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Customer Code Tenets

Creating a company your customers love.

Customer Code Tenets Series with Dharmesh Shah

Wondering how to make the philosophical, actionable? Customer Code Tenets Series, by HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah, takes a deep dive into each of the tenets and shares how to bring it to life in your own company. You can find each blog post listed under its tenet.

Customer Code Tenets History

Customers are more independent, more impatient, and less trusting of businesses. They share their dissatisfaction widely and loudly, and they can easily choose one of your many competitors.

But they’re also your greatest source of growth. And yet many businesses, while they say they are customer-first, are actually customer … eventually.

Customer Code tenets outline a shared set of principles and beliefs on how to build a company that customers love. It’s not about what you sell, but how you sell. It’s about making your customers more successful, building relationships by doing the right thing, and focusing on the long-term even when it’s not the easiest path.

At HubSpot, we believe that by focusing on your customers, your business will grow better. This is growth with a conscience. This is how you succeed with soul. And this is what it takes to create a company that's truly remarkable.

Why You Need to Solve for the Customer

Watch HubSpot's co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah deliver the keynote at INBOUND 2018 on how to build a company customers love.

Watch the full video

Watch the full video

Our Commitment

We've made our own mistakes over the years when it comes to putting our customers first. So we're taking our own advice and have graded our performance against Customer Code tenets. Our promise is that we'll evaluate our decisions and processes against these principles, work tirelessly to improve our grade, and report back on our progress. We only succeed when you do, so let's grow better, together.

HS_report card

Grade your company against these tenets by downloading this blank report card. 

Have feedback? Email us at customercode@hubspot.com.

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Customer Code

Now it's your turn.

We want your feedback. Submit a report card on how HubSpot is doing in helping millions of companies grow better.

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Customer Code Tenets

  1. customer-code-earn-my-attention.png

    Earn my attention, don't steal it.

    Your time is precious. So is your customer's. Give them something they'll value before you take up their time.
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This
  2. sg-defaults_doge.png

    Treat me like a person, not a persona.

    It's fine to market to a persona, but you build relationships with a person. Be prepared to interact with them how, where, and when they want.
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This

  3. Solve for my success, not your systems.

    Don't make your process your customer's problem. They care more about their own problems than your departments.
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This

  4. Use my data, but don't abuse it.

    Your customers shouldn't be in a relationship with someone who doesn't remember their name. Give them a personalized experience, but don't sell them out (or creep them out).
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This

  5. Ask for feedback, and act on it.

    No one knows your customer experience better than your customers. Ask them how you can improve — and do it.
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This
  1. customer-code-own-your-screwups.png

    Own your screw-ups.

    Everyone makes mistakes. It's how you deal with them that sets you apart. Say you're sorry, be sorry, and make it better.
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This
  2. customer-code-help-me-help-you.png

    Help me help you, by helping myself.

    Your customers know what they need. Give them ways to answer their own questions and solve their own problems.
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This
  3. customer-code-i-dont-mind-paying

    I don't mind paying, but I do mind being played.

    Customers shouldn't need a math degree to figure out their bill. Keep your pricing open, clear, and fair.
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This
  4. customer-code-dont-block-the-exit

    Don't block the exit.

    You make signing up so easy. Don’t make leaving so hard.
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This
  5. customer-code-do-the-right-thing

    Do the right thing, even when it's hard.

    Especially when it's hard. What you do defines your company's destiny.
    Read the blog post.
    Tweet This

Want to Learn More?

Customer Code™ is educational material aimed at helping companies create a culture that attracts like-minded customers, namely, a culture of putting customers first, focusing on long-term customer relationship and retention, and doing the right thing.

HubSpot helps businesses achieve this by offering marketing, sales, service, customer relationship management, and website management software. Our team consults and educates businesses on how they can best develop personal relationships with customers.