Category Archives: Employee Experience

Do Happy Employees Mean Happy Customers?

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Happy employees have been linked to satisfied customers and better serviceA colleague of mine recently wrote a blog on why every customer experience matters, looking particularly at the importance of employee attitudes in service delivery. These attitudes, and the commitment of the employee to providing consistent positive service interactions, is ultimately determined by how engaged the employee is with the organisation.

The link between levels of employee engagement and the quality of service provided is well documented, with recent research by Bright Horizons highlighting that 89% of employees with high levels of well-being reported high job satisfaction and nearly two thirds of those employees reported consistently putting in extra effort at work. Further to this, it has been suggested that companies who effectively appreciate employee value enjoy a return on equity and assets more than triple that experienced by firms that don’t.

One organisation that seems to recognise this point, and use it to its advantage is John Lewis. John Lewis is a unique organisation in that it is owned by its employees – or partners – who have a say in how it is run and receive a share of the profits. Every year John Lewis releases a partner survey for all their employees. The most recent results highlighted that 82% of partners said they feel respected, with 81% reporting they feel well informed about what’s going on in the business.  Given that John Lewis employees stay with the company twice as long as they industry average, these figures are hardly surprising. This level of employee engagement has led to John Lewis being recognised in a number of customer satisfaction surveys and awards, for example, in 2012 it was voted Multichannel Retailer of the Year.

John Lewis has undoubtedly got their employee engagement right, and customers are benefitting from this. Other organisations must want the same positive experience for their own customers, so who will be the ‘John Lewis’ of 2013? What strategies will be adopted to replicate these successes and improve the customer experience?

 

How are your Employees Representing your Company Values?

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Are your employees representing your company values?In business, company values are everything. They can make or break the way you operate; they can guide your strategy, and can often determine how loyal your customers are. But do you carry your company values with you at all times? And more importantly, should you?

As someone who has worked in a customer facing retail environment, I can understand the need to live and breathe company values. The front line employee, after all, is often the first thing a customer sees as they walk into a store, and possibly the last thing they see before they leave. So you dress the part, and smile, and serve the customer to the best of your ability. You are, in essence, the brand. 

But when it’s harder to define who could be a potential customer, is it too much to ask employees to have this dedication to their brand values?  For me, the values should be there at all times. A “customer-centric” company should mean “customer-centric” employees, regardless the nature of customer interactions. 

But I’m not sure this sentiment is shared by everyone. After all, bad customer service experiences are often be attributed to employees rather than the brand itself (my colleague wrote about her own bad experiences in a previous blog). So does the blame lie with the employees themselves? Should they be trying harder to carry their employer’s values?  Or should the company be trying harder to instil their values on those they employ?

Loyalty: Why Every Customer Experience Matters

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Thinking about your own experiences as a customer, I am sure you can come up with a range of different experiences. Yet, don’t you agree, that the better the experience the more likely you are to return or repurchase? What do you think are the factors that define the quality of customer service you receive? Is it employee satisfaction? Or does it depend on the training employees receive?

The other day, for instance, I ordered a pizza from a renowned pizza delivery service as I didn’t have the time to cook after working all morning, and had to leave for an important appointment shortly. Even though the company promises a maximum of 20 minutes delivery time in my neighbourhood, the delivery guy arrived after over 30 minutes. As this alone was not stressful enough, he did not have any change on him. After a few awkward phone calls he had with his boss, I myself had to go to the corner shop to get the right amount of cash. In spite of gulping down my pizza, I was still 15 minutes late for my meeting. Even though I’d only made contact with a single employee, I decided to never use this delivery service ever again because the promised customer experience was not delivered.

While every employee represents the company they work for, it is even more so for employees in customer facing roles. Such employees are paramount in the quest of creating customer loyalty through good customer service. While there are people who are naturally good with customers, it is not always possible for companies to employ such individuals. Also, even the most caring employee might, once in a while, have a bad day. Intensive training and employee engagement could therefore help companies ensure their staff, even when they are off-site, represent and uphold company values appropriately, thus reinforcing customer loyalty.

What do you think is the best solution to ensure employees create a positive customer service experience? Do you think that better training and/or engagement within the pizza delivery service would have improved the delivery guy’s performance? And is there a way in which the company could have reacted in order to obtain my loyalty despite this faux pas? Let me know your thoughts via the comments section!

Innovation. What’s Your Take?

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A term that is used repeatedly by companies, yet I am not sure we fully understand what it means, how we can nurture an innovative culture or whether it is a good or bad thing.

I read a blog recently by Pat Lencioni entitled “Is innovation good or bad” and started thinking about this interesting term and how frequently it is used or requested without there being a clear understanding of what it means and why we are doing it.

There are several written definitions of innovation but the one that I feel is the most relevant is: “Innovation is creating value by implementing ideas”

If adding value is the measure, then who is the measurer?  Is this a personal measurement?   I ask these two questions because I feel in today’s world it is so easy for people to say “we are an innovative company” or “you are not an innovative company.”  The same applies to personal beliefs. 

So what are my thoughts on how to deal with this?

  1. Review your customer survey to ensure that the “innovation” section / questions are asked in the right way so that you can specifically understand what this means to the person responding.  I believe that innovation is personal so this is crucial.  Without this you will not know what to do more of, less of or where to spend your money.
  2. Look at the employee innovation feedback and the client feedback to see if there is a correlation. 
  3. Define innovation in your organisation, sector and identify when innovative ideas occur and tell people about it, reward people for innovation.
  4. Implement a robust ‘idea to innovation’ process that aligns to your vision so that ideas become real commercial services or products that add value.

So what does the future look like in relation to innovation?  I hope more clarity, better measurement and personalisation.  To avoid thinking that innovation is about large investments but to focus on the smaller things that truly add value to your customers and employees.

Facegram or Instabook: What Does It Mean for Users?

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We’ve all read how the 13 Instagram employees woke up Monday morning richer by much more than anyone had imagined! Facebook acquired the photo app company for $1 Billion, which has managed to raise quite a few eyebrows, because Instagram was valued at $500 Million on the 6th of April, 2012; that’s four days before it was bought for double that amount.

Does Zuckerberg intend to annihilate his competition, since Facebook’s strength lies in photo sharing, or does he intend to turn it into another channel to push ads through? Instagram has an impressive user base of almost 30 million registered users, but almost no revenue. I’ve read a couple of articles today that explain how Instagram puts the soul back into social sharing, making the experience more personal and intimate through the art of photography, tinged with nostalgia through multiple filters. Facebook, on the other hand, is seen as a social media conglomerate, which has managed to turn friendly social interactions between friends into highly targeted marketing campaigns for advertisers. Will Facebook keep Instagram alive as it is and as users like it or should we expect a hybrid photo sharing app for our timelines soon?

Another reason I’m writing this blog is to address the impeccable timing of the acquisition. Instagram launched its app for Android devices just last week, prior to which it was available only to iPhone, iPod and iPad users. Is this another way of staying ahead of Google, Facebook? No matter which angle I consider, it seems like a very interesting scenario, for the two companies involved, their users as well as their competition.

What do you think this acquisition holds for you as a user, and for the market? Let me know through your comments!

Bigger Doesn’t Always Mean Better

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With the announcement by Lloyds Banking Group this week that they are about to ‘overhaul’ the handling of customer complaints came a small reminder for me from recent experiences of working with clients.  A well-recognised brand which attempts to portray confidence, professionalism and customer focus isn’t always representative of what is happening on the inside.

In this age of consumer focus and customer-driven strategy (there are many more buzz words that I will avoid), you would be forgiven for thinking that such big organisations who employ thousands of people in customer marketing, customer service, customer relations and customer insight actually have the customer at the heart of the culture. 

Not so, it would appear.  And so Lloyds’ announcement that it was about time it had ‘one customer view’ is a big move, albeit a bit late.  Now, maybe they can be cut some slack in that they have just joined three big brands in a very difficult market.  But it would seem that, even within the individual brands, delivering a coordinated and choreographed service was slightly beyond their reach.

It’s not easy to change quickly, in fact for most businesses that just won’t happen.  And a lot of the delays aren’t just about finances and technology, but in the heart of the business – it’s culture.  If you drive and reward success on call targets, sales volumes and the odd half-hearted customer feedback round on the ‘front line’ then we shouldn’t be surprised that the whole business might just be run that way.

Some of the best businesses for customer engagement are those that have always had a culture for loyalty.  Being the best for great customer experience is much more important than just being the best in a sector or industry.  The energy sector demonstrates this point;  it may be great to be the top of the big six for customer satisfaction, but if that top place only comes with around 68% satisfaction in an industry where 70% of customers said they were not fully satisfied but only 20% switched provider, it’s not much kudos.

My view. 

  • Run your customer service like a small business (especially if it is a small business).  If each person/team/department looked after their customers as if they were their very own, as if that customer coming back for more relied on that one interaction and experience, satisfaction and loyalty will follow.
  • Give your people the tools.  A customer won’t care that you have seven different teams who deal with seven aspects of their account.  If you want your customers to have a great experience, you need to let everyone see what that experience looks like.  In addition, trust those who deliver for your customers to make the right decision.  Give a policy to hide behind and an environment that doesn’t foster ‘do the right thing’ and don’t be surprised when your bland service doesn’t break any records.
  • Use customer feedback.  If you take time to find out what customers really want, and you act on those wants and drivers of satisfaction (not just cherry-pick the ones that suit you) then you will see the results.
  • Reward and recognise outcomes, not outputs.  Sometimes the smallest and simplest of reports show the greatest of results.  If you want your customers to come back, to recommend you to others and to expand the services they need from you then recognise it won’t come from a hard focus on handling times and volumes alone.

Of course, there are many more ingredients to a great customer experience.  I would love to hear your views on making your experience better.  Who does it well and who deserves your loyalty?

Communication: Everyone’s Talking About It

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How do consumers communicate with an organisation? How do organisations communicate with consumers?

Today, consumers can talk to a brand representative over the phone, through email, and online through social networks.  But amidst all the discussions over “multi channel” customer service, whatever happened to good old fashioned face-to-face?

A large utilities firm is putting faith back in this method –equipping call centre staff with video links to create more face-to-face contact with customers – as they believe it has the power to encourage current customers to stay and lost customers to return.

But should we all be including face-to-face in our “multi channe” strategies, if it has the power to increase customer loyalty?

Perhaps examples from other industries can demonstrate the true potential of face-to-face communication, like o2.

Last Thursday, the Percepta UK marketing team attended Dunning Design’s monthly “Communications Breakfast”, hosted by o2.  They presented “o2 Ville”, a collection of innovations designed to help consumers cope with all their communication demands.  o2 Money senior partner Martyn Wallace opened the presentation with a demonstration of how many of us could begin paying for products or services using an internet enabled mobile device, rather than with a debit or credit card.  And even as one audience member questioned the speaker on the problems o2 may encounter with the battery life of such devices, most attendees seemed taken by the idea.  Tim Craven of o2 Wifi then took over the floor to explain how the organisation plans to provide dedicated nationwide Wifi hotspots, providing internet access for consumers, whatever they are doing, wherever they are.  Moreover, this would be available for everyone, regardless of your mobile network.   

Lastly, o2 Health associate Julian Rolfe introduced “Side by Side”, an innovative scheme which allows clinicians to speak to their patients hundreds of miles away, and share medical information such as MRI scans and x-rays with other medical professionals.  o2 suggests that the technology can save on unnecessary and often time consuming travel.  A pilot “Side by Side” scheme was rolled out by o2 and NHS Western Isles in 2011, and immediately made an impact to the lives of both patients and clinicians in this remote area.  Some statistics to highlight this impact include:

  • 67% of clinicians said that their ability to diagnose patients had increased
  • 80% of clinicians said that they were able to see patients sooner and with greater ease
  • Travel was reduced by 9 hours for some patients
  • Around £6500 was saved on travel throughout the trial period – and was put toward other resources
  • Patients’ satisfaction scores recorded over the pilot scheme was higher

Overall, NHS Western Isles found that service capacity had improved greatly over the trial period. 

As we left the presentation, I began thinking about how this technology could service other sectors as well as health. 

For NHS Western isles, the need for face to face communication over any other form was clear, but could it be used alongside other methods?  Could businesses begin to use such technology to reach out to their customers, and create a stronger bond? Communication, after all, is the key….let me know your thoughts on this.

Percepta at the DMA Ball

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On the 11th of November this year, Percepta attended the Direct Marketing Association’s 17th Anniversary Ball, held in Edinburgh’s Prestonfield Hotel, located at the foot of Arthur’s Seat.  The beautifully decorated stables adjacent to the hotel itself would host the event, providing guests with a spectacular setting for the evening’s festivities.  Those attending were greeted to a champagne reception upon arrival, followed by a three course meal, ceilidh and late night disco, giving them the chance to chat and get to know other members of the DMA from throughout the UK.

The event also saw the welcome return of the Percepta sponsored “Groovy Booth”, where attendees could pose for photographs dressed in various comedy wigs, hats and oversized sunglasses (those of a nervous disposition have been warned).  This year’s revellers did not disappoint, with queues for the booth stretching across the dance floor at times.

The highlight of the night was the ever popular Orcadian Strip the Willow, which got the majority of the crowd off their seats and onto the dance floor. As many of the attendees headed for the DMA after party, they were thankful that there was no repeat of last year’s weather (2010’s ball marked the beginning of the heavy snow, which lasted well into the New Year).

Overall, the night was a huge success, and the grandeur of the setting was matched only by the party atmosphere throughout the evening. Very much looking forward to next year!

Hello, Do You Know I’m here?

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I was recently enlisted by a friend of my father’s into helping him buy a new car. With 12 years in the automotive industry, and considering myself a bit of a petrol head, I was only too happy to help, and thought that it would be a piece of cake (and a lot of fun helping someone else spend their hard earned money). Having known him for 20 years, I knew that he have a great idea about what he wanted the car to do, he’d have researched the alternatives thoroughly and to be honest I thought my role would be to give him a seal of approval for his choice, or to make sure he wasn’t paying over the odds.

Sure enough he’d done the leg work – visited almost all the garages in his local area, and had brochures, prices lists and options lists coming out of his ears, but he was lost. Somewhere in all the information thrust upon him by the eager salespeople at the dealerships, they’d forgotten to ask him what it was he used the car for. Everything had become too complicated for him – he had been given too much choice. And he wasn’t enjoying his experience.

When I asked, he simply said he needed it to get into town to shop and pick his daughter up from the station. He wanted to do that as cheaply and safely as possible, and with the least chance of breaking down. And if it did – he wanted the dealer to look after him properly.

He didn’t care about sat nav as he knew where he was going (and happens to collect maps), he didn’t need parking sensors as he didn’t trust them, the thought of cruise control scared him half to death, and the 20 speaker stereo system wasn’t really needed for Test Match Special. He had no idea what DAB was. He wasn’t that interested in the intricacies of the finance deals, or the time it takes for a convertible roof to fully open. To make matters worse, having left the dealerships without the information he actually wanted, the days that followed brought with them postal surveys, even more brochures and business cards from the sales staff.

It struck me that perhaps the simplest concept of customer service had been ignored. Listening.

Not one of the sales staff had sat down and taken the time to find out why this gentleman was sat in front of them. What did he actually need? Not what did they think he wanted, but what did he need? They had forgotten who the most important person in that room was, and had potentially alienated him for good.

Over the next few days, he began to notice letter after letter from the various dealerships. Customer Satisfaction Surveys, even more brochures, even more special deals that didn’t interest him.

Now today’s world thrives on information. We all know that and it’s nothing new. It’s not the future – it is the now. But what of those who aren’t quite ready for it? Those who don’t want a mobile or don’t understand why they need the choice of contact by text, e-mail, twitter or Facebook? Should we abandon those who don’t want to take that route?

It seems to me that this highlights the one thing that those sales staff forgot. That the customer gets to choose how, when and where they interact with a business, and it’s up to the business to make sure it’s flexible enough to react.

It won’t be easy staying that flexible. I’m sure we all know the power of social media and modern technology. Opinions are formed, shared and reformed at a rate never before experienced. And that’s great – if you’re doing things right. If you’re not then where do you start?

The answer? Well, if I could answer that in a short blog then I’d be making millions from it – but it strikes me that there is an excellent and incredibly simply starting point.

Listen. Listen to what the customer wants from you. Listen to when they want it. Listen to how they want it. Not rocket science, but definitely effective.

What challenges have you come across (on either end) of service where you’ve either not listened/haven’t been listened to?

Wanted: An Automotive Sales Manager Who Focuses on Quality, Not Quick Talking

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We all know the stereotypes around salespeople, such as being silver tongued, having the gift of the gab and being able to talk the hind legs off a horse. While eloquence is never a bad thing, it’s not the only thing and we’re looking for in an Automotive Sales Manager who wants to build a lasting relationship rather than make a quick buck.

We’re looking for someone with experience and enthusiasm to be a key member of our sales team, proactively working to achieve specific revenue, profit and customer satisfaction targets. Our ideal candidate will have an automotive technical background or qualification, as a key part of the role will be the consulting service provided to UK dealers.

The successful candidate will be essential in providing comprehensive sales and support services to key account holders, whist also identifying opportunities to develop sales and exploit potential areas of growth.

If you feel you are the person we are looking for, convince us by clicking the link here to apply online.