Customer Focus Wheel: The iESE way to improve customer service

The Customer Focus Wheel (CFW) is one of iESE's suite of complementary diagnostic tools which make up the iESE Model of Transformation, now widely used within the sector. The iESE Model of Transformation gives a diagnostic stage for each stage of transformation, giving practical steps to allow an organisation to take ownership of each stage. The three stages of the model are: Service, Customer and Community. The first diagnostic is the Efficiency and Effectiveness Wheel, the second is the CFW and the third is Community Focus.

The CFW is designed to see how customer focused an organisation is, identify the steps which will create greater customer focus and deliver savings alongside improvements. Since we are not a one-size-fits-all consultancy, the CFW can be used as a standalone piece of research or blended with other iESE tools, such as the Service Review and the Innovation Mandate, or as part of the complete iESE Model of Transformation.

Why engage the CFW? Without customers local authorities wouldn't exist. Yet, often, customer service is not as good as it could be, leading to wasted staff time, frustrated customers and damaged reputation.

Public sector organisations often do things a certain way because that's how they have always been done but the CFW gives a fresh perspective on customer service. Using both desk-based and on-the-ground research, the CFW works comprehensively through four quadrants which affect the customer experience: Customer Vision, Customer Insight Metrics, Customer Centric Processes, Customer Service Personality.

These four quadrants are thoroughly assessed using tried and trusted iESE tools, developed over more than a decade through our work with the public sector, and the evidence gathered is assessed by experienced iESE consultants with a background in the public sector before the results are fed back through a bespoke report.

Using our unique assessment wheel (see diagram in Transform magazine full edition) we are able to accurately measure performance for each quadrant of the wheel (each made up of four segments) to give a score which tells the organisation how well they are performing for that quadrant. The CFW also gives an overall score which shows how well the organisation is delivering customer service in general. We can also benchmark the score against anonymised data from other organisations we've worked with.

What are the benefits? Applying the changes suggested by iESE as a result of the Customer Focus Wheel can lead to improved service, reduced waste (processes and staff time) and boosted morale through staff being able to do their jobs better. A typical indicative saving by reducing failure demand - avoidable contact from customers - is often in the region of £200,000.

“From our experience to date I am absolutely sure we are going to see benefits and will achieve what we are setting out to do with iESE. iESE has really listened and taken on board the comments of the Chief Executive and our Leader and what they want to achieve.” Amy Wilton, Corporate Customer Services & Delivery Manager, Sevenoaks District Council

"The CFW allows us to give evidence-based recommendations. The proportion of failure demand is often around £200,000. This in indicative rather than guaranteed savings if the organisation addresses the root causes of failure demand." Dave Downes, Senior Consultant, iESE

Read more about the Customer Focus Wheel in the full edition of Transform magazine in the link below.