ISSUE 2
SPRING 2014
CHANNEL ISLANDS
NEW VENTURE IS A PIECE OF CAKE
HOW MICHELLE’S DREAM HAS BECOME A REALITY
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ISSUE 2
sPrING 2014 CHANNEL IsLANDs
Welcome
Julie Todd
Founder, The Customer Service Awards
It has pleased me immensely to be on the receiving end of so many complimentary comments about the inaugural issue of Customer 1st magazine, which aims to promote and highlight the benefits of customer service excellence in a more accessible way. It is important that an organisation - irrespective of size - continually evolves and adapts to the environment in which it operates. The customer experience is a crucial element of that, and you can read more about the benefits within these pages. We also feature a sole trader for whom offering excellent customer service and winning an award in 2013 has made a huge difference to her business. We look ahead to the 2014 events in Guernsey and Jersey in a feature on pages 20 and 21 about this year’s Guernsey event, which is - quite literally - upon us! Read about the categories and plans for this year and get involved. We achieved over 4,000 nominations last year and would love to beat that for 2014 - please get voting! Details of how to do this are within the feature. Finally, we have a fabulous customer service breakfast seminar planned for 24 June at Les Cotils, which will see a panel of four experts talk and answer all your queries. This is a not-to-be-missed event, so check the website www.thecustomerserviceawards.com for details of how you can reserve your seats. I hope this magazine truly represents the customer experience interests of our islands, and, as always, the team and I will endeavour to raise the awareness of what we believe is in the islands’ best interests. Long may it remain so!
contact@thecustomerserviceawards.com www.thecustomerserviceawards.com
CONDITIONS Customer 1st CI is published
by Collaborate Communications. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. Any reproduction without permission is prohibited. Customer 1st CI magazine contains editorial content from external contributors which does not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. Customer 1st CI magazine does not accept or respond to unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. The publishers do not accept responsibility for errors in advertisements or third party offers
DOWNLOADS Customer 1st CI magazine is available to download from
www.thecustomerserviceawards.com
FRONT COVER: Michelle Arundale founder of The Berries Bakery
DESIGN Jooles Tostevin EDITORIAL Trish Grover PUBLISHERS Collaborate Communications Parkway, Guelles Lane St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 2DD CONTACT US +44 (0)1481 715222
[Inside] 04 06 08 12 14 18 20 22 24 26 28
Customer Service Trends Defined by ICSA
Jersey Airport
Enhancing the journey experience
The Berries Bakery
The winning ingredient
Michelle Morley
Could your employees be driving customers away?
Livingroom Estate Agents The full experience
Crowd Media
Build your story, start a legacy
Customer Service Awards Guernsey awards focus
Market Square
A place for all seasons
CBS 4 Star
Do what you do best and let the experts do the rest
CISA
The transformation challenge
SURE
Sure puts the customer first
CONTRIBUTORS
Susie Andrade, Claire Boscq-Scott, Nicole Bromley, Charlotte Dunsterville, Alan Donald, Michelle Morley, Jo Porritt, Sonia Taylor, Simon Torode
PHOTOGRAPHY
John O’Neill - www.opa.gg
03
[Customer Service Trends]
According to The Institute of Customer Service, there are seven major trends for the year ahead in the UK How aligned are we here in the Channel Islands?
Seven major trends According to The Institute of Customer Service
04
01 02
Approximately 78% of UK GDP is derived from the services sector; services are also important revenue sources for manufacturing companies; and around 70% of UK employees work in jobs which involve direct contact with customers. So improvements and innovation in the customer experience will support not only the performance of individual organisations, but also the growth and competitiveness of the economy as a whole.
Big data powers customer insight and innovation
Big data will open up areas of customer understanding that traditional research models failed to reveal. In this way, it will drive genuine innovation in the way organisations understand and deliver for their customers. In parallel, customer data itself will become an increasingly valuable commodity. However, big data will also generate growing concerns about privacy and the use of analytics - organisations will need to address these concerns fully and proactively.
03 04
Customer Service is key to growth in a recovering economy
Online communities and interaction become mainstream
Expect more organisations - across a broader range of industries, including both B2C and B2B - to set up and encourage the growth of communitybased support in 2014. Some will even find that their most valuable customer service people include not just employees but also helpful and knowledgeable ‘volunteers’ providing peer-to-peer support. The challenge will be that organisations are less in control of their relationships with customer and their reputation.
A renewed focus on customer service in the public sector
The focus on understanding and delivering for customers will translate into a growing number of service-centric objectives and initiatives. In the NHS, the UK can expect to see moves to refocus targets on caring for individual patients’ needs, as well as debate about the most effective and consistent ways of measuring customer service. More academic establishments will appoint customer service specialists to improve customer satisfaction and their attractiveness to potential students.
Customer satisfaction measurement impacts the bottom line
05 06
Many more organisations will directly track the impact of customer satisfaction on purchasing (i.e. amount spent) and loyalty (i.e. amount spent over the longer term), among other measures of business impact, becoming more focused on benchmarking with key competitors. A wide range of customer service and satisfaction measures will be used to understand the key metrics which affect the business model and influence the attitudes and behaviour of their most important customer segments.
Customers drive organisational change
Expectations will challenge conventional structures, hierarchies and decision-making. The authority to respond to customers’ needs will increasingly be de-centralised. Frontline staff will need to be empowered, skilled and trusted to make more decisions in the interests of the customer, acting within a commercially appropriate context so that the customer experience is delivered with consistency and quality.
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Increased demand for customer service skills
Demand for staff who have desirable attitudes and attributes for customer service will increase with a stronger focus on the importance of emotional intelligence to deal with the wide variety of challenging customer service relationships and interactions. Leaders will increasingly be expected to possess customer service skills and awareness, more boards will include customer service representation and a higher proportion of CEOs will come from a customer-centric background.
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[Jersey Airport]
Enhancing the journey experience by Alan Donald Group Marketing & Communications Manager Ports of Jersey
[Ports of Jersey]
of supplementary optional questions, including final destination, age group and airline carrier. According to Group Chief Executive Officer for Ports of Jersey, Doug Bannister, this is the first time such a detailed customer satisfaction survey has been carried out by Jersey Airport specifically targeting departing passengers about their journey experience. He said: ‘This initiative forms part of our (Ports of Jersey) overall strategy to engage more pro-actively with our customers, whether they are passengers travelling through our airport and harbours or ones we have regular contact with, including our business partners. We are delighted not only with the number of responses we have received so far but also the positive results and comments the survey has generated. We now have some tangible evidence that will help us move forward in our determined efforts to enhance the customer journey experience through the ports.’
O
ver 82% of departing passengers* are happy with their overall journey experience through Jersey Airport, a new customer satisfaction survey has revealed. In an attempt to engage more proactively with the travelling public and encourage feedback, Jersey Airport launched its own ‘Your Views Count’ customer satisfaction survey towards the end of March 2013. Fast forward 12 months and almost 400 responses have been received from both local residents as well as visitors to the island. The survey is a joint initiative set up by the Ports of Jersey’s customer relations and marketing teams to allow a more detailed gathering of passenger information with a series of questions relating to the provision of facilities and level of service offered to departing Jersey travellers. The seven questions range from the check-in and security experience to the choice of catering and shopping facilities as well as helpfulness of staff. The survey also allows for a more detailed profile of the type of passengers using the airport and their purpose for travel by means
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Ports of Jersey staff, together with many on-site business partners, including ground handlers and retailers, have also played a part in shaping the future journey experience by means of their own analysis of the airport’s departure offering. Many of the suggestions and feedback received from staff were similar to those comments submitted as part of the survey. Subsequently, a number of initiatives have been introduced at the airport to enhance the journey experience, including the introduction of exterior smoking areas, cessation of unnecessary PA announcements and the introduction of dedicated lanes in central security search for passengers with reduced mobility or those travelling with young children. Plans are in place to introduce a number of further enhancements over the coming 18 months, which include clearer terminal signage, an increase in the ‘Happy to Help’ host programme and the creation of more family-friendly facilities. Mr Bannister continued: ‘This is just the start of an exciting programme of customer-focused initiatives for us at the Ports. The airport survey has proved to be a great success and for that reason we plan to continue with it throughout 2014 as well as rolling out similar versions across other areas of our business, including marine leisure as well as both ferry and cruise passengers.’
In fact, these roll-outs have already commenced with the launch in February 2014 of a customer satisfaction survey aimed at Jersey-registered boat owners. Once again this survey encourages feedback on the level of service and facilities offered at the three St Helier marinas as well as the outlying harbours, and response rates to date have been very encouraging. Group Leisure Manager for Ports of Jersey, Mike Tait, who has specific responsibility for the marinas said: ‘Jersey Marinas provide over 2,500 berths and mooring around the island and the views of our boat owners are vitally important to us. In the same way that our colleagues at Jersey Airport have done, we plan to use the results of this survey to evaluate our current level of services and facilities provided and where necessary, develop appropriate programmes to enhance our future offering.’
this is just the start of an eXciting programme of customer - focused initiatives for us at the ports...
Jersey Airport’s ‘Your Views Count’ survey is available online at jerseyairport.com as well as by a postage pre-paid version, which can be picked up in the airside departures lounge. In the space of just two short years short since the airport and harbours operations merged to become Ports of Jersey, the business has taken great strides in focusing on their customers. While the team admits there is still some way to go, the new customer-focused initiatives that have been implemented already are a clear example of an organisation’s firm commitment to ‘enhancing the journey experience’ for their customers.
386 individual surveys were submitted, with 54% completed by visitors to Jersey and 46% by local residents
* - based on 386 individual survey responses submitted between April – September 2013
Need to make a swift exit? Pick up a Rapide Pass, Jersey Airport’s prepaid car parking charge card. About the Rapide Pass Car park users at Jersey Airport can save valuable ‘queuing time’ at the pay machines by taking advantage of our Rapide Pass. The Rapide Pass is a prepaid parking charge card, allowing you to simply swipe at the car park exit barrier rather than having to queue at one of the ticket pay stations in the Terminals. Each time the pass is swiped, the car park charge is deducted from the amount of prepaid available credit.
How to apply for a ‘Rapide Pass’ The Rapide Pass can be obtained free of charge from the information desk in the Departures Terminal at Jersey Airport with an initial minimum amount of £20 credit purchased. For further information please call Jersey Airport on (01534) 446100, or visit our website: jerseyairport.com
jerseyairport.com
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[The Berries Bakery]
The winning
ingredient... [The Berries Bakery]
by Nicole Bromley
Guernsey’s very own Mary Berry is baking a business with quality customer service at its centre...
It
all started with a passion for cooking and a special 65th birthday Scrabble cake. In October 2011 Michelle Arundale surprised her mother, a Scrabble lover, with her first masterpiece creation in the shape of a Scrabble board. Having seen the cake displayed at a restaurant, a stranger approached Michelle to make a replica cake and that afternoon The Berries Bakery was formed. By that evening Michelle had designed a business card and shortly afterwards a temporary website went live. You could say setting up a business took Michelle by surprise but was a natural course of events. You cannot switch on the TV nowadays without coming across a baking show so it is understandable that Michelle gained inspiration from celebrity bakers including Delia Smith and Mary Berry. However, cake decorating books by celebrity cake bakers such as Mich Turner, owner of the ‘Little Venice Cake Company’ in London, have also helped Michelle to perfect her technique.
you cannot switch on the tv nowadays without coming across a baking show so it is understandable that michelle gained inspiration from celebrity bakers 08
‘Watching Chef ‘Duff’ Goldman, owner of Charm City Cakes, and his team create the most incredible cakes on The American TV show ‘Ace of Cakes’ was my main inspiration. Shows like ‘The Great British Bake Off’ have given me other techniques but it was mainly ‘Ace of Cakes’ that showed me how to break down a design and create the most whimsical cake designs out of sugarpaste, such as my Alice in Wonderland cake’. Michelle’s passion for food and creativity was inherited from her grannie, Majorie Arundale, a fantastic cook who wrote a weekly cookery column for the Manchester Evening News for 40 years under the pseudonym ‘Henri The Chef’. Marjorie was also an amazing artist and created all the drawings to accompany her recipes and an
michelle undertook some training with liz kerr photography in order to do her cakes justice
illustrated book of her most popular recipes was published in 1967. It was Marjorie’s drawings that underpinned a facelift for The Berries Bakery in 2013 when Michelle finally received copyright approval from the Manchester Evening News to use the drawings of ‘Henri the Chef’. Michelle and her sister Nicole teamed up with Anni Bisson from AB Design to rebrand The Berries Bakery with the aim to bring ‘Henri’ back to life. ‘Working with Anni to design the new logo for the business cards, brochures and website was a very personal and rewarding experience. Watching her bring Henri back to life was very special as I have always known in my heart that I wanted to use one of grannie’s drawings for my business as a tribute to her, and a legacy for the family.’ The new website called for better quality cake photography so Michelle undertook some training with Liz Kerr Photography in order to do her cakes justice. She also attended sugarcraft classes with Eileen Jones to develop her flower skills. This attention to detail and dedication is evident in her cake designs and desire to please her customers. All Michelle’s hard work paid off in June 2013 when she won the Guernsey Customer Service Award - Self Employed category having been nominated by her clients. ‘I was very proud that such a small new business won this prestigious award voted for by my customers. I try to maintain a good level of service whilst balancing a full time job and running the business in my spare time, so it was a fantastic reward for all my efforts and also made me realise what I had managed to achieve in such a short space of time.’
Orders mainly come from repeat business, referrals and the website. One regular client has booked in her child’s birthday cakes for the next 20 birthdays starting at age two in 2012! Michelle also had the honour of being asked to make a rather spectacular Breakfast at Tiffany’s themed cake for Dame Mary Perkins. Customers have even come from as far afield as South Africa and Australia as a result of her web presence, so giving good customer service and having a strong brand is vital for a small business on a small island. ‘Winning this customer service award and being voted 4th Most Loved Cake Business in the UK with ‘thebestof’ two years running, has really opened up other doors for me. B&Q, the sponsor of my customer service award, commissioned me to create their 10th anniversary cake which was great recognition from them it even got featured in the Guernsey Press. I was also approached by the Guernsey College of Further Education to support a work experience student who is as crazy about cakes as me. I have been thrilled to lend my time to this student and give something back.’ 09
[The Berries Bakery]
The future of The Berries Bakery is shaping up to be just as exciting with lots of wedding, birthday and christening cake orders booked in and further sugarcraft training later in the year for Michelle.
The Berries Bakery Tel: 07781 156160 www.theberriesbakery.co.uk
‘I’m really pleased with how business is going. I’ve already got orders for wedding and birthday cakes for 2015 and 2016 so I would advise anyone interested in commissioning a cake to make contact with me as soon as possible. I don’t like turning customers away so my dream would be to one day to expand the business and be able to fully concentrate my efforts on it so I can make more people’s cake dreams come true.’ Underneath all that flour and icing sugar Michelle is truly passionate about creating cakes that are not only a feast for the eyes but also to the taste buds. It certainly looks like her hard work is paying off with an award-winning business and customers who keep coming back for more, including Cathy Perkins, daughter of Specsavers founder, Dame Mary Perkins, who gives Michelle and The Berries Bakery a five star rating:
‘Michelle is Guernsey’s own amazing Mary Berry! My girls simply call her the ‘magic cake lady’ and that’s exactly what she is. Her creativity is amazing. I go to her with a vague theme and she puts hours into coming up with the most amazing creation which is divinely delicious. Fantastic professional service - a five star local business’.
CELEBRATION CAKES | CHILDREN’S CAKES | WEDDING CAKES
CAKES WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH
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www.theberriesbakery.co.uk | Telephone: 07781 156160
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[Michelle Morley Consultancy]
Could your employees
be driving customers away?
by Michelle Morley Michelle Morley is the Founder of Michelle Morley Consultancy, offering a freelance service in marketing, sales and customer service.
For more information
on how to grow your business through providing an exceptional customer service experience please contact Michelle... T: 07781 157655 E: hello@michellemorley.co.uk W: michellemorley.co.uk
[Michelle Morley Consultancy]
IF
you are the owner, or a senior manager of a company, you are undoubtedly passionate, interested and knowledgeable about every aspect of your business. But, what about your employees – can you be sure that they feel the same way? You can spend as much money as you like on producing the perfect product, designing the most beautiful shop window or creating the most effective advertising campaign but, once you have generated customer interest, this amounts to nothing unless you ensure that your employees, in particular the front line of the business, will interact positively with the customer and give them the very best customer experience.
For the customer it is as much about the ‘experience’ as it is about the product or service they are buying. No matter how excited they are when they first make contact with your company, if the welcome is cold and apathetic, or your employees do not have the knowledge to truly help them, they will walk away, straight to one of your competitors. So how do you go about engaging your employees to ensure that they have the right attitude towards your customers, and also that they are knowledgeable about what they are selling? All too often business managers shy away from the importance of employee engagement in favour of more commercially-focused decisions when, for minimal financial outlay, and some investment of their time, they could develop a workforce able to deliver significantly greater returns for their business. It is unlikely that any of your employees are trying to sabotage your business intentionally, and drive customers away, but by putting procedures and training in place, and involving your employees in your company’s vision and goals from the outset, you have the opportunity to inspire and nurture them. If they understand why a new product or service is being launched and how it will benefit the customer, they are
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Photos by twodegreesnorth.co.uk
far more likely to be engaged in the business. Inspired and proud employees, who genuinely want to help the customer, are an essential ingredient in any successful business. Furthermore, it is essential that you communicate with your employees in the same way that you would like them to communicate with your customers, as these employees are valuable ambassadors for your business. They are the people in direct contact with the customer and deserve the same respect as you would afford the customer. In the same way that satisfied customers are likely to recommend the brands that they use and love, so your employees should become ambassadors for your brand and your business. Customers really can ‘feel’ your mood, even on the telephone. If they don’t feel that your employees care about them or have interest in their call or their visit, they will simply go elsewhere. Your employees have to take the time to find out what the customer really needs before trying to sell them a product or service. Only then will they start to build trust in the customer relationship and, as is widely known, customers do business with people they ‘know, like and trust’.
customers really can ‘feel’ your mood, even on the telephone ... your employees have to take the time to find out what the customer really needs before trying to sell them a product or service ... and why. Invest some of your own time in talking with them, and give them the correct training to carry out their role to the best of their ability. Only then will you see the positive results and know that your employees are not driving customers away.
So this is where the importance of training comes in. Passion for and knowledge of the product or service is essential, but the way in which a customer is dealt with is equally, if not more important. To customers, it is not your product or service that keeps them coming back but the experience that they have. Customers who receive exceptional service will be loyal customers, delivering clear commercial benefits back to your business. So please don’t ever assume that every employee knows how to answer the phone correctly or knows how to ask the right open-ended questions in order to be able to sell the best product or service to the customer. It is a company’s responsibility to ensure that all its employees have a clear understanding of what is expected of them, 13
[Livingroom]
The full
experience [Livingroom]
by Simon Torode
C
ustomer service is a phrase that everyone uses a lot and, it would be fair to say, there’s also a myriad of interpretations on what it means. We can all readily identify examples of bad customer service where the minimum standard of how we expect to be treated has fallen short of the mark. It is these instances where we are very likely to tell our friends and colleagues about the shabby treatment. How often, though, do we consider excellent customer service?
there is something unique about the livingroom customer service awards... For more information about how the awards can benefit your business, please visit www.thecustomerserviceawards.com and follow the social media pages.
Livingroom got involved with the Guernsey Customer Service Awards two years ago when we won the Guernsey Customer Service Award for Innovation. After recognising the value, and the heart, of these awards we decided to sponsor the event last year. We’re pleased to do so again this year which looks set to be even better with more entrants and even greater engagement from the business sectors in Guernsey. There is something unique about the Livingroom Customer Service Awards; something that makes it feel closer, more relevant and more connected to our island community. The fact that those nominated are done so by people they have served and those nominees are voted for by the public makes these awards real and true. Individuals are so motivated by the service they have received they take action. The awards go across the spectrum of businesses in Guernsey and highlight companies and individuals that go the extra mile in their customer service. They show the wealth of motivation and talent the island boasts. So what exactly is excellent customer service? Essentially it is where you, as the customer, see and experience service which is beyond the norm; where you are impressed and want to tell people how excellent it was. It might be the local garage, the person who helped you in aisle three of the supermarket or the company that delivered something to you on a Sunday just because they were passing.
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[Le Mont Saint Garage won the 2013 best team award]
We think there is a renewed motivation in Guernsey to consider the customer. New retailers have opened with a ‘customer first’ mantra, people are keen to buy local and the diversity of Guernsey’s business sector is growing rapidly.
after our customers. The publicity we gained from winning the award has given us a better profile and new customers. If you provide a good service react to customers’ issues and questions and deliver on time then your business will grow. The consumers are king.’
High quality customer service helps to create customer loyalty. Customers today are not only interested in the product they are being offered but all the additional elements of service that believe they should receive.
The first phase of the 2014 awards is ensuring Guernsey businesses and individual members of staff know they are eligible and should get involved. Do you work for a business? Do you know that you give excellent customer service? Should you be recognised? This is your chance to get involved.
When businesses truly listen to their customers they will hear exactly what their customers want and how that business can provide a good service. People want to know they are special and their business is appreciated. Customers don’t buy products or services. They buy good feelings and solutions to problems. Most customer needs are emotional rather than logical and it’s those businesses that understand this that will win that loyalty.
If you know you’re a winner ask your customers, ask your friends, ask your colleagues to nominate you for one of the 10 individual awards or one of the four corporate awards.
Many of the previous winners of the Livingroom Customer Services Awards had one thing in common – a willingness to help their customer; to do everything they needed to do to ensure satisfaction. That’s the power of saying ‘yes’. Waitrose won three awards in 2013 including the overall award for Best Customer Service, the Customer Service Commitment Award (for the second year) and Partner Daniel Jukes won the Employee of a Large Business Award. Admiral Park branch manager, Allen Edwards, said: ‘Meeting the needs and wants of our customers is vital to the successful running of Waitrose. To win three awards is a great achievement which reflects the commitment and excellent work of our Partners. Everyone works extremely hard and we are very proud of our two branches here in Guernsey.’ Le Mont Saint Garage won the 2013 best team award. Owner Dave Beausire said: ‘I always say that the face of my business is the attendant on the forecourt not the service advisor or the Managing Director. A pleasant greeting indicates immediately a warmth that we look
Individual categories: Employee of a small business Employee of medium business Employee of a large business Self-employed person Public services employee Tourism/hospitality employee Best team Humble volunteer Best customer experience Aspiring star
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Contact Livingroom, Guernsey’s award winning Estate Agent, specialists in Local & Open Market residential sales and lettings.
website: www. livingroom.gg call: +44 1481 233008 email: info@livingroom.gg address: livingroom limited, the old mill, st. martin, guernsey, gy4 6db
The Livingroom Customer Service Awards 2104
It’s time to get involved
“Make every interaction count, even the small ones. They are all relevant.” Shep Hyken
HOW TO VOTE Online at www.thecustomerserviceawards.com
From Thursday 1st May to Friday 13th June 2014 you can nominate the individual or team that has provided the best customer service in Guernsey. SUPPORTED BY
sarnia H OT E L S
G U E R NSEY
Bailiwick Estates Ltd
By text on 07781 476276 Complete a nomination form available at numerous outlets islandwide including Island FM and Chamber of Commerce. @ TheCustSerAward The Customer Services Awards 2014
[Crowd Media]
Build your story, start a legacy ...
by Jo Porritt
[A social media series by Crowd Media]
Founder of Crowd Media Ltd
So why would I, along with my network of friends, want to allow your updates to be a part of our daily newsfeed? How can you entertain me and stand out amongst the other 1,000+ brands that I have clogging my updates already? This is where you need to get creative, and it revolves around excellent content. Your story
See how we can help today...
www.crowdtraining.me
In
the last edition of Customer 1st Magazine, we outlined the ‘shift in sands’ when it comes to brands and customer relationships; with the division continuing to narrow, putting consumers firmly in the driving seat. Today’s culture is a 24/7 digital landscape, where users are communicating with their peers, updating themselves with the latest news in real time and taking huge influence from the opinions of their online communities. Let’s look a little further into how the foundations of every business need to adapt. ‘Why should my business use social media?’ Rather than start with this question, why not turn it on it’s head? Let’s start with this: ‘Why do your customers use social media?’ Social media is how we choose to connect 24/7 with our friends and family, and follow organisations and brands that we relate to and have a vested interest in. To sum that up; we want to be entertained. 18
What is the identity and personality of your brand? Keep the tone consistent to fit your branding and keep it human; nobody wants a one way conversation where interest lies solely in your outgoing messages, or what you’re trying to sell. What are your foundations and what ethics/history can you tell me about? If you want to build a fortress full of loyal customers who are happy to associate themselves with you, be transparent and tell your story! Who are you and what are your morals? It all starts with building trust before any loyalty is earned. What are you passionate about and how can you help? Set the tone and stick to it. Present exactly what you can offer in a creative and interesting format, and don’t make promises you can’t keep. Learn that today, your customers expect you to give them something for free when it comes to knowledge. Be prepared for that. Are you active in the community? Do you sponsor any events or support any charitable / voluntary organisations? Why does it matter to you and what’s it all about? What difference is it making and how have you provided? Tell me about it! This is part of your brand personality, and the more I see and know about you, the more I relate and therefore trust in you and your product. What are people saying? There is no better testimony than peer-to-peer, and with measurable data easily accessed via online tools on a daily basis, you can find out exactly what people are talking
tell me a joke, share with me a mantra ...shock me, quiz me...
you and your team. Tell me a joke, share with me a mantra that sums up what you believe, shock me, quiz me, tell me about your latest antics; anything that is going to attract my attention! If it does relate to you and your product in some shape or form than even better! But we’re connected now, so that means we are almost friends. So let’s keep it that way.
about, and talk directly with the people that matter. The synergy between on and offline activity can be seamless, so let us know what everyone has been saying and make yourself approachable to allow for every bit of testimony you can get! The more I hear, the more I trust - especially if you make a mistake and rectify it in the public domain.
Stand out in a crowd Live feeds are rapid, so whatever customers choose to consume is based on the content we are drawn to.
What is your team saying? Provide insight into life behind the walls. How happy are your employees? What do they do and how can they help? How do you provide for them and what do you do to enhance their careers and keep relationships healthy?
Social media is rich in visual content, and opportunities are vast for many formats to be implemented as a part of your strategy. Keep copy short and to the point, and attract me to what you are saying with a suitable visual, whether it be video or image format.
If your team is happy, then I’ll assume that as a customer, you will do everything you can to ensure that I am happy. Transparency allows me to put my guard down, and keeps me interested in you as an organisation. What gets you excited? It’s ok to share interesting content that doesn’t directly relate to you and your product! You have chosen to open up to the world and show the human element of your brand, so entertain me with what has been exciting for
Don’t give me a boring essay; entertain me!
Crowd delivered Social Media Training for the GTA University Centre. They took time to understand our VSHFL¾F QHHGV DQG GHOLYHUHG WZR bespoke seminars with great materials which have helped us better understand the importance of Social Media to our business. Crowd are very knowledgeable in this subject area and are excellent trainers. Simon Le Tocq, GTA University Centre
CROWD TRAINING ACADEMY www.crowdtraining.me | +44 (0)1481 721632
crowd
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Voting boxes and nomination forms can be found at the following: Vale Barras Car Centre St Sampson’s Island FM Ray & Scott Jewellers St Peter Port The Chamber of Commerce SURE Bijoux Hair Market Bistro Moores Hotel Creaseys HSBC Sir Charles Frossard House Guernsey Post B&Q Waitrose St Martin’s St Martins Tyre Co. Jacksons The Bella Luce Hotel Forest Guernsey Airport
make every interaction count, even the small ones. they are all relevant - shep hyken 20
[The Livingroom Customer Service Awards]
2014 GUERNSEY the 2014 Guernsey livinGroom customer service awards are taking place now From Thursday 1 May until Friday 13 June, members of the Guernsey public can nominate an individual or team who have given exceptional customer service
the cateGories are: * Aspiring star - someone young, maybe a part-time weekend worker, or new in a job who has already shown great promise. * Self-employed person * Employee of a small business (2-10 staff) * Employee of a medium business (11-50 staff) * Employee of a large business (51+ staff) * Best team * Best overall customer experience (regardless of how many people dealt with the enquiry) * Humble volunteer (person who is a carer or volunteers for charity outside of work) * States worker (doctor, policeman etc)
From the above, an OVERALL winner will be crowned as Guernsey’s Best in Customer Service for 2014.
Voting will b e online, by text, or via c ompletion o fa nomination form availab le across the is land. Follow ing the voting perio d a shortlist w ill be drawn for e ach of the d iff e rent categories a nd overall w inners will be anno unced at th e awards pre sentation, h o sted by Island FM’s James Ben tl e y. Everyone is welcome to a ttend the presenta tion which is a public even t and will ta ke place in Ma rket Square on Thursday 3 July at 17.3 0.
Further details about the awards can be found at... www.thecustomerserviceawards.com Follow us on Twitter @TheCustSerAward Facebook www.facebook.com/ TheCustomerServiceAwards Listen regularly to Island FM
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[Market Square]
A place for all seasons by Sonia Taylor
[Market Buildings Bailiwick Estates Ltd]
T
he historic and beautiful Market Buildings in the heart of St Peter Port have undergone radical transformation over recent years. Whilst we all remember the days of the traditional fresh food markets, many, including the Town Market Place, ceased to serve the way the public wanted to shop. Changes in consumer habits, particularly fresh food items, have meant that the traditional market has had to be reinvented, to serve customers who are time-poor and have high expectations when it comes to sourcing ingredients. We recognise that whilst a full-time market isn’t sustainable today, bringing an element of this back to our town is, which is why we introduced Fresh Friday back to the market place two years ago. Every Friday, between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm, you will find delicious local and home grown/farmed produce, sold by the producers themselves, who are always willing to inform and educate about the health and economic benefits of buying local and share recipes. Local fruit and vegetables, herbs, honey, chutney, jams, bread and cakes, eggs, fish and meat jostle alongside food stalls serving delicious alternatives to the traditional lunch in St Peter Port. Thai cuisine, wood-fired fresh pizzas, bean jar, Chinese food and goulash fill the square with delicious smells and, along with the fresh produce, really do bring the market experience back to town.
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website www.marketplaceguernsey.co.uk
this passion and dedication is what keeps our community strong, and makes guernsey a great place to live and to visit... It’s been a great hit with local shoppers, those who work in town looking for something different on a Friday lunchtime, and of course visitors to the island, including the increased interest from cruise ship passengers in recent years. Musicians are also frequent visitors during the lunch hours adding to the atmosphere and the enjoyment of those choosing to dine at the seated al fresco areas served by the cafes in the market place. Our Saturday craft markets have been a big hit, and have showcased an array of local talent. This has been a great way to support smaller retailers, alongside larger retail brands, and offers the public a greater choice when it comes to buying. This has been particularly popular during holiday times over the Christmas period, coupling traditional late night shopping with seasonal market offerings. The revitalised market place and square are now an ideal venue to host community events. The inner street has played host to wedding receptions, corporate dinners, artist’s exhibitions and product launches. The light and airy facility is also an attractive inclement weather area too. Everything from private catering to security can be arranged as part of a private event and we’ve had some great feedback from those that have used it to date.
There are some other, much loved local events that are regularly hosted in the market place. The infamous Pink Ladies Walk ends here with a great party and live performances and sees the entire market buildings bathed in pink light, the Guernsey World Aid Walk, and of course during Town Carnival week the square hosts Punch and Judy, local musicians and performers and you’re bound to get a glimpse of the naughty clowns! In recent years, we have been delighted to have played host to the fantastic Customer Service Awards, which shine a spotlight on those businesses and staff that go out of their way to bring locals and visitors a genuine customer experience. This passion and dedication is what keeps our community strong, and makes Guernsey a great place to live and to visit. We feel this is a vital element in ensuring that our town centre remains buoyant and attractive, especially in challenging economic times. We are thrilled to be a sponsor for the 2014 Livingroom Customer Service Awards, and can’t wait to support so many deserving local organisations.
To find out more about the events and initiatives mentioned go to... www.marketplaceguernsey.co.uk Follow us on Twitter @guernsey_market Facebook www.facebook.com/ marketbuildings
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[CBS 4 Star]
‘
‘
by Claire Bosq-Scott
Do what you do best and let the eXperts do the rest...
T
here is a fundamental change in what our customers are looking for nowadays. The competition locally and off-shore is higher than ever, and to distinguish itself, a small business needs to stand out from the crowd. It needs to be constantly looking at the best ways to provide its products and services. But when you are a small business or a sole trader, there are only so many hours in the day to provide excellent service, look for new products, train your staff, update your website, sell your products and as you all know the ‘to do’ list is endless… This amount of work for a one-man-band or a very small team can put a lot of pressure on the service delivery and the day-to-day running of the operations. Performance pressures due to economic uncertainty are leading companies to concentrate on their core competencies, so outsourcing could be the solution to let you do what you do best and let specialist skilled professionals do the rest. But what is outsourcing? Outsourcing is the process of delegating a company’s business process to third parties or external agencies, leveraging benefits ranging from low cost labour, improved quality to product and service innovation. Customer service outsourcing has gained immense importance in recent times. Companies also realise the importance of enhancing the customer service experience
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Collaboration It’s a powerful thing. COPY WRITING MEDIA CONSULTANTS ADVERTISING MARKETING CAMPAIGNS SALES CAMPAIGNS EVENT ORGANISATION
what is outsourcing? at every touch point in order to remain relevant, build lasting relationships with consumers, increase customer loyalty and develop brand advocates.
PROUD PUBLISHERS OF CONTACT AND CUSTOMER 1ST MAGAZINES FOUNDERS AND ORGANISERS OF THE ANNUAL JERSEY AND GUERNSEY CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARDS FOUNDERS OF THE GUERNSEY RISE AND SHINE BREAKFAST NETWORKING EVENTS
O1481 715222 collaboratecommunications.com
communications
By outsourcing customer services functions, a company can ensure that such services are handled effectively and professionally without having to pay for training for new employees, as well as their wages. Money is saved and often customer satisfaction greatly improved, boosting sales and consequently profits. One disadvantage to outsourcing is that you are putting part of your company in someone else’s hands. You have to ask yourself if you can trust them, if you think they’ll be able to follow the company’s vision and if they can adapt to your growing and changing needs. If you are positive you can trust that company and that together you can be more efficient, then outsourcing is your gateway to success.
one disadvantaGe to outsourcinG is that you are putting part of your company in someone else’s hands
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[CISA]
The Transformation Challenge: putting the customer first
by Susie Andrade
[Channel Islands Skills Academy]
In Identify a customer dissatisfaction gap early
one sense, the transformation challenge facing all local service organisations is essentially the same; to do more with less. Public, private and third sector organisations alike all the continually need to meet their customer expectations but with less resource. The ‘transformation agenda’ for many organisations includes a complete appraisal of what they are currently doing, versus, what they should be doing. Identifying a customer dissatisfaction gap early and proactively aiming to close it can often lead to continued loyalty and repeat spending from customers. A look at the public sector … Reforms in the public sector aimed at improving service delivery have received considerable focus over recent years. Driving this focus is an increased demand for government to find ways of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its service delivery. Delivering on these demands is prompting governments to adopt citizencentric service delivery models which can significantly improve the customer experience, by delivering outcomes based on citizens’ needs, expectations and preferences, in addition to outcomes through enhanced service levels at the same or reduced cost. A number of key driving forces exist on government agenda to address the issues of public service delivery: 1) Greater citizen awareness and expectations: Citizens today are more aware of their rights to access information about public services and have higher expectations of service levels and service experience. Consequently, people are increasingly demanding the same levels of service delivery they are accustomed to in the private sector namely ‘make it easy for me’, ‘give me choice’, ‘deliver me outcomes’. 2) Budgetary constraints: tighter budgets and the need for value for money in return for taxes paid.
26
capability, an excellent returns procedure and efficient customer service team. This is one of the best examples of how to get it right. The transformation agenda has been realised and will now need to be maintained.
We are here to help
Please contact the team at enquiries@cisa.gg for further information. CISA are the exclusive providers of the Institute of Customer Service Programmes across the Channel Islands; the hallmark of customer service excellence.
Due to the pressure to fight for funding, many often get lost on the journey
A look at the third sector … The Third Sector is slowly starting to realise that the commercial reality of the world in which we all operate is changing. Times are tougher. Funding is harder to obtain and sustainable funding is something of a distant memory. The result is that some charitable or not-for-profit organisations find themselves pulling in several directions, which can give the impression that the body exists to raise funds, and not to pursue its chosen goals and serve its beneficiaries; its customers. More more and more third sector organisations are discovering the only way to survive is to move toward developing a strategy that remains absolutely focused on their customer(s). If this is developed and executed, success will follow. Due to the pressure to fight for funding, many often get lost on the journey and deliver a much lower level of success than expected which is leading to many closing or merging with other bodies. Conclusion Regardless in which sector you operate, the transformation agenda must feature to enable you and your organisation to reap the benefits of continued, sustainable success. Keep a firm eye on who your customers are and appraise regularly if what you are delivering is meeting their needs and expectations. Do not be afraid of change; indeed, it is the one permanent ingredient we can all rely upon featuring in any future activity.
3) Global competition: public sector efficiency is regarded as a key factor in evaluating investment decisions, hence global competition for investments as a means for economic growth is also driving the agenda for public service delivery. Fundamental to the public sector’s response to these change drivers is the need for government to evaluate its role as a ‘policy maker’, a ‘regulator’ and a ‘provider’ of public services. Greater clarity over each of these roles will help pave the way to public sector service transformation. A look at the private sector … A current day example of a private sector organisation that appears to have mastered the art of quality customercentric delivery is the John Lewis Group. This year saw 91,000 employees receiving a bonus that is equivalent to almost 8 weeks’ pay as a result of excellent performance for 2013. This was fundamentally due to the organisation’s ability to respond to the various wants and needs of its growing customer base in a professional and prompt manner. Having invested significantly in its online shopping
Keep a firm eye on who your customers are and appraise regularly if what you are delivering is meeting their needs and expectations
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[Sure]
Sure puts the customer first [Sure]
by Charlotte Dunsterville
[
[
Customer Experience Director for Sure, Charlotte Dunsterville, reflects on a year in her role and the importance of customer service to the business and Guernsey as a whole. Charlotte also explains how she personally values customer service and what she will be looking for as a judge on this year’s Livingroom Customer Service Awards panel.
My
arrival in April last year underlined the renewed focus that Sure has put on customer experience, because it meant that the customer was now being represented at board level. This has been important for both our customers and all those who deal with customers daily, as they can now share their experiences and change the way we interact with people on a day-to-day basis. In addition to the strong operational focus in the team I also brought a strategic focus to the department by adding customer insight, journey and communication experts to the team, to understand fully the current customer experience with Sure and review how we can optimise and improve this.
www.sure.com 28
It has been a year of learning and listening to our customers as well as those who work in the team to ensure we focus on getting things right along all parts of the customer journey. I have concentrated on those people who talk to our customers every day as they are the ones who make a massive difference to how Sure is perceived. Along with listening to others I have also formulated some opinions and ideas on how we can make things better, drawing on my previous experience in this area, and as a result I have made some fundamental changes. For example we have changed some of the working hours so that there are more people to answer calls at peak times, we have got as many engineers out on the road as possible to speed up installations and fault fixing and we have multi-skilled key teams so that more of our people can deal with common issues and questions from our customers. Seeing ideas and suggestions turned
If disaster strikes… around so quickly has empowered and invigorated our customer-facing staff and this in turn serves to enhance the customer experience.
I am delighted to be a judge in the forthcoming Livingroom
Our customers, like our staff, want to be listened to and kept informed. One of the big projects launched last year was a fault ticket system in September. It is an internal tool which means that we have more visibility of what is happening with orders and faults and therefore we can keep our customers more informed about progress. Everything takes a while to start making a difference but initial customer feedback is showing a marked improvement in the experience and we envisage this to improve as the new approaches ‘bed in’.
beyond what the customers’ expectations are in what they can deliver.
…how long could your business Customer Service Awards and will be specifically looking for those individuals and organisations which offer afford to be out of action? personalised service to customers and go above and
On a personal level, I love living in Guernsey, island communities area unique An hour, a day, week? and from a customer perspective it means people expect a more personalised service and inIfreturn are very loyalabout to brands thatwould do this you are concerned what you dowell. in theWe event of your aim to treat every customer individually and make sure premises being inaccessible, but don’t want the hassle or expense that we handle their query in the best way for them. We of running your own Business Continuity site, we can help. will be launching a new website soon which will have a customised page listing common questions and there Sure International a full disaster recoverythat services, will also be a facilityoffers to log andrange trackoffaults, meaning which includes suitesmore your information business could to at a moment’s customers will have at relocate their fingertips notice conveniently totally secure with A resilient data and we -can deal withlocated, more complex issuesand faster. and voice connectivity. great customer experience is about keeping customers informed and in control as well as giving a customer the right immediately fixingthe anworst issue,happens, so that talk is why For answer ultimateor peace of mind when to us. we call it a ‘journey’. Contact us at business@sure.com In my own experience, I find that excellent customer service is when a company understands my needs without having to be told and can talk about a tailor-made solution for me instead of a one size fits all approach. I also like it when staff are empowered to go above and beyond what is expected, to give me what I need. I have banked with First Direct for many years and always had friendly and efficient service from them. Locally, I like shopping in smaller shops that are able to offer a friendly and personal service, places like Forest Stores and the boutiques in St Peter Port.
in my own eXperience, i find that eXcellent customer service is when a company understands my needs without having to be told www.sure.com
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If disaster strikes… …how long could your business afford to be out of action?
An hour, a day, a week? If you are concerned about what you would do in the event of your premises being inaccessible, but don’t want the hassle or expense of running your own Business Continuity site, we can help. Sure International offers a full range of disaster recovery services, which includes suites your business could relocate to at a moment’s notice - conveniently located, totally secure and with resilient data and voice connectivity. For ultimate peace of mind when the worst happens, talk to us. Contact us at business@sure.com
www.sure.com
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CUSTOMER SERVICE IS THE NEW MARKETING; A VITAL BUSINESS INVESTMENT. If your organisation needs assistance with mystery shopping, customer service enhancement programmes or the re-engineering of a customer centric culture, then we can help. Our extensive experience in delivering results orientated programmes across the Channel Islands has consistently demonstrated a positive return on investment. To find out how we can help your business, contact the team. Proud to be the exclusive provider of Institute of Customer Service programmes across the Channel Islands.
CHANNEL ISLANDS SKILLS ACADEMY, PO BOX 489, ST PETER PORT, GUERNSEY, GY1 6BS
To find out more about programme please contact the team at
www.cisa.gg enquiries@cisa.gg +44 (0)1481 244904