unleashing potential

Do you know how your customers really feel?

To deliver consistently good service depends on knowing exactly what the customer needs. Researching the service desired by customers is the starting point. We compare their experience against their expectations across the entire lifecycle of the supplier engagement, investigating all points of contact.

We utilise a blend of research methods, including:

• survey

• interview

• focus group

• mystery shopper.

We use a mix of face-to-face, paper-based, telephone and on-line methods to facilitate reliable quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Investigate employee opinions >

Do you know what your employees really think?

Employee reaction to customer feedback is a fast and effective way of uncovering many of the issues around customer service. They can help identify procedural and structural elements that inhibit the achievement of good service. They’re in the front line, engaging with the customer, collecting valuable intelligence every day that can translate into effective improvement suggestions.

The quality of the internal customer-supplier chain is a clear predictor of what the external customer will experience. Employees want to contribute to improvement and gain satisfaction from being consulted.

We deploy a range of surveys and participative methods to understand employees’ views.

< Understand customer motivators

Align people and processes >

Do you know how well your procedures support customer service?

People can be helped or hindered by their role definition, the organisational structure and process design. We apply the full range of OD and process improvement techniques to create optimum job profiles and team structure and to design effective and efficient working practices.

Harmony between people and process underpins customer service quality and provides the foundation for effective skills development and deployment. We also support clients in recruiting people who have appropriate attitudes and profile for customer interfacing positions.

< Investigate employee opinions

Establish employer brand >

Do your people know what is expected of them?

An effective employer brand aligns employee performance with the brand promise promoted externally by the marketing department. It seeks to engage employees with the strategy and culture of the organisation, leading to customer interactions that satisfy both their needs and expectations.

Employer branding is becoming an increasingly important factor in employee recruitment and retention and, consequently, in creating competitive advantage. The Sunday Times annual survey of the ‘best companies to work for’ emphasizes the performance and marketing advantages of engaging employees. The Institute for Customer Service publication: ‘Service Excellence = Reputation = Profit’ identifies that suppliers who are ‘easy to do business with’ are more likely to succeed and identifies the link between employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

We work closely with clients to identify the features of their employer brand and to develop the processes and tools required to develop and sustain it.

< Align people and processes

Develop customer service skills >

Do your people have the right competencies for the job?

The delivery of good customer service requires a powerful blend of knowledge, skills and attitude. We develop carefully focused education and training programmes based on detailed customer and employee research.

Customer service relies on product and process knowledge in addition to good interpersonal skills. We utilise the full spectrum of educational methods to ensure that the most effective approach is adopted for the situation and the budget available. This can include Forum Theatre where professional actors demonstrate good, and bad, practice and interact with delegates to provide realistic experience and confidence building.

< Establish employer brand

Implement performance support >

Do your people forget things or miss process steps?

Customers like dealing with people who treat them professionally and efficiently. Of paramount importance is that the transaction is completed right-first-time. Complexity gets in the way of this goal as can a wide product range and industry regulation. Provision of appropriate performance support mechanisms, whether they are text-based or on-line reference tools or access to the knowledge of an expert colleague, increases the probability of a positive outcome.

Based on customer and employee research we identify the potential risks to quality service and develop the tools to handle them. Access to support builds employee confidence leading to enhanced customer experience.

< Develop customer service skills

Establish performance standards >

Do you have published service standards?

Development of a customer service index, based on valid performance standards provides a benchmark for service quality and a foundation for continuous improvement. We work with clients and their customers to isolate the real drivers of service satisfaction and establish KPI measures that enable ongoing performance monitoring.

< Implement performance support

Focus internal communication >

Do you keep your people informed?

The importance of customer service must be promoted continuously. Internal communication is a key competitive weapon in today’s challenging and constantly changing world. Regular employee communication around customer service issues maintains commitment and informs and educates based on real-life experience.

We advocate a mixed delivery strategy to maximise reinforcement and to ensure widescale accessibility.

< Establish performance standards