sources in Tamil literature?" and my mind immediately went to the masterpiece called the Thirukkural.

Here's a quick intro about the Thirukkural: It's a collection of 1,330 couplets containing life advice—10 couplets each on 133 different topics, such as virtues, kindness, hospitality, education, friendship, love, administration, gratitude, motivation, and so on. It's believed to have been written by a philosopher-poet called Valluvar, back sometime between 350 BCE and 500 CE. While the exact details are unknown, it's safe to say that the text is at least 1,500 years old. It's been translated into over 50 languages across the world, and it continues to be one of the most revered and celebrated literary works in Tamil. For this article, I've chosen five out of the 1,300 couplets and I'll be presenting them along with their English translations by G. U. Pope.

So let's get started!

Considering the fact that the Thirukkural is essentially a guide on how to live a good life, it shouldn't be surprising that Valluvar repeatedly emphasizes the need for being virtuous and ethical. Verse 39, found in chapter four—which is titled, "Assertion of Strength of Virtue"—goes thusly:

அறத்தான் வருவதே இன்பம்மற் றெல்லாம்
புறத்த புகழும் இல.

What from virtue floweth, yieldeth dear delight;
All else extern, is void of glory's light.

Only that pleasure which flows from domestic virtue is pleasure; all else is not pleasure, and it is without praise.

Although the translator uses the phrase "domestic virtue," referring to familial life, the original text speaks in a broader sense of being virtuous in every single dealing in life. So what does this mean in the realm of business and CX?

Ethics matter the most.

Whether it's a mom-and-pop shop or a global enterprise, a business is a commercial establishment, but every action and decision one takes impacts customers one way or another. Whether the impact is positive or negative is what earns you loyalty and praise from customers. Integrity and ethical activity are what keep you in good stead among your customers and make them refer others to you. The world has seen several businesses that spiraled downward quickly because of their unethical practices. Therefore, any organization's culture must be rooted in ethics and honesty. That means no dark patterns, no overcharging, no false promises, and no deception of any sort.

For the next lesson, I've chosen two verses from two different chapters. Verse 475, from chapter 48, which is titled "The Knowledge of Power," and verse 667, from chapter 67, which is titled "Power in Action".

Let's look at verse 667 first.

உருவுகண்டு எள்ளாமை வேண்டும் உருள்பெருந்தேர்க்கு
அச்சாணி அன்னார் உடைத்து.

Despise not men of modest bearing; Look not at form, but what men are:
For some there live, high functions sharing, Like linch-pin of the mighty car!

Let none be despised for (their) size; (for) the world has those who resemble the linch-pin of the big rolling car.

Valluvar says that it's unwise to disregard or underestimate someone by their physical size and stature because they can also be mighty in ways that aren't obvious. He likens them to linchpins that kept chariots' wheels in position and prevented them from falling off the axle.

There are two CX perspectives to derive here:

1. Even the small things you do for a customer can make a big difference in their experience, so don't neglect any improvement or addition as minor or trivial.

2. Every employee in an organization—regardless of their designation or whether they interact with customers directly or not—impacts the customer journey in one way or another. Treat every function equally and give them the importance they deserve.

Verse 475 provides a similar perspective.

பீலிபெய் சாகாடும் அச்சிறும் அப்பண்டஞ்
சால மிகுத்துப் பெயின்.

With peacock feathers light, you load the wain;
Yet, heaped too high, the axle snaps in twain.

The axle tree of a bandy, loaded only with peacocks' feathers will break, if it be greatly overloaded.

What Valluvar says here is that a single peacock feather might not weigh much, but if you keep piling one upon another on a chariot, the load will eventually become heavy enough to break its axle.

Now, the CX perspective: Don't ignore even the smallest customer complaint as trivial or inconsequential. If you let enough of them pile up over a period without taking any action, they can irreparably break your relationship with customers.

In short, even the smallest thing matters a lot in CX.

Let's move on to verse 701 now. It's found in the 71st chapter, which is titled, "The Knowledge of Indications". Valluvar says,

கூறாமை நோக்கக் குறிப்பறிவான் எஞ்ஞான்றும்
மாறாநீர் வையக் கணி.

Who knows the sign, and reads unuttered thought, the gem is he, 
Of earth round traversed by the changeless sea.

The minister who by looking (at the king) understands his mind without being told (of it), will be a perpetual ornament to the world which is surrounded by a never-drying sea.

While Valluvar originally wrote this verse in the context of administration and ministerial duties, his advice regarding catching signs and reading unspoken thoughts is relevant to CX too. What else is emotional intelligence (EI) if not the ability to gauge customers' emotions through subtle hints and changes in body language or tone? It's an essential skill for people in customer-facing roles, especially support and sales. What customers need and expect from a business might keep changing every now and then, but how customers feel and react to your actions and decisions will remain unchanged through the passage of time. Professionals who internalize this idea, improve their EI, and apply it in customer interactions will always be considered "perpetual ornaments" in the CX world.

In a nutshell, always keep a keen eye on customer emotions and understand subtle signals.

The penultimate lesson is in verse 529, the ninth verse in chapter 53, titled, "Cherishing One's Kindred". It goes,

தமராகிக் தற்றுறந்தார் சுற்றம் அமராமைக்
காரணம் இன்றி வரும்.

Who once were his, and then forsook him, as before
Will come around, when cause of disagreement is no more.

Those who have been friends and have afterwards forsaken him, will return and join themselves (to him), when the cause of disagreement is not to be found in him.

From Pope's translation, one can deduce that much of Valluvar's words of advice are directed towards individuals. However, their general wisdom is relevant to businesses as well. For instance, you can look at this particular verse as advice on how to win back customers or reduce customer churn. Of course, there's no way any business can cater to every single need of every single customer, but if enough customers expect a particular feature or service and you don't deliver it to them, they're likely to discontinue their relationship with you. And the only way to get them back—if the bridge isn't fully burned yet? Give them what they expect from you: a reason to return to you. Here's a great example of a brand that achieved spectacular success on this front.

Again, similar to the verse in the previous lesson, picking up signals related to customer dissatisfaction and expectation mismatch can help prevent the dissociation in the first place.

To sum it up, studying the reasons for customer discontentment and fixing them is a sure-shot way to win back customers.

With that, we segue into the last lesson of this article: How exactly does one identify the reasons for discontentment?

Valluvar provides an answer through verse 411—the first verse in the 42nd chapter, which is titled, "Hearing":

செல்வத்துட் செல்வஞ் செவிச்செல்வம் அச்செல்வம்
செல்வத்து ளெல்லாந் தலை.

Wealth of wealth is wealth acquired be ear attent;
Wealth mid all wealth supremely excellent.

Wealth (gained) by the ear is wealth of wealth; that wealth is the chief of all wealth.

Do not mistake "hearing" to mean just the physical sense of hearing with one's ears. Here, he refers to listening to people's thoughts and gaining knowledge or wisdom through them.

From a CX point of view, this simply means collecting and working on customer feedback. No matter how much data you have on different aspects of a transaction, customer interaction, or purchase decision, it can only paint a partial picture of what goes on in your customers' minds. The only way to find out what they like or don't like about you is the good old approach of collecting their feedback and investing in Voice of Customer tools. It's only when you listen to them that you get the whole picture and a more nuanced understanding of the choices your customers make.

Herein lies the final lesson of this article: Nothing can substitute for customer feedback when it comes to improving your offerings and overall experience.

That brings us to the end of this article. The Thirukkural is an incredible work that has stood and will continue to stand the test of time. Having grown up studying parts of it, thanks to the Tamil syllabi in our school system, it occupies a special place in my heart. Deriving CX lessons from such a highly cherished text was a great exercise personally, and I hope you enjoyed reading them. Follow Simplified CX for more such useful content.