Industry report Lindsay Sawers

INDUSTRY PLACEMENT

EPR OT LINDSAYSAWERS

BA FASHION STUDIES

REPORT WORD COUNT: 2,502 https://lindsaysawers.wordpress.com

The Biscuit Factory, Tower Bridge: TRULY Experiences Headquarters

CO NTEN TS

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PLACEMENT REPORT A report based on my findings and my experiences from my placement; Is it possible to creative service with a smile through a screen?

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S.W.O.T ANALYSIS A analysis based on TRULY Experieces in which their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are covered.

JOB ROLE FORECAST A summary of my Job Role at the company TRULY, looking into how my participation effected the businesses growth.

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PERSONAL FORECAST Looking into my own development whilst working in industry and my ideas for future careers in the fashion industry.

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INDUSTRY INTERVIEW A question and answer interview with the brand’s Client and Operations Manger, Lucy Southern.

PRESENTATION PLAN The beginning stages of my presentation based on my experiences working in industry and what I have

RECOMMENDATION A letter of recommendation from my manager at TRULY Experiences & my personal customer feedback.

CURRICULUM VITAE My CV: An edited version of my CV, specified for roles within fashion communication: PR, writing or buying.

LEARNING AGREEMENT A personalised description of the Design Enterprise & Innovation Unit, covering Synopsis of Study, Learning Outcomes & aims.

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ARTS UNIVERSITY BOURNEMOUTH Learning Agreement

Name: Lindsay Sawers Course: BA (Hons) Fashion Level: 5 Unit: Design Enterprise & Innovation Unit Code: FSC556 Credit points: 40 Study hours: 400 hours Tutor: Karen Ryan Synopsis of study Within this unit I intend to engage in a 3-month placement, which will allow me put all of my existing skills into practice as well as gaining valuable experience within the work place. I will use all of the resources available to me to make full use of this experience, such as interacting with customers, learning how to work in a fast moving business and interviewing my manager and work colleagues about the company in which I am interning. This term will allow me to explore future careers and assist me in focusing my future studies, demonstrating some of the many skills that are available within the fashion-working world.

My 3-month placement will be the perfect platform to network.

I intend to document my work at the company I am interning at as my proposed vehicle for assessment. I will update my blog weekly with information on the business and related topics. As well as a weekly blog, I will put together a 2,000-word report, which is based on my time in industry. I will decide on the topic of the 2,000-words after I have gained enough information about the company and social and economic values surrounding it. My weekly blog posts will act as research to complete my report, and document my experiences in the industry. I will chose a topic that I have found interesting within my internship and focus on it within my report to be handed in as my vehicle for assessment.

My work will be relevant and up to date, focusing on an on-trend topic that links to the fashion world. My 3-month internship will help me to understand where my strengths lie in the role that I am partaking in as well as making me more employable to future companies.

This will help me consider my future by developing skills I lack and becoming aware of areas I am most interested in. Documenting my time in the industry will allow me to track my progress by comparing and contrasting my attitude and success in the work place from beginning to end.

Throughout this unit my own personal skills will be challenged and improved: the job will help me to focus on my organization and perseverance, I will not be able to let the company I am working for down and will take responsibility for my own work. Independence will be a main factor during the placement. All of these qualities are crucial within the working world.

AIMS A1 I will further develop the creative, intellectual and practical applications of my specialist study to the appropriate level.

I will demonstrate an understanding of historical, cultural, professional

A2 and contextual framework, which inform my work.

I will be introduced to the career and future study possibilities relevant to A3 my subject interests through the promotion of self-evaluation and review as an essential part of my personal and professional development.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Develop my existing skills and acquire new competences evidenced LO1 through a comprehensive body of work that will enable me to assume significant responsibility within organizations.

Demonstrate my ability to apply underlying concepts and principles in

LO2 relation to my specialist practice.

I will demonstrate the qualities and transferable skills necessary for LO3 employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and decisionmaking.

ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS For my assessment I will produce a weekly blog, documenting my progress and learning whilst working in the industry along side a 2,000-word report on a subject that reflects my time throughout my placement. These will both monitor my learning and my professional improvements, concluding in a self evaluation to be written nearing the end of the 3-months.

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REFERENCE A detailed bibliography using the Harvard System featuring all the publications and websites used to put together my industry report.

ACTION PLAN/ TIME PLAN

I will structure the work for my assessment requirements equally throughout my industry placement. I will work to publish a weekly blog post, either summing up my week at work or focusing on a specific work related topic. Throughout my blog posts the information I am documenting will help me to structure my industry report, my blog posts will help to chose an topic to focus my report on. Entering the last month of my placement, I will be able to compare and contrast all the information I have gathered and spend time writing my report.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO CREATE SERVICE WITH AN ‘ONLINE’ SMILE?

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n a retail world that has very quickly shifted from bricks and mortar and shop assistants in oversized uniforms to the faceless website purchase and next day delivery, have we managed to leave behind the understated ‘service with a smile’? The double baggers? The shop assistants who go the extra mile and who live and breathe the saying ‘the customer is always right’? Our current society thrives on the ability to buy everything and anything at the click of a button- but how can online businesses create 5* customer service without any human interaction?

service, they don’t appear to ‘walk the walk’ quite like the traditional and trusted department stores.

Many UK organizations are well known for their outstanding customer service. In September 2014 the Telegraph published the ‘Which? Annual Customer Service Poll which highlighted only two fashion-based companies held top ten positions for customer services. John Lewis was rated at number 3 supporting their website claim that ‘The Partnership aims to deal honestly with its customers and secure their loyalty and trust by providing outstanding choice, value and service.’ M&S followed at number 9, with Debenhams just falling short of the top 10.

It would appear that, although many well known high-street brand claim outstanding customer

Above: The people behind the magic at ‘Inside Claridges’.

The public’s love for traditional 5* customer services has been captured recently by a number of fly on the wall TV documentaries. Focusing on the extreme, the 2012 BBC documentary series ‘Inside Claridges’ demonstrates how the infamous hotel amaze their clients with incredulous over the top service, remodeling an entire floor of the hotel to suit the cultural needs of an Arabic princess.

This excessive attention to detail is recognized Customer service is key before, during and after as being part of the Claridge’s brand image. the purchase of a product. Customer satisfaction builds trust, delivers expectations and is the building bricks that begin a long-term relationship between the customer and the supplier. Most companies will measure the service they provide to their customers using Key Performance Indicators which relate to the acquisition of new customers, retention of existing customers and the efficiency with which they deliver this. The delivery of 5* customer service requires the employee interacting with the customer to evaluate the customer’s personality and mood and empathise with their situation successfully.

‘Michel Roux’s Service’, aired in 2011, watches as eight young people train as front of house staff.

Restaurateur Michel Roux demonstrates to the public how he believes that the workers dealing with the customers are more important than the chef themselves and trains the youngsters to provide top customer service through discipline and confidence.

In 1997 in the UK alone, online shopping totalled 100 million pounds, a figure that exploded in the

the .com boom era in the early millennium. After hitting 100 billion in 2014 online spending is expected to rise at least 16% per annum going forward. As websites becoming more slick and technology develops, allowing purchases to be made via a smart phone; payments to be made via Paypal, click and collect delivery to your local store; there seems no end to the potential for online growth. Any company that took the original risk of becoming omni channel and invested in both a store and an online presence will currently be reaping the rewards.

TOTAL ONLINE SPENDING

customer services? Product selection, payment and delivery are all key elements of the on line purchase, and as the purchase has not been previously viewed the increased level of product returns needs to be addressed. These are all areas in which the online company needs to excel.

For an online business to attract sales, the website must be effective and easy to use, a purchase being made quickly and effortlessly.

Amazon’s innovative One-Click Purchase is online shopping at its easiest, simply find your product, one tap and the product is on its way to your door. Payment after the item is selected must make the customer feel safe to divulge their card details, with no unexpected charges being added and credit card details being protected. The delivery of an online purchase will require a commitment to a delivery time-scale. The agreement of a location for delivery or collection and that the product delivered is the product expected and in undamaged by the transit.

But what if the purchase cycle breaks down, the website won’t accept your order, your credit card is charged twice, your purchase doesn’t arrive on time or the dress you ordered is too big? How can the on line business deal with these issues? If you make your purchase in a shop, you can return to the shop and someone will deal with the problem then and there.

However online this is not quite that simple.

Above: The growth of online spending.

There are many ways that an online company can ensure that the initial purchase experience Since the online shopping boom many is a good one and but if it goes wrong methods companies have started businesses which are for putting it right often seem impersonal. solely online. Some of the most popular ‘high street’ clothing companies at present have Everyone understands the torturous sound adopted this tactic, Boohoo.com, Missguided of awful classical music whilst waiting for and Asos have no concrete presence on the who knows how long to be put through to high street. While these companies benefit customer support and how aggravating it from a massive reduction in overheads, do is to wait 2 weeks for a response to your online businesses sacrifice the ‘service with a original email alerting the company to your smile’ that typifies traditional customer service? problem. Response time is everything when dealing with customer problems. The whole How can an online companies deliver 5* process of the return or complaint is made

Above: One of TRULY Experiences specific once in a lifetime experiences: TREETOP PENTHOUSE: ROMANTIC SOUTH AFRICAN GETAWAY FOR TWO WITH SAFARI TREK. Retailing on their website www.trulyexperiences.com at £4,000.

far smoother if you trust that the company will take your call and will respond to your emails efficiently. As the customer, we ARE always right and any company that cannot wrap their head around this is not a company we are interested in purchasing from. We expect our concerns to be dealt with in a serious way, with purchasing online comes the risk that our complaint email may fall into the cyberspace black hole of unresolved customer complaints never to re-emerge.

During the last two months I have been interning at TRULY Experiences, an online business who purvey and design extraordinary experiences for ‘the person who has everything’.

They deals in luxury; 5* hotels, Michelin star restaurant, your own personal concierge and promises experiences that you will remember forever, an

alternative to a gift that will gather dust on a shelf. TRULY’s company values are humility, constant improvement and top class service. I have enjoyed a front row seat watching the team in action delivering 5* customer services at all points in the on line purchase cycle, product selection, payment, delivery but most interestingly their approach to dealing with issues and complaints and how they motivate their staff to deliver this.

TRULY Experiences work with over 900 suppliers, based mainly in London but they have a growing presence in Toronto and New York.

The company began in March 2013 and the business is 100% online, allowing the customer to purchase an experience on the website and then call up nearer the time to redeem and book in with the concierge team. The price bracket for an

an experience begins at £50 for a gin tasting for two and ceilings at £380,000 for a 12 hour near space odyssey balloon ride.

The company makes their money from commission on each experience they sell.

My role has been as a client operations intern.

The concierge team is a small department whose job it is to provide 5* service to every customer that purchases an experience or makes an enquiry. My responsibilities allow me to show my personality through liaising with clients and give me a huge range of creative scope, putting together bespoke ideas. The customer may simply tell you their budget, pick a destination and leave the rest up to you, allowing me to create a bespoke luxury itinerary for each client. Working at TRULY has made me aware of the audience that the luxury experience attracts and also the expected level of customer service that comes with a high price tag. TRULY will, regardless of the cost, ensure that every customer goes away satisfied. I have been lucky enough to be offered a graduate job commencing in June 2016 and my internship has been extended throughout the summer.

Above: www.trulyexperiences.com front page.

When it comes to their choice of products TRULY only supply the very best product from the very best supplier. Suppliers who do not live up to their expected levels of service will no longer feature. Customer feedback is taken seriously and acted upon in this respect.

CEO, Jack Huang expresses that ‘Not only do we need to exceed the customer’s expectations, but to amaze them!’ Their delivery policy demonstrates this. Delivery commitment on their website is for a 2-3 working day turnaround for a packaged gift box but their internal targets are to deliver within 24 hours. Added to this, gifts are boxed, wrapped and scented luxuriously (see below) In attempting to address the question ‘Is it Certificates can be delivered instantly on possible to create service with an ‘online’ line if requested, so no need to worry that smile? I have drawn on some of the outstanding their delivery does not turn up. It is small aspects of the 5* customer service that I have touches such as these that ensure that most witnessed being delivered during my placement. of TRULY’s customers return to the company.

The website, www.trulyexperiences.com, is easy to use and navigate and product selection is made simple. The visuals reflect the high quality of the products illustrated and customers can select and pay with ease or request a personalised call at a time to meet their needs to discuss their requirements further. An additional live chat option, gives the customers a chance to ask questions quickly before they purchase. Every live chat is replied to with urgency and documented.

While manning the chat line I was often asked ‘Was I was a real person’, and was pleased to reply that I was!

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Not only do we need to exceed the customer’s expectations, but amaze them!

TRULY Experiences CEO, Jack Huang

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ut what makes TRULY Experience rank amongst the online businesses that delivery 5* Customer services is that from entering the website and making a purchase to going on their chosen experience, TRULY customers have a well trained concierge team at the end of an email or the phone from 9am to 10pm every day ensuring that absolutely every stage in the process runs like clockwise. The customer always has a personal contact to liaise with. The

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relevance of this is illustrated by Lucy Southern, Operation’s Manager at TRULY who explains that in relation to first response time ‘the industry average for 22 hours and ours here at TRULY is 15 minutes’. Other key parameters include confirmation of experience booking which is promised within 24 hours of initial contact; call answering time which has recently been improved to ensure calls will be answered 24 hours a day by outsourcing this to a third party outside normal working hours.

Wherever possible the client can expect to talk to their own concierge, ensuring continuity and a familiar voice. It is clear that the personal interaction is one that is highly valued by their customers and an element of service that TRULY ensure is well managed and delivered to an outstanding level.

Working on the concierge team requires fast thinking, effective problem solving. Ensuring the customers problems are solved to their satisfaction is at the discretion of their concierge, regardless of cost. For example a complimentary experience may be offered if the customer is not satisfied with the one they purchased, regardless of whether this was the fault of the supplier. The following scenario demonstrates their commitment to ensuring the customer is satisfied; A woman called upset that she was yet to receive her next day delivery gift that she was expecting.

After speaking to the courier service it was clear that they had made an error and that the gift would not arrive with her until the following day. TRULY went the extra mile to redeliver her gift which would reach her within the hour. They hired a bike service and her gift box and complimentary chocolates would be waiting for her, as promised, at the restaurant where she was going to dinner.

bottom of their booking confirmation email asking them to give anonymous feedback regarding the concierge staff member who has dealt with them (see bottom of the page) ; and by email a few days after they have been on their experience covering how helpful they found the staff, if they would recommend the company and how much they enjoyed the experience itself.

Above: Each customer is sent multiple feedback forms, this allows the company to improve their services.

By collecting a large amount of feedback, it is possible for the company to determine an average feedback score. Currently they score an amazing 98% excellent from their customers. All of the feedback they receive is highly appreciated as it points out issues that As well as measuring response parameters it the company can improve on and unlike a lot of is important to measure customer feedback. companies they act upon this. As an intern I was regularly made aware of the positive feedback I TRULY have a range of different feedback forms received from my clients, which was motivating to gather data from their clients regarding the and encouraging (see appended Personal service experience that they have had. There Customer Feedback). This meant that any areas are three opportunities for this throughout the where feedback was not positive were seen cycle; after purchased asking them about the as areas for improvement rather than criticism. ease of use of the website; attached to the

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y experience at TRULY leads me to believe that an online company can provide service with a smile, but it is clear that the most effective and understated area is the way in which the team interact with their customers. This was the essence of traditional customer services before the .com boom era. To achieve the outstanding ‘98%’ in their feedback questionnaires, TRULY’s key focus is on the personal interaction, the on line equivalent of ‘the double baggers’ or shop assistant who ‘goes the extra mile’. According to Lucy Southern you need to ‘allow your support team to really have a personality and speak from the heart and sound like a human being’. It would seem clear that the automation of communication, the impersonal email and the recorded messaging systems at the end of a phone call will fail to deliver ‘online service with a smile’. To deliver 5* service employees must have the strong interpersonal skills, whether they ‘talk’ in person, via email or on the phone. Their manner must be understanding, friendly and reassuring if they are to build trust, delivers expectations and lay the foundations for a long-term relationship between the customer and the supplier.

Different photographs taken from the TRULY website advertising a some of their experiences.

BIBLIOGRAPHY BBC (2007) Online retailing ‘surging ahead’. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6690397.stm (Accessed: 3 May 2015) BBC (2012) Inside Claridge’s - BBC Two. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pbjfs (Accessed: 3 April 2015) BBC (2011) Michel Roux’s Service - BBC Two. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xk47x (Accessed: 16 April 2015) Christie, S. (2014) The Telegraph- The 100 best and worst companies for customer service Ciotti, G. 10 Stories of Unforgettable Customer Service Online Shopping Boohoo Available at: http://www.boohoo.com (Accessed: 16 May 2015) Customer service (2015) in Wikipedia. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_service (Accessed: 10 April 2015) Griebeler, J. (2012) Customer Experience (CX) Metrics and Key Performance Indicators John Lewis Partnership- Our Customers Available at: http://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/csr/ourcustomers.html (Accessed: 16 May 2015) Rigby, C. Double-digit ecommerce growth keeps UK retail sales positive in January: BRC. Available at: http:// internetretailing.net/2015/02/double-digit-ecommerce-growth-keeps-uk-retail-sales-positive-in-januarybrc/ (Accessed: 22 April 2015) Ryan, H. (2015) Online shopping growth beats physical stores Shop women’s fashion & men’s clothing | Free Delivery & Returns (no date) Available at: http://www.asos. com/ (Accessed: 23 April 2015) TRULY - Extraordinary experiences that last a lifetime Available at: http://trulyexperiences.com/ (Accessed: 13 March 2015) What is customer service? Available at: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/first-direct/using-customer-serviceto-position-a-business/what-is-customer-service.html#axzz3YvL9R1qm (Accessed: 12 April 2015) Women’s Clothing - Shop Ladies Fashion Online Available at: https://www.missguided.co.uk/ (Accessed: 1 May 2015)

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

- The company advertises and sells a range of one off experiences that are unique. This shows that there is a gap in the market for a company like TRULY and will attract the public with their new and fresh ideas.

- Even thought the company is working with over 900 suppliers, the experiences’ are mainly based in London, to expand the business further they will need to expand to other areas of the UK and into the global market.

- Suppliers that work exclusively with TRULY. As difficult as it is to hunt down suppliers to sign up for a new business, TRULY have also managed to sign many contracts stating that the supplier, at the moment this mainly applies to popular restaurants, will only work with TRULY and no other business outside their regular day-today services.

- The commission rates that TRULY are given vary from each experience. To allow the business to continue running and increase their profit margin, the brand should focus on working only with companies who will allow them a commission rate of 20%.

- 5* Customer service. Although it may be overlooked in many companies, the excellent feedback that TRULY receive demonstrates that many of their customers return to the site to purchase gifts again and again due to the outstanding level of customer service that is personalised to each client.

- Pop up shops. As the company is currently completely online, a fact that works perfectly for the products they are selling, the brand should look into creating pop up shops and stalls, more to gain awareness then sell products then and there.

- To focus more on the PR aspect of the company.

The company would benefit greatly from advertising in magazines as well as working with existing brands that already feature on their website to promote TRULY. - The brand will always have a large opportunity in expanding their experiences, for example adding in ski holidays to contrast with the safari experiences that they already have available.

- A lot of the employees’ time is going towards doing tasks that could be automated, if the company managed to automate these they would be able to reassign this time to more important jobs that would expand the business.

- The brands main competition is not within the same sector as TRULY. Virgin Experiences and Red Letter Days (both online experience companies) experiences which are in a lower price bracket and do not have the luxury identity that TRULY does, however it would benefit the company to offer a higher number of lower price point experiences which will attract more people to the site .

- Being a new, start up business the company is still at high risk of losing money.

- Due to the companies current tight budget when it comes to employees, the staff at TRULY are expected to work very long hours for the amount they are paid. In order to keep the staff morale high, the company needs to figure out a way to hire more staff or tone down the workload or they will risk losing employees.

OPPORTUNITIES THREATS

TRULY Experience’s success is built on employing a small team of dedicated staff members who will work from 9am till 11pm without complaint. Everyone that I have worked with over the passed 2 months is incredibly determined and passionate about their job role and its contribution to making the company a success. A normal working day is from 9am-7pm.

JOB ROLE

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As an intern, I underestimated how much responsibility I would be given in such a short time frame. I was made to feel one of the team and my first 2 weeks of training focused on understanding the basic principles and operations underpinning the company. After that it was all about learning through doing. My job role required a perfectionist’s eye as each client’s requirements differed and involved a high attention to detail. For this reason during the early stages of my training it was easy to make mistakes but the team was supportive and helpful in their approach to rectifying them. I was made to feel as valuable as the long-term staff and was trusted to help with some of the major clients. The large workload was very hard to deal with initially as I didn’t feel as though I was on top of things and after a day in the office would leave with just as much work to do as I started with.

However after a few weeks, I learnt to delegate and priorities my workload, and by the end of a hard day’s work would be able to recognize my achievements and have clarity on the tasks for the next day.

The staff was all very helpful and friendly, from team members, right up to the owner. I had great faith that I would be supported and everyone would be willing to help at any time. I found out that this was partly related to the recruitment process where, following on from a trial day working on the office prior to appointment all the staff are asked if they felt the applicant was suitable and would fit in with the team. Offers of permanent and temporary position, including internships were only made if everyone was happy with the person. I felt they had all had a part in accepting me and this was reflected in their supporting attitude.

The role itself involves a great deal of networking and requires a high level of interpersonal skills. Liaising with suppliers, such as 5* hotels, Michelin star restaurants and luxury fashion brands, provided an opportunity to create contacts and build relationships with a wide number of suppliers. This is very important to the company who pride themselves in 5* customer services and, as they are so highly regarded in the luxury sector, I would feel confident letting potential employers know that I had worked for them as this could only be viewed favourably.

The company itself, although small at the moment, has expanded quickly, and projects continued growth through providing high end products which, as they are often bespoke to meet the client’s needs, fill a gap in a niche market. As a result of the unique personalisation of experiences, products are in high demand and the company can maximize prices.

Currently the company needs to recruit and retain hard working, committed staff who have bought into the long term future of the company. To meet the demands of the company’s growth the workload is extreme. The next stage of development for the concierge team is that the systems are enhanced to automate a wide range of the jobs that are currently carried out reactively by the staff e.g. sending automated responses to confirm initial receipt of enquiry; booking reminders to client the day before their experience; online visibility of suppliers calendars. Establishing these changes will allow the concierge team to focus more on personalising the buyer’s unique experience, fully utilising the skills which the company look for in recruiting individuals into this role. This will allow for growth without additional recruitment costs and retention of key staff with high skill levels.

TRULY is faster paced and more dynamic than any other environment that I have worked in previously.. In roles and internships that I have worked in before I ended the day feeling that I had achieved my goal. For example my daily goal at LOOK Magazine would be to ensure the fashion cupboard was organised at the end of the day, and I knew when this was achieved. However, at TRULY, as soon as one task is complete, another one is lined up ready for your undivided attention. I am thrilled with the amount of responsibility I have been given. I have been delegated my own clients, attended staff meetings which I have been encouraged to participate in, and have created bespoke experiences for clients, organising complete events to tight deadlines. I have loved every minute of my role, even the long hours and weekend shift did not put me off. My concerns that my working day may be repetitive and drag by couldn’t have been more wrong! Each day has been full of variety, social, creative and event management all rolled into one! The 10 hours I am in the office each day speed by. At no point throughout my internship have I felt like I have made the wrong choice or not want to be here.

My internship has clarified for me that I want to work in a job that allows me to use my social skills and be creative. Although TRULY was not completely fashion based, it allowed me to see the inner workings of a luxury company who liaise with the best of the best. I have also thoroughly enjoyed using my organisation skills to create small events for my clients, which combined with creativity have resulted in me arranging some very exciting packages which were commented on in my reference. My computer skills in the basic packages have also improved a great deal, in particular Excel and Word. Dealing with customers has helped me grow a thicker skin, originally if dealing with an upset customer I would have been daunted might have felt insulted. However as a result of my experiences during my internship I now view this as more of a challenge and try and see the situation from the customer’s point of view. I have more empathy and understanding of every aspect of customer service and feel a lot more confidence dealing with unhappy customers, putting my ideas forward with a view to finding a mutual solution to their problem.

TRULY are welcoming and friendly. Their trust and support allowed me to really feel like part of the team. I have thoroughly enjoyed the responsibility I have been delegated through the past 2 months along with the pressure that has come with this. I was delighted when I was offered an extended role at TRULY during the summer months and more delighted when they offered me a graduate position when I complete my degree next year. These offers mean so much more to me because I know they come not only from my employers but from my team members too.

I feel I have learnt a huge amount during my internship. Not only have I developed new skills e.g. in IT, built on existing skills such as customer services but I have learnt a lot about my future aspirations. I want to work with people, customer facing; use my creative skills and enjoyed organizing events. As such I would be delighted to take up the offer of a full time role at TRULY. However, combining what I have learnt on my internship with my passion for the fashion industry could lead me to look for a role in fashion event management or PR. Fortunately I do not need to make a decision now but have another year ahead of me to consider the types of roles in the fashion industry that fit the skills I have developed.

PERSONAL

I was apprehensive when I agreed to intern for TRULY Experiences. It was different to the PR job I had original been offered working for a vintage clothes company ‘Alice’s Pig’ and, even though I had attended a trial afternoon to see if I enjoyed the role, I was concerned that the job might become repetitive. I was completely wrong.

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Q&A

LUCY SOUTHERN

Interviewed by Lindsay Sawers TRULY EXPERIENCE’s Operations Manager Lucy Southern has worked at the company since it began. From a small organization, Lucy has witnessed the business expand and thrive. The luxury online store delivers customised high-end experience packages. With a degree in Psychology from Warwick University, she began her career working for Keynoir, an exclusive members lifestyle club where she flourished, rising from intern to editor. Lucy has also worked in copywriting and in marketing in several different companies. From its birth in March 2013, Lucy has been TRULY’s customer guru. I spoke to her regarding the 5* customer service that TRULY promises:

come first in our world and we “ Customers will not rest until everything is perfect for you.

TRULY pride themselves in providing 5* customer service. How do they deliver the level of customer service they aspire to?

So we have some very specific Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s), which measures how well we are doing at customer service.

We have first response time; so for example the industry average for first response time is 22 hours and ours here at TRULY is 15 minutes within office hours and 4 hours response time outside of office hours.

We also have things like 24 hours to confirm a booking, so if a client gets in touch and wants something resolved we aim to resolve it within the 24 hours. Also we like to know that 98%

of clients minimum rate us excellent, which is something that we achieve every month. So those are the different ways in which TRULY delivers, by ensuring we hit our KPI’s.

How do you build a relationship with your customers at TRULY? We like to think that if a client gets in touch they will be able to get in touch with the same person that dealt with them last time. So for example Heather (an

experienced client operator) might have

a few clients who will always deal with her.

Bella (another member of the team) might have a client who recommended her to a friend and then she would deal with the friend as well. A lot of the

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time our clients have a very personal experience with the team here at TRULY. How does TRULY compare with other companies providing high-end luxury services?

There are lots of different types of really amazing service in the high end and luxury industry. Some is very formal and discreet, lots of 5* hotels and concierge services are very polite and ‘only speak when they are spoken to’. But there is a growing trend for a very happy, chilled out, friendly customer service team as well. We try and do something in the middle.

Where we compare with our competitors- we like to have the same KPI’s and metrics met with

quick responses and 5* treatment but we like to think that compared to other very old school luxury brands that we are a bit more approachable and friendly.

Do do you think the way customers are treated affects how much they are willing to pay for a product?

Definitely! A lot of our experiences are very high end, high-ticket prices. Discerning customers won’t spend a lot of money at a company they don’t trust.

We find statistically if someone is going to spend over 500 pounds they won’t just purchase it online, they will pick up the phone because they want to speak to a human being.

the same thing but in everyone’s minds it is a different way of thinking about it. Instead of a call centre with employees that are bored and watching the clock we have people who hopefully care a lot more than your regular customer service operator. When other businesses would hire weekend staff that study during the week or do part time work for the company, we have people who really care about the customer.

How has the growth in the business changed the ways in which TRULY provides the way they treat their customers?

So TRULY has been around for 2 and a half to 3 years roughly. There was some changing right at the beginning.

Throughout it’s growth we have maintained the support at the same high level and have always been rated around 98% excellent; very high net promoter scores, higher than most companies.

But the way we have run it has been different, so we are optimizing for efficiency. Behind the scenes we are always changing the way we do things, as far as the customer is concerned the service level won’t change and are still outstanding.

What changes have you seen in the way that online businesses provide customer service?

I think it’s a trend now, almost all online e-commerce start-ups are boasting about their customer service. Every company is now saying that they provide the best service, whereas before you would have companies saying that they provide the quickest customer service, now the full front is always the customer service. I think how it has changed for online especially is people expect a lot more, so people want an immediate response, they want live chat etc.

I guess technology is getting better, before we didn’t have the features we have now.

What makes TRULY unique from other online businesses?

So unlike most other online businesses, TRULY does not have a customer service team we have a concierge team. Essential it does

What do online businesses need to do to provide their customers with an interaction that is personal to them?

A lot of the time when you deal with online, because you don’t have that interaction, person to person, face to face your service can come across as a bit formal and a bit aloof. However as long as your customer tone in your written communication is still super friendly and super nice you can still get it across. I think one of the problems would be written communications but as long as it’s not too scripted and as long as you allow your support team to really have a personality and speak from the heart and sound like a human being. I think that is the best way to do it.

What feedback do your customer service team receive?

The majority is very positive and we get a lot of very sweet, emotional

reactions to our support.

The negative stuff tends to be an error, things that are out of our control a lot of the time so our courier or our suppliers that we work with, restaurants etc. It may be out of our control but you can still definitely turn those people around by giving them good service afterwards.

How do you motivate your team to provide excellent customer service in an online environment?

We have recently starting asking clients for feedback for the specific individual who dealt with their enquiry. This way when we get feedback we always know whom the feedback is for.

We forward really nice comments back to the agent who dealt with the customer and I get the impression that is quite motivation because it’s like little compliments throughout the day. Even if you don’t see a smile a lot of the time you will receive a comment with a smiley face- that kind of thing.

It must be difficult to find the type of employee that can provide the service that TRULY aspires to?

Hiring is so difficult, it’s a challenge. It’s a very long process! So we start with a phone interview, potentially two phone interviews with different members of staff. Then we have people coming in for an interview and a trial afternoon. They will sit and meet the team

and meet the team and do some typical tasks that they would be doing as part of the role. We don’t give them very extreme complaints to deal with; we give them very day-to-day examples so that they can really show us what they have got. Like I said before, I don’t think you can just throw money at a problem, if you send freebies, people are bombarded with promotional stuff every day. Actually there is a Harvard Business review which is all about stop trying to delight your customers and just give them the service that they originally were expecting. As long as you do that, you’re happy, they’re happy, it’s not costing you a great deal just to provide a good service.

I understand you have three-point formula to sorting out customer complaints. What’s included in this?

The formula that we use: first of all you have to let them know that you have thoroughly investigated and report back to them with exactly what has happened so it really does look like someone has taken a lot of care to find out why and who said what. The next thing to address is how you are going to act as a result, the action taken, what you’re changing in the way that the processes work, whether you are going to remove that supplier off of the site for causing the trouble,

this demonstrates to the customer that they are being taken seriously and that you actually mean what you say. The third point is how you are going to make it up to them, it doesn’t have to be throwing money at them, it could just be sending something sweet like a hand written note or upgrading something slightly, complimentary glass of wine at their booking just as a little token gesture.

What do you think are the significant steps for TRULY in the future and how will this impact the customer service you offer?

As we scale we have to really optimize with efficiency. I know for a fact that when it is this difficult to hire really good staff because they just don’t grow on trees! They are very hard to recruit. So what we need to do is find a way of making the tasks they currently do more automated so we don’t have to hire as many staff as we grow. Everything that our amazing staff does on a day-to-day basis is really value adding, and the rest we can try and automate so that we don’t end up having to

“

hire sheer numbers for the sake of it.

Compared to other places you have worked how would you sum up what makes TRULY different?

I have worked for companies before where the customer service is not at the full front of everything they do, and it is here at TRULY. I’ve worked at a company where the head of operations unplugged the support line because it kept ringing too much and it was annoying him!

I know that there are companies that don’t care as much. They are never going to make their customers happy and therefore their staff is never going to be motivated; that is why I’m not there anymore.

I have worked for some companies as well that have had amazing customer service; it just makes your staff happier if your customers are happier! It really does trickle through the whole company, if you are leaving the office and you all know that you have made people happy and that you have done a good job, then everyone is happier and the business will be better overall.

I have worked for some companies that have had amazing customer service; it just makes your staff happier if your customers are happier! It really does trickle through the whole company, if you leave the office & you all know that you have made people happy & that you have done a good job, then everyone is happier & the business will be better overall.

”

LUCY SOUTHERN

The Harvard Business Review The Truth About Customer Experience Alex Rawson, Ewan Duncan, Conor Jones FROM THE SEPTEMBER 2013 ISSUE

https://hbr.org/2013/09/the-truth-about-customer-experience Companies have long emphasized touch points—the many critical moments when customers interact with the organization and its offerings on their way to purchase and after. But the narrow focus on maximizing satisfaction at those moments can create a distorted picture, suggesting that customers are happier with the company than they actually are. It also diverts attention from the bigger—and more important—picture: the customer’s end-to-end journey.

Think about a routine service event—say, a product query—from the point of view of both the company and the customer. The company may receive millions of phone calls about the product and must handle each one well. But if asked about the experience months after the fact, a customer would never describe such a call as simply a “product question.” Understanding the context of a call is key. A customer might have been trying to ensure uninterrupted service after moving, make sense of the renewal options at the end of a contract, or fix a nagging technical problem. A company that manages complete journeys would not only do its best with the individual transaction but also seek to understand the broader reasons for the call, address the root causes, and create feedback loops to continuously improve interactions upstream and downstream from the call.

In our research and consulting on customer journeys, we’ve found that organizations able to skillfully manage the entire experience reap enormous rewards: enhanced customer satisfaction, reduced churn, increased revenue, and greater employee satisfaction. They also discover more-effective ways to collaborate across functions and levels, a process that delivers gains throughout the company.

Consider a leading pay TV provider we worked with. Although it was among the best in the industry at managing churn, it faced a maturing market, heightened competition, and escalating costs to keep its best customers. Churn was a familiar problem, of course, and the typical reasons for it were well understood: Pricing spurred some customers to leave, while competitors’ technology or product bundles lured others away. The common ways to keep customers were also well known, but they were expensive, including such things as upgrade offers, discounted rate plans, and “save desks” to intercept defectors. So the executives looked to another lever—customer experience—to see if improvements there could reduce churn and build competitive advantage.

As they dug in, they discovered that the firm’s emphasis on perfecting touchpoints wasn’t enough. The company had long been disciplined about measuring customers’ satisfaction with each transaction involving the call centers, field services, and the website, and scores were consistently high. But focus groups revealed that many customers were unhappy with their overall interaction. Looking solely at individual transactions made it hard for the firm to identify where to direct improvement efforts, and the high levels of satisfaction on specific metrics made it hard to motivate employees to change.

As company leaders dug further, they uncovered the root of the problem. Most customers weren’t fed up with any one phone call, field visit, or other interaction—in fact, they didn’t much care about those singular touch points. What reduced satisfaction was something few companies manage—cumulative experiences across multiple touch points and in multiple channels over time.

Take new-customer on boarding, a journey that typically spans about three months and involves six or so phone calls, a home visit from a technician, and numerous web and mail exchanges. Each interaction with this provider had a high likelihood of going well. But in key customer segments, average satisfaction fell almost 40% over the course of the journey. It wasn’t the touch points that needed to be improved—it was the on boarding process as a whole. Most service encounters were positive in a narrow sense—employees resolved the issues at hand—but the underlying problems were avoidable, the fundamental causes went unaddressed, and the cumulative effect on the customer was decidedly negative.

Remedying matters would add significant value, but it wouldn’t be easy: The company needed a whole new way of managing its service operations in order to reinvent the customer journeys that mattered most.

PRESENTATION

plan

During my presentation, I wish to cover the main points of my report with the help of visual aids. Being able to speak directly to the viewer will bring my report to life and allow the audience to ask any questions that they have. I will incorporate images and video clips to draw the audience in.

TIME PLAN: SLIDE Introduction Summary of customer service ‘Inside Claridges’ clip Growth in online shopping TRULY Experiences: The brand TRULY: S.W.O.T Anaylsis TRULY website and suppliers TRULY packaging etc.

Feedback Question and answer

1 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 2

MINUTES DESIGNATED Minute Minute Minutes Minute Minute Minute Minute Minute Minute Minutes

START Questions & Answers

Customer service sum up

15

Conclusion Bridge between internet & shop customer service

Examples of 5* customer service Introduction to TRULY

Minutes

How TRULY deal with customers

TRULY SWOT

TRULY’s suppliers

INTRODUCTION + “I intend to

IS IT POSSIBLE TO CREATE SERVICE WITH AN ‘ONLINE’ SMILE?

consider whether or not online businesses can provide the same level of 5* customer service as faceto-face store contact with customers”

SUMMARY OF CUSTOMER SERVICE + History of customer service + Customer service works throughout

before, during and after the purchase

+ What can go wrong throughout the sale

+ The Telegraph’s ‘Which? Annual Customer Service Poll’s results

‘INSIDE CLARIDGES’ CLIP +

A brief introduction to the ‘Inside Claridges’ series

+

Play clip of the hotel manager discussing the importance of pleasing their guests

+

Discuss & show a clip of the series ‘Michel Roux’s Service’ comparatively

GROWTH IN ONLINE SHOPPING + When did online shopping take off?

+ Online sales are predicted to rise by 16% per annum

+ Websites are easier to use,

Paypal, click and collect and one click payment

TRULY EXPERIENCES: THE BRAND + TRULY’s bio +

Their 3 mission statements

+

The story behind the brand

+

How they make their money and what departments are needed to ensure the company profit

+

Competitors

TRULY: S.W.O.T ANALYSIS

TRULY WEBSITE AND SUPPLIERS + Website acceptability + Discuss live chat, concierge service and the 24 hour phone

+ Cover TRULY’s first response time compared to other businesses

+ Personal interaction with customers

+

Company strengths

+

Company weaknesses

+

Company opportunities

+

Company threats

TRULY PACKAGING ETC. + TRULY Packaging + Delivery options + How TRULY go above and beyond for their clients, use examples

FEEDBACK +

The importance of customer feedback within a business

+

TRULY’s feedback forms

+

Taking a customer seriously involves following through with complaints and feedback

FEEDBACK FORMS

QUESTION AND ANSWER + Conclusion: Online customer

service still needs to be personal interaction to be 5*

+ Open up the chance to ask ANY QUESTIONS?

any following questions regarding the presentation and customer service

Truly Experiences Ltd Block K, Unit 102 Tower Bridge Business Complex London, SE16 4DG

Dear Employer, It is with pleasure that I recommend Lindsay as an exceptional employee.

Operationally she is well organised and efficient, and manages her work with excellent attention to detail. As a naturally creative individual, Lindsay was my first port of call for any bespoke client requests and I felt completely confident delegating tasks to her. Lindsay also displayed an incredible work ethic, so every task was delivered on or before the deadline. Lindsay is no stranger to late nights in the office, and even holidays and illness do not stop her from getting the job done.

On a personal level, our clients and business partners adored Lindsay and in the short space of her internship, she had been singled out in feedback surveys more than any other associate at TRULY. In the office, her positive attitude has had an incredible effect on motivating the rest of her team.

No one in the company has a bad word to say about Lindsay. We are devastated to be saying goodbye to such a bright candidate, and I have no doubt that she will be an asset to any team.

Lucy Southern Head of Operations e: lucy.southern@givetruly.com p: +44 (0)203 086 7698

PERSONAL CUSTOMER FEEDBACK A selection of my own personal customer feedback received whilst at TRULY Experiences.

“

Lindsay was very professional, courteous and friendly. She was also very prompt in her email communications.

She went above and beyond. If I needed an employee, I would hire Lindsay based on my experience. We are very pleased with all her efforts and the outcome. Many special thanks to you Lindsay, and we will toast you when we celebrate our 40th anniversary.

Very helpful & polite lady!

Fast and accurate service. Very helpful concierge. Thank you very much!

Really friendly and professional throughout the booking of our trip.

Very polite and felt like I was being contacted by a friend rather than a company and that was really lovely! Thank you Lindsay!

Very helpful and understanding about the arrangements.

Lindsay listened to everything I said and delivered efficiently and in a totally charming and professional way excellent.

Lindsay was so efficient in organizing our lunch booking. She showed genuine interest that it was a special present for my husband and me from our son. I had never heard of your company before so she told me lots about the different presents and agreed when you get to our stage and age (not that old!) what do you buy friends who really have everything they need. She offered to email me information. I shall definitely use your company in the future- she was great.

Fantastic telephone attitude and the whole booking was very prompt and no fuss.

Both Lindsay and Heather were helpful and responsive. I got the impression they both went the extra mile in their efforts to oblige me.

Phone and email manner were extremely personable and accomplished.

Lindsay was very fast, helpful, friendly and polite.

From start to finish we have found the service we have received from Lindsay and Bella exceptional. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you both and we look forward to our day at Kew!

�

LINDSAY SAWERS

ljsawers@aol.com 07969619969

Hurstleigh Court, Hurstwood Ascot, Berkshire, SL59SP DOB: 23/09/1993

SKILLS - Adobe Photoshop - Adobe Indesign - Adobe Illustrator - Microsoft Office

- Sewing Ability - Organising Fashion Shoots - Styling - Magazine Layout

ACHIEVEMENTS

Fashion Promotion Course Central St Martins

Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze

WORK EXERIENCE Mar ‘15 -current

TRULY Experiences: Customer Operations Intern

Sep ‘14

NEOLA Designs: Digital Marketing Intern

Providing support to prospective & existing clients, fulfilling client orders & curating bespoke gift packages & itineraries.

EDUCATION 2005-2010: Charters School

- 14 A*-C GCSE's A's in both Maths & English

2011-2013: East Berkshire College: Windsor Campus BTEC degree in: Retail & Design Merchandising

- A, A*, A* (Equivelent of an A & 2 A*s at A Level) 2013-Current: The Arts University Bournemouth BA Fashion Studies (Communication)

- Graduating June 2016

Manage Social Media Channels, create web content for new

Jun ‘14 Dress 2 Impress: Millinery Assistant -ongoing Finish off hats designs, take orders and creating new ideas.

Mar ‘14 LOOK Magazine: Fashion Intern

Manage the fashion cupboard, call-in samples, organise look books, fashion shoot research and assist on shoots.

Dec '12 Bentalls: Visual Merchandising Intern -May '13 Putting together in store and window displays.

References available on request

MY BUSINESS Flurried Ease: A beautiful range of handmade jewellery and headwear. Founded when I was 13, my target market due to location is ladies going to Royal Ascot. Currently I sell on Big Cartel and ASOS Marketplace: www.flurriedease.bigcartel.com

Flurried Ease photographed by Ruby Tindall

collections & create ideas for email marketing campaigns.