Author Archives: Kenny Waters

Word of mouth

Posted on by
1

It’s been almost impossible not to have noticed the buzz created in the last couple of weeks with the unveiling of the iPad 2, the updated version of Apple’s between category gizmo. It’s only just over a year since the initial release of the tablet-computer with the touch screen interface and on-screen keyboard. I do count myself as one of many who felt that the product itself was falling between two stools, but what do I know? 15 million sales later, a host of competitors are scrambling to develop their own versions. It has started to transform even our own office landscape, they are now the presentation delivery tool of choice, and when used in tandem presentation editor such as Prezi, the impact is pretty spectacular.. I wonder if the expression, “Death by PowerPoint” will indeed one day become a thing of the past.

So on to more mundane matters, but Apple-related nonetheless.. Recently I have had to replace my beloved 5th gen iPod Nano, spectacular sound, a whopping 16GB of storage space in such a small bundle with welcome upgrades such as a decent quality video camera, in-built pedometer and FM radio, and yes, it was Dairy Milk purple in colour…always a bonus. Not being overly impressed with the 6th gen version, a touch-screen, postage stamp-sized radical departure which I learned on Amazon reviews was difficult to operate when running, I checked out the classic, but again found fault. Admittedly, this had more to do with Apple than myself, the online complaints about the EU imposed volume cap left me pretty cold and the size of the kit seemed once again a bit unsuitable for my more sporty pursuits. So I went ahead and bought a like-for-like replacement online. Just a week out of the 30 day return period, I started to hear progressively more frequent ‘static’ noises and was at a loss, I’d dispensed with my packaging, receipts and the accompanying literature. With a real lack of expectation, I went to the Apple shop to see if there was anything they could do, expecting at best that the issue was recognised and in some way fixable, and at worst, that I would face lengthy repair delays or would have to invest in a less-preferred model or brand. To my absolute delight, the product having been registered online was still under warranty and the guy at the Genius Bar was really helpful – within 5 minutes, I had a like-for-like replacement with zero fuss. Result.

I was only too happy to fill in the CSat questionnaire when it arrived and to share my experience with my 100 or so Facebook friends. In terms of word-of-mouth, it was interesting to see a friend post that he’d heard two compliments on Apple customer service on his account from unrelated parties and being a brand advocate, was only too happy to share this with his Twitter following. It was hardly viral marketing, a term itself that has only recently been coined to describe the incredibly fast dissemination of buzz across the internet, but an insight all the same. As a side product, and by no means deliberate, anyone reading this blog will hardly fail to spot the products that I’m an active brand advocate of… Whilst the ethics are still being debated, this year the rapper 50 Cent promoted a company he holds stocks in called H&H Imports to his 3.8m Twitter followers. This celebrity endorsement raised the share price by 240% in one day alone. I think there is enough literature out there in terms of the effectiveness of word of mouth and how good news travels fast. I will end on a cautionary note though, emerging research did show that almost one-in-four American consumers were more likely to share a negative experience than a positive one, the group being loosely termed, ‘Madvocates’. Priceless.

Launching the Intern Scheme

Posted on by
1

After many moon’s worth of deliberation, debate and deferment, Q4 2010 saw the arrival of our first ever company internship scheme.

The programme was ushered in, without any great fanfare or trumpet-blast, rather quietly under cover of darkness – something that we do not lack in the long winter months on our island.  I wonder if, at least in part, the low-key introduction was due to the element of uncertainty that accompanies any new venture or initiative, especially one in which we have no historical track record or experience to draw upon.

Given that the first cycle of the project is still ongoing and the available scope for discussion is wide-ranging, I have decided not to attempt to cover all aspects of the subject today, but rather make a start, and where better to start, than at the beginning? – That is to say, with the recruitment and selection…

The candidate CVs had been pooled, it was time to prep and conduct the interviews.  Given that we had no specific in-house materials, I turned to the web, admittedly finding only a relative paucity of helpful online resources compared to standard interview guidance materials and templates.

The format and the structure were a concern; it would be perhaps unfair to impose a full-blown competency-based interview or technical assessment on the candidates given their lack of professional experience and I wasn’t convinced that this rather starchy format would give them the best opportunity to showcase their talents either.  We therefore developed a fairly loose format which was a hybrid of competency-based, conversational, subject-related and off-the-wall questions.

The interviews

We spent an entire day interviewing for the two vacancies – namely social media analyst and junior consultant/ researcher.  The profile of the candidates was exclusively post-graduate and my initial fears around the appropriateness of the interview methodology were dispelled.  In the main, the semi casual interview format seemed to work and both the interviewers and interviewees were able to get a feel for each other.  The candidates were of a very high calibre and indeed we could have filled each post twice or three times over.  When it came down to brass tacks, no different from any other interview, it was a combination of the fundamentals and the little differences (or ‘magic touches’ as we call them) that decided the successful candidates for us: 

  • Results-focused
  • Initiative, attitude and creativity
  • Personality ‘fit’ – could we see them working in our professional services office?
  • Applicable skill and degree subject – were they able to communicate a passion for what they did?

Surprisingly, one of the biggest differentiators was in the area of corporate research – the question centred around how much had they researched us and to what extent were they conversant with our web-site, blog, goals, vision, values and client base?  Four to six years in academia is indeed impressive, but if the sum total of research given to winning a prospective role is a five minute skim read, then perhaps not every lesson has been learned?

I would really like to hear from you on any similar initiatives that you’ve been involved with and what your experience was.

Kenny

Working with Customer Satisfaction Survey data…

Posted on by
Reply

Many companies use Customer Satisfaction surveys as a means to gather feedback on various aspects of their business, whether it be employee performance, the customer’s viewpoint of the processes employed, pricing, product quality or loyalty. Understanding the Voice-of-Customer (VoC) has very self-evident benefits and can be used effectively as a learning and continuous improvement tool.

Having worked with the Customer Satisfaction Survey as both an external and internal tool for the best part of a decade, the following considerations I believe are key to maximizing their potential:

Don’t just focus on the bottom line!

Knowing that the needle has moved for the overall metric will likely still tell you little about HOW this has happened? Understanding the drivers of the metric is crucial. Several statistical techniques can be employed to this end and a good starting point is a correlation matrix, multi-linear (or binary logistic) regression of the data. In this way, you will be able to have a handle on what drives the variability in your overall metric and allow you to focus efforts on identifying and managing the drivers of performance.

Use the Verbatim!

If you decide to leave the opportunity for free text, it is only right that a process is in place to utilise the information therein. It does take longer to analyse, but reading and/or coding the Verbatim is ultimately very worthwhile. The customer has taken the time to complete this and therefore you have a responsibility to understand what is being said – this can prove a very rich seam of information to be mined and often gives a clearer insight into what the customers are passionate about or more information on the nature of their complaint or compliment. There is also a corporate responsibility to feedback internally on this, and where possible, address any unmet customer needs that have arisen.

Don’t knee jerk if performance fluctuates…

Again, some understanding of statistics helps here, but it is important to understand the Confidence Levels and the Margin of Errors with your sample data. Understanding what constitutes a statistically significant performance improvement (or degradation) helps –that way there is no euphoria or full-scale enquiry when the numbers shift but are likely simply explained by the vagaries of the sampling process.

Align internally (where possible)…

Customer Satisfaction surveys can become the heartbeat of your company if you align the goals accordingly. Being able to report on individual, team or departmental performance ensures greater accountability and manageability and there is a great opportunity for goal alignment. Using performance indices can also add value, being able to explain the contribution of individuals or departments towards the overall mean score. In this way, you are able to manage performance in bite-size chunks as opposed to mobilizing full-scale improvement initiatives when the numbers move. Should you have internal Quality Assurance processes for your employees, it is a pretty good idea to ensure that these are calibrated with your VoC where possible. Ultimately, there is some work to be done if your internal and external metrics are divergent..