Customer Insight Summer 2020

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS AT INTERSERVE ALSO INSIDE… Latest UKCSI results How consumers create brand meaning Online communities How to walk the CX tightrope Economics in the age of COVID-19

TLF GEMS NEWSLETTER MONTHL CX INSIGHTS FROM MONTHLY RESEARCH TLF RESE

Our mon monthly newsletter shares our favourite Custome Customer Experience, Insight, and Service Design h highlights.

Sign up to receive our newsletter at www.tlfresearch.com/customer-insight-subscription

TLF GEMS PODCAST

A MONTHLY PODCAST FROM TLF RESEARCH ON CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND INSIGHT

If you’re reading this and you like podcasts, you should definitely check out the TLF Gems podcast. Each episode Stephen and Greg talk about a different topic related to Customer Experience research and insight.

Search “TLF Gems” in iTunes or subscribe directly using the feed http://feeds.feedburner.com/tlfgemspodcast

EDITORIAL

Foresight Let’s not mention the C word. In this summer

from page 28, reveal how customer satisfaction has

issue we’ve got a range of articles covering

evolved over the past tempestuous few months,

everything from B2B customer research, to

with fieldwork straddling lockdown.

techniques which will help you get more from your

With the current restrictions on face to face

qualitative work, and advice on getting the most

meetings, online qualitative research is looking

from your social media posts.

like an increasingly attractive option. Debs Binks

On page 6 Chris Barnham outlines his approach

from TLF Research makes the case (page 22) for

Stephen Hampshire

to “qualitative semiotics”, and explains that it

ad-hoc online communities as a qualitative tool

Editor

means that semiotics can be used as a practical

that is here to stay.

tool to understand how individual customers

In another insightful article (page 20) Andrew

develop their associations for brands. But

Davis reveals some of the secrets of the social

semiotics is not just useful in branding, and on

media algorithms that increasingly rule our lives.

page 12 I discuss how it might be applied to the

If you’re wondering whether an emoji or a like is

world of customer experience, to help you make

more valuable, and what you can do about it, then

sense of the ways in which customers form their

this is the piece for you.

attitudes.

Our book review this time (page 32) looks

Our case study from page 14 is a fascinating

at an analysis, which MIT Press produced with

interview with Iain Shorthose of Interserve,

astonishing speed, of the economic implications

looking at the challenges of conducting and using

of COVID-19. Particularly insightful is its

customer research in a B2B sector that can seem

consideration of the myth that public health and

highly commoditised. The reality, as Iain reveals,

the economy need to be traded off, and the idea of

is that it is anything but; and that relationships

the “testing economy”, which is what we’re all in

remain the key to long-term success.

the process of entering.

Many of you will know that the UKCSI from the

Enjoy the articles, and please drop us a line

Institute of Customer Service is the best indicator

if you’ve got an interesting story to share for a

we have for how well UK organisations are meeting

future issue.

the needs of their customers. The latest results,

ADVERTISING Marketing Manager Richard Crowther

Customer Insight is the magazine for people who want to deliver results to employees, customers and any other stakeholders as part of a coherent strategy to create value for shareholders. We publish serious articles designed to inform, stimulate debate and sometimes to provoke.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Creative Director Rob Ward

We aim to be thought leaders in the field of managing relationships with all stakeholder groups.

Designers Becka Crozier Jordan Gillespie Rob Egan

www.tlfresearch.com uk@leadershipfactor.com

CONTACTS

EDITORIAL Editor Stephen Hampshire

PRINTER AB Print Group Ltd

Customer Insight C/O TLF Research Taylor Hill Mill Huddersfield HD4 6JA

NB: Customer Insight does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in the articles by contributing writers and/or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form

or by any means without prior written consent of the publisher. © CUSTOMER INSIGHT 2020

ISSN 1749-088X

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 3

C O N T E N T S

06

CONTRIBUTORS

14

-

S U M M E R

How Consumers Create Brand Meaning Using “qualitative semiotics” to understand how individual brand associations form

2 0 2 0

12

Qualitative Semiotics for CX

Now, next, and later: Customer Relationships at Interserve Iain Shorthose explains how Interserve are using research to build stronger relationships with customers

Nigel Hill

Debs Binks

Stephen Hampshire

Wine-lover, Munroist and customer satisfaction guru

Talkative box set binger, coffee snob, and online qual guru

Conference speaker, book-lover and occasional climber

4 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

CONTENTS

GUEST FEATURE How Consumers Create Brand Meaning 06

20

Understanding Algorithms What are the social media giants looking for?

22

Online Communities & The Benefits of Engaging Digitally

26

How to Walk the Customer Experience Tightrope

29

UKCSI Summer 2020 How has the pandemic affected customer satisfaction in the UK?

32

Book Review: Economics in the Age of COVID-19

34

How Hard Can It Be? Customer service during the lockdown: the good, the bad and the ugly

RESEARCH Qualitative Semiotics for CX

12

CASE STUDY Now, next, and later: Customer Relationships at Interserve 14

DIGITAL Understanding Algorithms

20

RESEARCH Online Communities & The Benefits of Engaging Digitally

22

GUEST FEATURE How to Walk the Customer Experience Tightrope

26

RESEARCH UKCSI Summer 2020

29

BOOK REVIEW Book Review: Economics in the Age of COVID-19

32

HOW HARD CAN IT BE? Customer service during the lockdown: the good, the bad and the ugly

34

DESIGNERS

Published by

Becka Crozier

Jordan Gillespie

Rob Egan

Right brain mastermind, music enthusiast and have I told you I’m vegan?

Creative magus, genuine tyke and 20ft wave rider

Beer drinker, pixel pusher and dour Yorkshireman

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 5

G U E S T F E AT U R E

The marketing world has a peculiarly ineffective way of thinking about how consumers make meaning. This failure is particularly surprising because marketing, of all professions, believes it is in the very business of meaningmaking. To draw an analogy, the situation in the marketing profession is akin to the car industry making cars, but not being able to build an internal combustion engine.

Of course, as marketing professionals, we use meanings all the time and we assume, on this basis, that we are making meaning. But, in fact, all we are doing is assembling pre-formed meanings (in the form of words and images) in the service of the brands. This article will show how we are failing to address the central issue of meaning-making itself and the possible solutions to this problem.

We will do this in the company of the world’s first, and probably greatest, semiotician Charles Peirce. Writing in the nineteenth century, he created a semiotic system that explains how our meanings are created from scratch (e.g. not merely re-assembled) and, by extension, how these meanings develop into the kind of symbols that we call brands.

6 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

G U E S T F E AT U R E

Meaning Creation - The Missing Link in Marketing

The central argument of this article is that

Of course, we can ask the question:

the marketing profession focusses almost

why is this important? Surely marketing

all of its efforts (and money) on movement

professionals can just ‘make do’ with

‘B’ (from symbols to communication) whilst

dimension ‘B’? Peirce would reply that this

black hole, can be best understood as shown

entirely ignoring the importance of the other

is to neglect how consumers themselves

in the diagram below.

dimension: movement ‘A’ from our raw

make meaning and how they make sense of

perceptions to symbols. It is of considerable

their world. This is a fundamental oversight

interest why we do this. Some of the reasons

on the part of the marketing community,

are linked to marketing theory, but there

because it is this process that ultimately

are other, deeper seated reasons rooted in

creates the meanings of a brand in each

Western culture itself.

consumer’s mind. Consumers make brand

What is missing in marketing, its secret

symbols/brands

A

perceptions

B

communication

If we look at the marketing reasons first,

meanings, albeit with the materials that

our industry is dominated by the belief that

brand owners supply to them. If we don’t

brand owners, and their creative agencies,

take cognizance of their role in the process,

are the sources of meaning. In their model

then we will only grasp at a partial level

of meaning-making it is the brand owner

how consumers understand brands. The

who adds value to the brand and their

model that views the consumer as a ‘landing

creative agencies help them in this task.

ground’ for brand messages fails to realise

Consumers are often positioned, as a result

that meaning-making is, as it were, a ‘joint

of this, as passive ‘receivers’ of branding

venture’.

messages. They have no active role in the There are three positions on this triangle.

meaning-making process and are framed

In the bottom left hand corner we have our

simply as potential ‘landing grounds’ for

raw perceptions; these are how we experience

the creative activity of the brand. At one

the world. At the top of the triangle are the

level, and quite paradoxically, it is accepted

symbols that we use to understand and to

that the consumer can sometimes play an

navigate the world – these can be words,

interruptive role in meaning-making, but

concepts, and, importantly for marketing

this, significantly, is only acknowledged

purposes, brands. The latter should be treated

if they misinterpret an intended brand

as symbols because they stand, as shorthand,

message. If a meaning is ‘correctly’

for the sets of values that we associate with

communicated to the consumer, then the

them. In the bottom right hand corner, we

brand owner is able to pat themselves on the

have communication. This is either normal

back for a job well done.

forms of communication – where we use

At a deeper, cultural, level there are

spoken or written words to communicate with

other reasons at work. Dimension ‘A’ is

each other – or, in the marketing sphere,

never interrogated because we adopt a lazy

where we use words, images, symbols, and

way of thinking about meaning-making.

branding devices (such as logos) to convey

In our dominant psychological model, we

meaning in a commercial context.

assume that the meaning-making process

“Brands should be treated as symbols because they stand, as shorthand, for the sets of values that we associate with them.”

“We will be in a position to help brand owners change the meanings of their brands, because we will understand the processes that create those meanings.”

is very simple indeed: the consumer simply

If we can understand how consumers

interprets what they experience. This model

make their own contribution to meaning-

assumes that there are no processes, or

making, then a number of benefits follow

stages, involved in meaning-making and

for market researchers. We can identify how

that, as a result, there is no activity that we

brands come to possess their meanings, how

can interrogate or evaluate. The consumer

these meanings are structured, and we will

just interprets ‘x’ or ‘y’ as ‘a’ or ‘b’, and

be able to identify how communications have

we simply have to accept that this is the

impacted on brand meaning in the past. As a

case. Charles Peirce was adamant that

result, we will be in a position to help brand

this set of assumptions is flawed and that

owners change the meanings of their brands,

there is a particular process we go through

because we will understand the processes that

when moving from our perceptions to our

create those meanings.

symbols. It is this process that determines the meanings which we make.

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 7

G U E S T F E AT U R E

Cultural Semiotics vs Individual Semiotics

In the diagram on the previous page, we

Moreover, from the point of view of

find that Saussure, mirroring marketing

qualitative research, Peircean semiotics

professionals, is entirely focused on the

also opens up the possibility of identifying,

movement from symbols to communication

with consumers, how they construct their

make a key distinction between the two kinds

(arrow B). He does not consider how signs

own meanings and how they, therefore,

of semiotics that exist in academia. These are:

are created in the first place. Saussurian

construe their world. We no longer have to

• The semiotics of Saussure

semiotics still works within the traditional

accept that consumers ‘interpret’ things in

• The semiotics of Peirce

communication paradigm. It assumes that a

different ways, we can identify how they have

set of cultural codes exist, and commercial

reached certain specific conclusions about the

semioticians are able to advise their clients

meanings of brands. This qualitative research

recently, the most popular in academic circles

on how these codes can optimise brand

approach is potentially new in consumer

and it is the one that has been promoted most

communications. This form of semiotics

research. I would suggest we should call it

strongly in commercial research. Saussure

should be thought of, therefore, as cultural

‘qualitative semiotics’ because it combines

argued that signs should be seen as cultural

semiotics.

both Peircean semiotic theory and the

Mention of semiotics demands that we

Saussurian semiotics has been, until

artefacts. Different cultures give meaning to

In contrast to Saussure, Peirce argues that

different objects (or events) in ways that are

meaning-making is an individual activity.

entirely arbitrary. It follows from this that the

His main focus is the left-hand side of our

meaning of a sign is culturally dependent. So,

model, although he also explores how our

a red light may mean ‘stop’ in one culture,

symbols are subsequently combined to

but it may mean something entirely different

create meaning. Critically, he offers a way

in another. For Saussure, semiotics is a study

of understanding how meanings are created

of how signs operate within culture.

from our raw perceptions of the world.

traditional qualitative research methodologies of respondent interviews.

The Peircean Model – How Do Consumers Create Meaning?

The full extent of Peirce’s semiotic theory need not be discussed in any detail here.

This opens up a new territory for market

But we must identify how it differs from the

we shall see, consumers do read the signs

researchers. In the context of marketing, Peirce

conventional model of perception, dominant

they encounter in their own culture. This

demonstrates how consumers make sense

in marketing, that simply assumes that

has a considerable impact on how they make

of brands. Although Peirce would certainly

we see things in the world and interpret

meaning. But there are also several drawbacks

acknowledge that brands do have a major

them. Peirce maintains that this model of

to Saussure’s approach, which have been

input, through their brand communications,

perception is entirely flawed. Instead of

highlighted in the literature. Saussure is

he also insists that we need to understand

assuming that we observe something which

unable to give any account of how signs are

how the consumer makes sense of such

is known, and then interpret it, he argues

created in the first place. For him, they simply

communications. Critically, his semiotic system

that we should begin by acknowledging that

exist in our culture and Saussure provides no

is also dynamic; this means that we are also

we do not know what it is. This hardly ever

account of how they are created. Secondly,

able to understand how the meanings of brands

happens in our day to day lives because

and following on from this, he cannot explain

can change over time and how we can engineer

we have already gone through the semiotic

how signs change their meanings. It is obvious

changes in meaning in the future.

process of understanding what something

This approach has many merits, and, as

that signs do evolve their meanings and yet

is. But if we are going to understand the

Saussure cannot explain how this happens

activity of sign formation, we should assume

because, for him, our signs are fixed by our culture. Thirdly, his account also excludes the role of the individual. This means that his form of semiotics cannot attempt to understand how individuals form meanings and this limits his form of semiotics in a commercial environment. Lastly, Saussure also assumes that each person is able to learn, quite magically, the cultural codes that surround them. He gives no account of how this might happen, and this is a glaring weakness of his approach. We seem to be able to learn the meaning of the signs within our culture and we must in some way do this ourselves. Has anyone ever explained our

“Qualitative semiotics’ combines both Peircean semiotic theory and the traditional qualitative research methodologies of respondent interviews.”

cultural codes to you?

8 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

that we do not know the identity of things around us.

Critically, this means that when we observe something for the first time, we experience what Peirce calls a ‘vague’. We do not know exactly what something is, but the human mind makes a guess as to what kind of thing it is. This means that we observe something, not as an individual thing, but rather as the member of a putative class of things. In consumer world, for example, we might encounter a new bottle in the supermarket and guess that it is a kind of beer. Importantly, at this initial stage, our minds classify things on the basis of what they have encountered before – this is where

G U E S T F E AT U R E

our reading of culture signs plays a key part.

In Peircean language, what we do is to

bright yellow. I form an icon of these cars and hypothesise that they share an identity.

Applied Meaning-Making: The Branding Process

‘posit’ the existence of a putative identity

Over time I learn that these cars are only

(which he calls an ‘icon’) when we encounter

associated with New York. I link them in

something for the first time. This identity

my mind with Central Park, Times Square

making to branding? When we encounter

is indeterminate, and we guess what it is

and films with Robert de Niro. At some

new products, or when we walk into a pub,

on the basis of how it is similar to other

point sublation takes place and, when I see

shop, or café for the first time, Peirce argues

things that we have encountered before. This

a yellow car, I now associate it with New

that, without knowing it, we immediately

‘guess’ may prove to be correct, or it may

York. What has happened, at this point, is

classify these things as members of classes.

turn out to be mistaken, but this identity is

that these yellow cars have become a sign of

We do this on the basis of our previous

what we run with at this initial stage.

New York.

experience and our existing perceptual

In the second stage of sign formation,

classes. In so doing, the identity that we create is always, in some way, a qualification

we begin to learn how this putative identity interacts with the rest of the world. We learn, for example, where this beer is found, who drinks it, what it tastes like, and how expensive it is. Peirce calls all of these qualities ‘indices’ of the identity and this stage—where indices accrue to the identity— is called the indexical stage in sign formation.

The third, and final, stage of sign formation is where meaning is created, and this involves a technical concept that Peirce calls ‘sublation’. Sublation is the way in which a concept is turned upside down (literally ‘lifted up from under’) and it is this process which creates meaning. In order to

How can we apply model of meaning-

“Peirce thus outlines a theory of meaning creation that is both operating at the individual level and which is able to account for changes in meaning.”

understand this process, we move from:

of our existing knowledge.

It is of enormous significance, therefore, how we initially frame a putative identity.

We are likely to work with it for some time as we qualify it and try to find out what sort of thing it is. This is precisely why first impressions are so important in human interactions.

In marketing, this means what is key to meaning generation is how the consumer initially frames a brand. What sort of thing do they think it is? This is, of course, critical if a brand owner is trying to position a new product as a ‘healthy’ fruit juice, a ‘premium’ lager, or a ‘youthful’ carbonate.

Getting the consumer to frame it in the

• Iconic Stage: A putative identity (X) is

right way initially, with the right kind Very importantly, of course, this act of

of icon, is a critical task. The next stage

meaning formation is my own; it works at an

is one of providing a brand with a set of

indexical associations. These are, for

individual level. I form icons in a way that

indexical associations that qualify it and

example, ‘p’, ‘q’, ‘r’.

is particular to myself and this means that

make it unique. It is the task of advertising

different objects, events, or brands, will have

to provide a brand with these indexical

‘q’, and ‘r’ now become signs of X (e.g. a

different meanings for me when compared

associations, although, of course, how

conceptual reversal occurs). So, when we

with other people. I might, for example, form

the brand is encountered by consumers in

see ‘p’, ‘q’ and ‘r’ again we assume the

an icon of a particular subset of yellow taxis

their day to day experience will also create

potential presence of ‘X’ – especially if we

and this could be the identity that I run with.

additional indices. For example, who uses

observe ‘p’, ‘q’ and ‘r’ together at the same

Equally, the experiences I have of yellow

a brand, where it is sold etc will create

time.

taxis could create a set of meanings which

indexical associations that may be beyond

are entirely different from another individual

the control of the brand owner.

created based on similarity • Indexical Stage: This identity (X) accrues

• Symbolic Stage: Sublation takes place. ‘p’,

It is the action of sublation that creates

who has different experiences of them.

At the third stage, where the brand

meaning. Meaning is not formed by acts of

Moreover, the process of sign formation is

becomes what Peirce calls a ‘symbol’, the

(brand) communication that state that ‘X’

never ending. What a yellow taxi means to

brand is then able to stand (as a sign)

means ‘p’, ‘q’ or ‘r’, or some agreement

me today will be different from what it may

for the set of values that have become

amongst individuals that ‘X’ means these

mean to me in ten years’ time when I have

associated with it at the indexical stage. It

things. It is the act of sublation in the

more experience of them. Peirce thus outlines

starts to have a meaning. Peirce does not

individual mind of the perceiver that creates

a theory of meaning creation that is both

tell us exactly what triggers sublation. It is

the meaning of a brand.

operating at the individual level and which

something that happens in the mind of each

is able to account for changes in meaning –

consumer and will vary by individual. Taking

example. I am in New York and I notice that

something that Saussure’s semiotic model is

a leaf out of neuroscience, it is probably

a number of the cars driving around are

unable to explain.

when the mind has become wired in such

So, let us apply this analysis to a real-life

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 9

G U E S T F E AT U R E

a way that a ‘pathway’ is created between

making process: what identities have been

different elements.

formed by consumers; how do different

semiotic model to analyse individual brand

It is also possible to use Peirce’s

Peirce is clear, however, that this is

consumers see the same brand in different

communications, analysing the identities

how meaning is created. We cannot make

ways, and which parts of a brand have been

that are being formed in an advertising

meaning by simply sending messages to the

included (or not included) by them in its

execution and also how they are qualified

consumer, or by telling them the rational

meaning. Moreover, it is also possible to

within that context.

and emotional benefits of a brand. We need

identify whether sublation has taken place;

to engage them in the concept forming

is it a true identity or is it no more than a

these questions are already familiar in a

process (e.g. icon, index, symbol) and to do

name with a set of associations?

qualitative context (e.g. mapping exercises are

It will be noted by readers that some of

this in a way that encourages them to make

Without going into too much detail, it is

a way of asking the classification question),

a sign out of the elements of whatever brand

possible to talk to consumers in a qualitative

but what ‘qualitative semiotics’ provides is

they encounter.

setting (usually depth interviews or paired

a systematic theory, and approach, which

depths, not in groups as they are too large)

reframes conventional qualitative techniques.

about a number of key dimensions in the

This allows us to open up a world that has

Peircean model. These are:

hitherto been closed to market research:

Qualitative Semiotics: Researching Meaning-Making One of the great strengths of Peirce’s model is that it provides a completely new

• How is a brand classified?

the possibility of understanding how brand

• What sort of thing is it? What is its posited

meaning is made by consumers. This, in

identity?

turn, presents commercial research with the

way of understanding consumer thinking.

• What are its associations (e.g indices)?

possibility of a significant role in the core

In conventional market research we make

• Has it reached the stage of being sublated?

marketing activity of adding value to brands.

little attempt to understand how consumers form their concepts, or their meanings. We assume that these meanings are simply present in their minds and they have been determined by their interpretations of the world. But the trouble with the interpretation model is that it is a ‘black box’ – we cannot follow how consumers have reached these interpretations.

“In conventional market research we make little attempt to understand how consumers form their concepts, or their meanings.”

Chris Barnham Chris Barnham Research Ltd

Chris has run his own qualitative consultancy since 1996. He works on brand identity, brand communication and design projects in the

In contrast, Peirce provides us with

UK, Eire, Europe and North America. He read philosophy at Oxford University and has a PhD

a clear three stage process that enables

in Peircean Semiotics from University College,

us to identify both how consumers form

London. He has published a series of papers in

their concepts and where they are on

the International Journal of Market Research

their journeys from perception to symbol

(IJMR) and he is writing a book on Peircean

formation. This means that it is possible

Semiotics - to be published in 2021.

to identify several aspects of the meaning

10 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

Are you looking to bring your team up to speed, build skills, or start a conversation about the customer experience?

We can develop a bespoke 30 or 60 minute webinar for up to 500 of your staff.

Prices start from just ÂŁ500 Or, if you prefer, commission one of our existing webinars exclusively for your staff at a date and time convenient to you, complete with Q&A. ÂŁ200 Find out more about our existing webinars at tlfresearch.com/webinars or contact richardcrowther@leadershipfactor.com to discuss your requirement

RESEARCH

QUALITATIVE SEMIOTICS FOR CX We’re fascinated by the potential of qualitative semiotics, and Chris Barnham’s article does a really good job of explaining what it is, how it works, and how you can use it to explore the way consumers build their images of brands. In this short article, I want to look at how that same approach might be used when thinking about the way meaning is created in the customer experience.

12 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

RESEARCH

A world of meaning

of other aspects of the customer experience that can otherwise seem quite mysterious.

Let's start with our most used quote:

“Man lives in a world of meaning” – George Herbert Mead

In order to get all the details right, you need to put together a clear sense of the experiences you want to create with an understanding of customers that will help

“Perception is reality”

you to know how to do it. It's something that is at the heart of "design thinking”, and I think taking a semiotic view of the customer experience goes hand in hand with good service design thinking.

- Tom Peters

One famous piece of research, described

Semiotics is a tool you can use with

in Gerald Zaltman’s book “How Customers

customer insight to help you interpret why customers are thinking and feeling the way

be working from the other side.

Taking a semiotic approach to the

Think”, found that removing the clock from

they do, and therefore to help you design

customer experience makes this hard-won

a waiting room wall made a big difference to

experiences that work better for everyone.

truism immediately obvious. Reality, for the

customer satisfaction with the waiting time,

We live in a world of meaning, and I’ll

customer, is their interpretation of what they

because it took away a subconscious cue that

argue that we have to understand how that

see, the meaning they derive from it. Another

was making customers feel that the wait time

meaning is created and communicated in

way of thinking about it might be “reality is

was longer than it really was.

order to design effectively.

perception” – all any of us knows about the

This is a great example of something

world around us is based on the work our

which customers would never ask for. So

that is focused on consumer markets,

brains do to extract meaning from the signals

how do you spot things like this? Well the

particularly FMCG, but actually it’s

pouring in through our senses.

first step is to go to where the experience is

Semiotics is often taken to be something

happening, and you might happen to think of

important in business to business markets

Semiotics also helps to explain the idea

as well, and in the public sector. Semiotics

of the "total customer experience", and why

it. But more systematically, the answer is to

comes into play whenever we’re trying to

small details can have such a profound effect

analyse the environment with a semiotic eye.

understand how meaning is communicated.

on the emotional experience for the customer.

What signs are operating here? What

When you understand that every little clue

concepts may those signs trigger? What

studying how we communicate meaning to

in the environment, every choice of word, or

potential layers of meaning do they have?

each other, and "meaning" is the crucial

image, or typeface, conveys meaning, then it

word. It's a word that’s central to culture, to

begins to make a lot more sense why process

understand this, but talking to them isn’t

design thinking, storytelling, and customer

maps have so little to do with what customers

enough. If customer insight, particularly

experience. Semiotics helps you understand

actually experience.

qualitative insight, is going to be of any

Semiotics, from my perspective, is about

You need to talk to customers to

value at all we have to do this type of

meaning.

Meaning in Customer Experience

Using Semiotics in Customer Experience

interpretation, and it’s helpful to work within a framework to give us structure (what Wendy Gordon calls “mindframes”).

What has all this got to do with customers?

It's a skeleton key that unlocks a whole load

With so much to consider, where do you

To get communication and customer

start? The most important point is that what

experiences to work as well as possible,

you say, and even what you intend, is only

you need to understand the meaning that is

part of what influences how the customer

currently being created for customers, and

feels about you. There are thousands of

how and why that's happening.

By analysing meaning, qualitative

Stephen Hampshire

small moments in your relationship with

Client Manager

customers that should be examined with this

semiotics can help you understand and

TLF Research

meaning-making lens to see how they might

improve the customer experience.

stephenhampshire@leadershipfactor.com Our free webinar on Semiotics & CX is available at https://www.tlfresearch.com/webinar-semiotics-cx/

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 13

CASE STUDY

Now is a good time for all businesses to reflect on our priorities, our ways of working, and the nature of our relationships with customers. Will the pandemic change things forever, or will we go back to business as usual? How may customer needs, both practical and emotional, have shifted?

What do we need to do to make sure that we meet those needs and keep our people safe?

We caught up with Iain Shorthose, Director of Customer and Workplace Experience at Interserve, to find out what their approach has been, to talk about how they use their customer research to build stronger relationships with customers, and to understand why it’s so important to their business.

We Can Work It Out Inevitably, COVID-19 loomed large when I asked Iain about what’s occupying his time at the moment, as Interserve work to support their customers and make sure that they’re in a position to serve their own customers in turn. A “now, next, later” approach helps to clarify where each customer is in their thinking.

“We don't have any customers that aren't impacted in one way or another. The ‘now’ is the critical stage, it's about working with them to do whatever needs to be done with the backdrop that we've been dealt. The ‘next’ is how do we work with them to either reoccupy their workspaces or to start

Now, next, and later: Customer relationships at Interserve

improving their productivity, to make sure they're able to service their customers. ‘Later’ is thinking about things like

14 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

repurposing estates and what to do with corporate buildings.”

I was interested in what Iain was able to tell me about what the future

CASE STUDY

of workspaces may look like. Are we looking at permanent, seismic, change; or will things return to normal as soon as the threat of infection is over (whenever that may be)?

Most likely it will be somewhere in the middle. There’s no question that the pandemic and lockdown have forced a step change, but that many of the adjustments we’ve made align with trends that were already in progress, such as increased

of managing a culture

flexibility of working. As Iain says,

remotely? Not completely,

“The fundamental purpose of a workplace is twofold. It's around supporting your productivity as an individual, and it's about office space

but it does change the basis for the discussion: “I think employers will be more

To use

supporting your wellbeing. Now the challenge

accommodating. I think they might be brave now

that budget,

is quite straightforward when you say, ‘How

and take advantage of the commercial benefits of

use that conversation time

productive can I be working differently? How

this way of working. And I think employees might

with your customers, to understand something

does that flexibility support productivity, but also

be a bit more assertive about how they would like

a bit different. By having that conversation, they

how I feel both physically and mentally?’.

to work.”

feel you’re switched on, you understand them, you’re connected to them, and you're not just

During lockdown, as well as the challenges we all know very well, organisations have

Ask Me Why

going through the motions.”

So the point is not to delay your

seen benefits to productivity and employee health and wellbeing from the increased time

We moved on to talk about research, and

relationship survey until it seems like the right

spent at home. As it stands, those benefits

in particular the question of whether or

time, but to adapt your customer research so

have not been equally spread—we know,

not now is a good time to do research with

that it’s fit for purpose in the current climate.

for example, from our panel research that

customers. We’ve found that clients who

“If we do something this year, maybe we'll

parents with young children have found

have kept their surveys going have seen

do it a little bit differently. We'll try to reflect the

working from home much more difficult—

customers more than happy to take part, in

current situation, where people are and what

but they are real. At the same time, many

fact they often appreciate the fact that clients

they're feeling, and maybe position the research

organisations have seen that moving to a

are reaching out to them at this time, but for

in a slightly different way, so it's being more

model in which far more people spend much

some there is a danger that steaming in with

empathetic to what's going on. I still want to

more time working from home can lead to

a standard questionnaire might seem a little

answer my usual five main questions for the

benefits in terms of sustainability (e.g. by

tone-deaf. As Iain says,

purposes of benchmarking, but I also want to

reducing carbon footprint) and cost savings

“I'm trying to get back to business as

understand how you've experienced us and how

that accrue from reducing the size of their

usual, but many of our customers are facing

we’ve supported you through this, and then I

estate, recruiting from a wider (and often

considerable head winds still as a direct impact of

would want to understand how your priorities

cheaper) talent pool, and less travel.

COVID-19. So, do you really want to talk to them

have possibly changed. It's back to this ‘now, next

about how they feel about their FM provider?

and later’.”

Judging the impact on physical and mental wellbeing can be tricky, and the two don’t always go hand in hand:

In terms of timing, Iain’s view is we

Probably not.”

So, is now the right time to run your

should now be proactive in seeking the views

annual survey with customers? Operational

of our customers to ensure we are able to add

than ever before as I’ve been predominantly

teams are working with customers very

maximum value for the client:

homebased - I'm not traveling here, there, and

closely to make sure they have the support

everywhere. Equally, even though that supports

and expertise they need, but is it a good time

current focus is reoccupying building space. We

my physical wellbeing, in terms of my mental

to run your normal research? Maybe not, for

are now starting to see restrictions in most sectors

wellbeing I am an extrovert, so I’m missing

a lot of businesses, but by the same token it

being reduced or even removed. In the majority of

face-to-face interaction and collaborating with

would be a mistake not to engage with your

cases, Interserve is playing a key role in the safe

colleagues and customers.”

customers at all. Iain comments,

utilisation of buildings and the outdoor spaces of

“I find myself able to exercise more now

Put it all together, and are the potential

“The question for me is, right now in the

“It is now time to start the conversations. The

our customers.”

Using research with customers is essential

gains enough to overcome concerns about

current climate, what is the role of insight?

the negative impact that isolation may have

Should we be sticking to our usual calendar? Or

in order to understand their needs and

on our mental wellbeing, the challenges

should we be brave enough to adapt and be a bit

priorities properly, particularly in times of

that many have in creating a good working

more agile, and accept that what we've measured

crisis, and that’s important for Interserve

environment at home, or the difficulty

for the last five years we won’t be able to track.

to find opportunities to add value for

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 15

CASE STUDY

was beginning to feel unloved. We

customers.

Facilities Management contracts

they

often find that this is a vital hurdle to clear

support

in the first year of a survey, to demonstrate

account managers

to the business the immediate, practical,

rather than simply blaming

utility of customer insight:

them when things go wrong. The

“Our clear purpose for our relationship survey

research is the beginning of an opportunity

is about retention. It's about not getting caught

to work together, not a stick to beat people

a commodity, but Iain believes

out at the last minute, and it's about identifying

with.

that it’s by adding value to the basics

opportunities to grow contracts. Now we've got

“There's a responsibility as a leadership

to that point where everyone's aligned and see

team that you support the insight, but you also

that there is real value in it. People are engaged

support the account directors, and don't just

with it now because it has a very clear purpose,

immediately go to ‘right, you're doing a bad

and everyone's now had time to see the benefit

job’. That's what, as a customer experience

of it.”

team, we do with our account leads. We work

can very easily be seen as

of the contract that they will be able to retain customers and build stronger relationships with them.

“For us as a service provider, we deliver a contract which is about Service Level Aagreements and Key Performance Indicators;

This is great, but there’s a common

with them on the customer, because however

the reality is you've got to do that to be paid.

challenge in B2B research which Iain

it looks, it won't be the first account to look like

What we do in order to retain our customers

has been wrestling with: what to do

that. We've been here before; we know what

is deliver incremental value. What else have

about customers who choose to respond

needs to be done.”

we got in our locker we can bring to you and

anonymously? Their comments, however

demonstrate value above and beyond? It's not a

insightful, don’t permit you to take this kind

account lead in terms of building and

commodity anymore. And that is the space that

of account-specific action. From a purist

maintaining relationships with customers.

we need to properly understand now in terms

research point of view, that’s fine—we treat

They are the main point of contact, and they

of, if we used to add value for you in this way,

those customers as representative of wider

have more influence on that customer’s

if your priorities change are you looking for

trends in our customer base. Fine. But, that

perception of Interserve than anyone

something else?”

kind of answer doesn’t tend to go down very

else, but it’s about using the resources

well in the board room (and believe me, I

and experience that Interserve can bring

know exactly how uncomfortable it can be

to bear to make their job easier, and to

to face the incredulous glare from the CEO

work alongside them to add value for each

when you tell them you can’t reveal who

customer in the most appropriate way.

Understanding those changing priorities is crucial, because, as Iain says, “If we are to create incremental value, I need to understand what your priorities are.”

gave a particular negative comment).

Come Together Business to business (B2B) customer research is different from business to consumer research in some obvious

“My biggest frustration is how to not have

That’s not to diminish the role of the

“Those account leads are absolutely fundamental. You have to get to a point where

these anonymous customers, because I want to

they're able to get closer to the customer, to be

be able to do something with it and I can't do

able to have the right kind of conversations,

anything that’s targeted and specific to them.”

to talk about the issues and not just having to

Good B2B research means linking the

field problems. We now have a module in the

ways, but there are some less-obvious

insight to account management, and that

leadership program purely around customer.

differences that many researchers can fail to

requires everyone within Interserve to be on

It's about relationships. It's about how can

understand. Perhaps the most important is

the same page.

we get the account leads to do the things

that, in order to be effective, B2B customer

“There needs to be a level of professional

research has to dovetail with account

maturity from the account leads, to say ‘this is

management.

insightful and useful, and I want some help to

One of the immediate benefits of

understand what to do with it’, rather than ‘I

conducting a relationship survey in a B2B

can't believe my customer said that - you must

market is that it often highlights at-risk

have got them on a bad day’.”

customers that no-one knew about, and

Many organisations, understandably,

conversely customers who represent a great

experience resistance from account

opportunity for growth. It’s not uncommon

management, and it’s the role of

for a B2B survey to pay for itself after a

whoever is leading on customer

single follow-up call to a key account who

experience to make sure that

16 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

CX do, so we’ve got more scale.”

CASE STUDY

Fixing a Hole A customer survey is a significant investment. How do you prove that it’s worth the money, time, and effort spent on it? One thing that will

to ask

guarantee that it’s a waste of money is if

customers. I

you do nothing with it, so make sure you’re

know what my customers want’.

committed to taking action before you

What you have to do is to demonstrate how they

depending on what the customer chooses to do,

launch your survey.

can use this and how it compliments existing data

further conversations and meetings to move

in terms of decision making. The way that we do

through the gears in terms of understanding a

should be able to quickly prove the benefit of

our research, we connect it to the commercials

bit more and then making sure that we have the

intervention in three crucial ways:

and we connect it to retention, so it becomes

right answers and improvement plans. The MDs

an indicator. Whether you’re looking at a Net

will get involved, my team would get involved, I

Promoter Score, an effort score, a satisfaction

would get involved.”

Assuming that you do take action, you

• Saving customers at imminent risk of defection • Finding further opportunities with customers • Proving the impact that interventions have on customer scores

in touch. Then they would have,

score or a trust score - fundamentally the real

Following up with customers is crucial

benefit is to say, ‘it looks like that customer

to give the survey credibility in their eyes.

account is in jeopardy’.”

Iain sees part of the job of his team to make

The research doesn’t fix that of course, but

sure that customers are followed up, and

it does highlight the customers who may be

that the communication they receive about

at risk and, just as importantly, it helps you

what has been done helps to convince them

ensure that all of his internal stakeholders

to understand the reasons that they are at

that the survey will result in change.

are now bought in to the importance of

risk, and gives you the opportunity to discuss

More important than communication,

customer research:

it with them.

though, is their own experience:

Iain has taken advantage of all of these to

“When we first started doing this as an

“Whether you like it or not, research is only

“I'd rather that the responses

organisation, you had a mixed bag. You had those

step one. The first layer for me is the Hot Alert

they see can be physically

that were saying, ‘thank goodness, we're going

process that we've got in place, which means

or operationally

to bring a customer lens to this’, and you had

that, good or bad, we get in touch. We also give

those that said, ‘I don't need

the customer a choice about if they don't want the account lead to be the ones getting

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 17

CASE STUDY

the real value of that research, one of the things is to say, ‘here's the customers who we intervened with this year, here's how their scores have experienced because of a change in standard or

changed.’ I did that for the board last May, and our NPS for accounts in which we intervened was 59 points higher. There's your business case.”

performance.”

Much of the time,

Getting Better

building stronger relationships with customers means Iain and his team working alongside the account teams to make sure that Interserve

One thing that Iain comments on is the way in which, particularly for their NHS contracts, the COVID-19 crisis has brought together Interserve employees and the

understand the customer well enough, and

people they work with in NHS buildings. There’s no

can bring in ideas from the wider Interserve

question that a crisis helps to sharpen our focus on

business:

the things which really matter:

“The impact sometimes of just me, or my

“In the last three months you've got real shared

team, or a member of a different team, going to

purpose. No matter who pays your salary, if it's the

the account and spending that time with them,

UK Government or if it's Interserve, as key workers

bringing some expertise or talking about what

they've all come together. They probably haven't

we've done in another account, is immense. We

written it [purpose] down. They haven't come

try to bring best practice from an account that’s

together to ask, ‘right guys, what is the shared

very similar, and also one from a completely

purpose here?’ It's easy, right? It's save lives,

different sector, but one which has some synergy,

and look after each other.”

and thirdly to bring best practice from us as an

So what does the future look like for customer experience at

organisation.”

Does that process work? That’s something

Interserve, and what lessons can

that can be easily demonstrated by looking at

we learn from them? I think there

the way scores for individual accounts change

are a few key points:

from year to year:

• Demonstrate the value of

“We took the score they gave us the year before.

Then we recorded which accounts we, as a CX team, went in, listened, understood, and supported our account team to improve delivery. And every time we do that, we see an uplift. Understanding

customer research in saving and developing accounts • Make the bridge between research and account management • Prove the benefit of

Iain Shorthose

investing in customer

Director of Customer &

relationships through

Workplace Experience,

changes to scores from year

Interserve

to year • Most important of all,

For 15 years, Iain has been developing and delivering Customer strategies for organisations ranging from those focused on specific sectors, to those with diverse propositions and Global operational footprints. He has established CX Strategies that are sustainable, offer a compelling reason for change, and are engaging for people.

understand that relationships are what lift you above commoditisation: “I do think customer experience in B2B is more and more about relationships.

Without that what you’ve developed is a commodity, because all you'll ever do is meet the rational needs and not the emotional needs.”

18 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

Consumer Insight The data for the UKCSI came from TLF’s panel.

The TLF Panel offers you an easy way to access the views and opinions of UK consumers. It’s a flexible research solution with a range of uses, including: Insight into consumer behaviour, attitudes and usage Facts and figures for compelling content and PR stories Brand awareness and competitor surveys Testing advertising and product concepts Recruitment for focus groups and interviews

60,000 UK consumers

Fast turnaround 2,000 responses within 48hrs

Range of question types Including open comment and media

Targeted surveys We can find the people you need

In depth reporting and analysis Demographic splits as standard

Want to try us out?

We’ll give you 2 free questions (worth £375) – email tom@tlfpanel.com for details Visit tlfpanel.com

D I G I TA L

UNDERSTANDING ALGORITHMS: HOW CONTENT GETS INTO YOUR NEWSFEED AND WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. There are 5 ways people will find your

Affinity to a post

• Searching with keywords or phrases.

• You shared something and it appeared on

your stories feed or subscribers page respectively. This is because the

content on the Internet: Almost every platform will look at how much engagement happens on a post to see

platforms prioritise the type of content people use.

their timeline.

if it is worth pushing out to more people.

If a new feature has been added to a

• Paid advertising

As it’s the machines for each social media

platform, they need more people to use it

• Going to a direct URL

platform that decide what piece of content

to see if it works or if it is of interest. The

gets exposure, they look for indicators, and

best way to do this is to expose it to as many

engagement is a starting point.

people as possible so they can try it. By

i.e. www.yourwebsite.co.uk • They found it by accident, or in other words: the algorithm of the platform showed it to them.

What is important about the last point is if we have an understanding of how algorithms work, then it can dictate the type of content

When it comes to engaging with a post

exposing it to more people, the platforms

you can usually do one of these things:

have to increase the reach so if a new feature,

‘like/dislike’, ‘view’, ‘share’, ‘comment’, or

like live video, is introduced then it can take

‘reaction’. That essentially is what people do

priority over an older feature.

when being asked to engage with a post.

However they are not all treated equally.

Most platforms love videos and images because they get the most engagement,

we produce and ultimately the action we want

Right now a reaction is worth more than a

and let's be honest here, they make a lot of

people to take.

like. The reason is because it is difficult to get

money from the adverts. With images they

Understanding algorithms over the years is

true emotion from a like. If somebody said

know people will click through them quickly.

tricky because we have to know that there are

‘Feeling sad as my dog just died’ and your

Every click is a page impression and every

hundreds of factors that affect them and the

only engagement was to ‘like’ the post then it

page impression they can put an ad, which

platforms will never give away their secret

might not feel appropriate. But now we have

means they are making money. With videos,

recipe. However, not every factor is equal,

reactions so we can leave a crying face.

it is well known you can charge more for a

so it is important to know the main things

The platforms can find out more with

video advert than any other type of advert.

So think about the type of content you

that affect the algorithm on social media

reactions and that is why they are currently

platforms, right now.

pushing this. This can also help the creator of

create if you want more exposure of your

the post to get a gist of the feeling towards it.

content.

Here are 4 factors that will help you understand it, especially important with

However this can also be taken advantage of

online usage increasing due to COVID-19.

(Cambridge Analytica).

Type of content

Time Decay You can create a live video that gets amazing engagement but if this was last week,

Andrew Davis

If you have been on Facebook for more

it is very unlikely to appear in people’s news

than five years, you’ve probably noticed

feed. Timing is everything on these platforms

that you’ve been seeing more videos in your

and you have only a short space of time to

andrew@twks.co.uk

timeline in the last couple of years than ever

get the most out of a piece of content. On

www.thinkingoutsidetheblog.com

before. If you are on Instagram and YouTube,

Facebook and LinkedIn you have around 19-26

you are probably seeing more live videos on

hours to get the most out of your content,

Digital Consultant & Workshop Leader

20 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

D I G I TA L

so you need to

especially on Instagram. The

have a check list of things to

machines will look at hashtags

do once you click publish. On

you use, the type of posts you

the likes of Twitter and Instagram you

engage with, types of posts you post, and similar profiles

have minutes to grab people’s attention before another piece of content does.

so, the reason they are doing this is because

you like.

Familiar People: If you

Have a plan of what to do once it goes live.

the platforms restrict your reach when you

Will you put ad spend behind the content? Do

post a link sending them off their platform

engage with the same people

you have influencers involved? Will you be

and to someone else’s.

often, then you are likely

doing press releases? Do you have interviews on

They want to keep you on their platform

to get them featured within your feed.

podcasts to support this content? Do you have

as long as possible, so having a link in your

anyone that is likely to engage quickly? Did

main posts is something that we have seen

you post at the best time of day knowing when

restrict reach. Also, if you think about it,

main metric for YouTube,

people are online to engage? These are just

having a piece of content with a link sending

which is to do with how

some of the questions you need to ask yourself.

you to another site is essentially what an

many hours people watch

advert does so they would want you to ‘boost

your content on your

the post’ rather than give you it for free.

channel. The more

Sending people off the social media platform

people watch, the higher

Other factors

the likelihood that you will be featured within

Have you ever seen somebody post a piece of content on Facebook or LinkedIn and state: “You can find the link in the comments”? If

Watch Time: This is the

Relevancy: Plays a big part in what content can be featured in your newsfeed,

related videos and search.

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 21

ONLINE COMMUNITIES & THE BENEFITS OF ENGAGING DIGITALLY

22 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

RESEARCH

For good or ill, there’s no escaping that the internet has changed the way that we interact with the world. Where once talking to people, whether in person or by telephone, used to take precedence; many of us now feel it natural to message people instead, using email or text messages. In more recent years we’ve also experienced a shift

Online communities

to communicating digitally, whether it be

first” approach,

through social media platforms, Facebook

whether for consuming information,

Messenger, or WhatsApp – tools which rely

communicating, or just the boring essentials

on data to convey our messages. Statistics

of life admin. So, when designing our

seeing how people interact and share

from the ONS in 2019 showed that 91% of

research projects, we need to consider all

information on social media platforms.

adults in the UK were recent users of the

these shifts in behaviour and preference, and

Sites such as Facebook and Instagram have

internet, the third-highest rate in the EU.

consider: is what we’re planning the best

allowed researchers to really see the benefits

This high penetration in internet usage

and most appropriate way to communicate

of engaging digitally, and the proposition

tells us not only that there is access to the

and understand this audience? Rather than

of online communities is based and shaped

internet for the majority of society, but also

just opting for repeating the norm, we need

around the aim of piggy backing on these

that there’s an appetite to engage with digital

to challenge ourselves to find the techniques

routine and habitual behaviours that we see

platforms in a variety of different ways.

that are right for the customers of 2020.

on social media platforms. Can research use

Our internet usage feeds through to other behaviour. When considering buying a mobile phone on a monthly contract, the emphasis now is on the data included within the tariff

Online communities have evolved through

When we consider social media usage, we

the power of community, interaction, and

see a similar picture emerging. According to

gamification to create a better experience

Avocado Social ‘The Latest UK Social Media

for customers, and richer insights for

Statistics for 2019’ (published in February

organisations?

2019) in the UK there are 45 million social

When we think about the broader trends

media users, so around 2 in 3 of the entire

that we’re seeing in society, research

UK population. Further to this, 39 million

techniques have very much followed these

users consume social media using their smart

trends. Over recent years, we have seen a

phones and 96% of UK social media users

huge growth in web-based research being

visited a social network or messaging service

used as the main research methodology.

This goes some

in the past month. Every day, the average UK

Ongoing online communities are now a key

way towards

based user spends 1 hour 50 minutes scrolling

component of many voice of the customer

highlighting

through social media sites. So not only are

programmes, particular for companies who

how, as a

people using social media, it is becoming a

deal with consumers. The programmes

nation, we

bedrock of their interaction with the wider

providing a constant stream of rich

really are

world, whether reading or watching the

information, in an agile and engaging way.

moving in

news, catching up with friends and family,

as a key differentiator, and the call minutes and text messages are givens within the package.

Ongoing communities are a great way

many ways

or following a celebrity or brand. Some of the

to provide a snapshot of customers and

towards a

benefits of social media are that it’s dynamic,

their thoughts, feelings, and interactions in

engaging, agile, and responsive, and it is

real time. However, ongoing communities

because of these features that the principles

might not be acceptable or appropriate for

of social media have been adapted and applied

all businesses, as they do require significant

“digital

to other uses, especially in qualitative research through the use of online communities

investment, of both time and cost, in order to get the community set up and also keeping a high level of engagement with customers.

RESEARCH

•

Multimedia. It’s easy to

upload and share media for both participants and moderators e.g. images, photographs, videos; especially from a mobile or tablet device.

• Flexible and convenient. Allows participants to complete the tasks at a time of the day to suit them and their needs – it is this Based on our experience, some

This is really important—if engagement is lost, then you have to work even harder when you need insights quickly, incurring

of the practical benefits of using online communities in this way are: • Time. Quick set-up. Especially if you’re

more cost and often finding that you’re

wanting to cover a number of locations,

unable to get results as quickly as the

fieldwork can start within 1-2 days of

business needs. This does often mean that it

recruitment or whenever stimulus is ready.

can be hard to manage ongoing communities

• Costs. Negates the need for any fieldwork

flexibility that further helps to create engagement by ensuring that the tasks don’t feel too arduous and fit around people’s lives and schedules.

So there are practical benefits to conducting research via an online community for the researchers, clients, and

in-house. Many organisations outsource their

travel, accommodation, and venue costs; and

participants; and there are further benefits

communities, unless they have an established

often the cost of the platform hire is similar to

as well from adopting an online community

and very well-resourced insight team.

a viewing facility for one session.

approach.

• Feasibility. Especially for a disparate customer

Ad-hoc Communities Building on the benefits that we’ve

• The platform is expandable in terms of

base where interaction is required, this

its usage and suitability, meaning that

removes geographical considerations/biases.

the uses are endless, whether it's diary

Further to these practical benefits, there

experienced with ongoing communities, but

are many other benefits to conducting an

trying to reduce the time and cost impact, we

online community, especially for participants

have started to apply communities to shorter,

who are engaging in the research.

keeping to understand “in the moment” experiences through to proposition and concept testing.

• A mix of individual and group tasks,

ad-hoc projects, lasting anything for a couple

Participant benefits are:

providing personal reflection through to

of days to a few weeks.

• Responsive platform. Can be used on a

interacting with other participants on other

number of different devices with ease and further to this the participant can switch

tasks, can help remove group bias.

• Builds engagement over time, especially

between a mobile, tablet and computer

beneficial if there are co-creative elements

Debs Binks

depending on what is most suitable. We

– pre-sensitises participants to the topics

Client Manager

find that this helps to build engagement

being discussed, which helps to foster

TLF Research

as the research is less of a chore and helps

debsbinks@leadershipfactor.com

to facilitate “in the moment” feedback for projects such as customer journey research.

24 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

creativity over time.

• “Cleaner” and quicker analysis which is sometimes difficult when analysing group

RESEARCH

discussions and time consuming when

users spiked to 200 million in

carrying out a number of depths.

March, compared to just 10 million

• Can evolve during the project, e.g. adding in new stimulus, creating stimulus based on the earlier customer feedback.

• Can be used alongside other methodologies and approaches as and when required.

in December.

As a nation we are seeking more meaningful ways to interact with each other and fill the void that social distancing measures have created.

The movement towards video calling

These are just some of the benefits that we

remains pertinent across both business

have found from using online communities

and personal communication. There is

for shorter and more focused research

comfort in seeing people’s faces, their

projects. Whilst there is a natural fit between

reactions, and expressions, whether

online communities and consumer audiences,

it be family, friends, colleagues,

it isn’t solely for use with consumers.

clients or suppliers. So again when

Depending on the seniority of the audience,

thinking about the “sell” of an

the relationship, and practical aspects (e.g.

online community into both your

equipment to engage on the communities), it

organisation and also the audience,

can be a great tool when conducting business

the methodology has probably

to business research. There is just a need to

never felt more appropriate.

ensure that tasks are appropriate in content, length, and frequency, and the participants

Life after COVID-19

will get something out of taking part in the community, whether it be sharing some of

One thing that we need

the findings or just enjoying sharing their

to consider is what will

views with peers or other professionals.

be the long term impact

We would advise talking to the audience

of COVID-19 in terms

beforehand in order to establish what would

of our acceptance of

and wouldn’t work, before the community is

different channels

designed and launched.

and preferences when communicating.

The impact of COVID-19

Further to this, when thinking

In March this year the UK entered into

specifically about

lockdown as the nation began its fight against

research, when will

COVID-19. The main strategy, until a vaccine

it be appropriate

is found, is the principle of social distancing.

to conduct face-

Social distancing has massive implications for

to-face research?

research projects and, in terms of qualitative

Bearing this in

research, the benefits of online communities

mind, online

became even more pertinent as a way to keep

methodologies

that rich dialogue going with customers.

and specifically

For some companies who have never used

communities are likely

or considered using online communities

to become an ever

for research purposes, and who may doubt

increasing methodology

whether it would be appropriate for their

of choice, yielding deeper

audience, it is worth considering the trends

and richer insight but in a

we have seen since entering lockdown. For

safer, and potentially more

example, CNBC reported that Zoom daily

engaging, manner.

G U E S T F E AT U R E

HO CUSTOM For most of us, the idea of

the end of the line unscathed? It’s similar to

walking a tightrope with no safety net to

organisations asking their IT departments to

break our fall would be our worst nightmare.

successfully deliver customer experience (CX)

Add to the mix unwelcome noises, a

projects without the right skills to be able to

strong wind, and other distractions, and you might think, even for the most

do so effectively.

A recent Pega study found that IT

experienced performer, that getting to

departments are leading more than a quarter

the other side is nearly impossible. The

of global CX projects (26%) versus 13% by

key to not tumbling into the abyss is to

dedicated CX functions. Without the right

block out the distractions. Similarly,

expertise and focus, it’s easy to understand

those individuals in charge of their

why many of these IT projects fail. Although

business’ customer experiences (CX)

IT can be critical to supporting these projects,

could learn a lot from a tightrope

problems can arise when IT folks are forced

walker.

to make business decisions that require those

Both need perfect balance. The

in other departments – many of whom have

same way noise can disrupt a tightrope

a completely different set of metrics – to buy

walker, businesses must strike the right

in and adopt a new approach or solution. It

balance in communicating with their

might not be as dangerous as asking a lion

customers. Too much noise can alienate a customer for good, while too little can leave them feeling undervalued. The rope beneath your feet can feel pretty thin when

tamer to walk a tightrope (or vice versa, for that matter), but the chances of success are just as bleak.

The ability to prepare well extends beyond

trying to strike this balance, which is why the

making sure you match the right skills with

right approach cannot be underestimated.

the right projects. Any major undertaking,

For the tightrope walker, this can take

whether it’s a high-wire agility act or a

any number of forms. Imagine what would

successful CX initiative, relies on people

happen if a lion tamer was asked to walk to

26 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

delivering what is asked of them. Our study

G U E S T F E AT U R E

HOW TO WALK THE OMER EXPERIENCE TIGHTROPE found that just 35% of businesses currently

in chatbots, and 26% planned to invest in

interact with. Organisations have to nurture

have a C-level sponsor for CX projects, and

inbound contact centers, suggesting a focus

that relationship every day by offering

in 36% of organisations, these initiatives

on short-term outbound gains instead of the

relevant, tailored experiences, which requires

are led at the director level or below. It’s

inbound channels customers typically use to

change driven by empowered C-level leaders

easy to underestimate the value of C-level

communicate.

who are willing to re-architect their core

backing, and the truth is without it projects

Similarly, while analytics software

business around the customer. If they don’t,

can falter. A lack of expertise, leadership, and

evolves at lightning speed, far too many

they could learn the hard way that it’s easy

awareness of the CX program can lead those

organisations rely on outdated and less

to lose their footing and come crashing

working on it to question the organisation’s

effective analytics solutions. For example, a

down.

commitment. C-level involvement can help

quarter or more still rely on customer journey

break down barriers between IT and business

mapping (27%) or micro-segmentation

departments and result in a more carefully

(25%), while almost one in five (19%) still

balanced overall approach.

perform arduous A/B testing. Even more

Tom Libretto Chief Marketing Officer

For tightrope walking, as well as those

telling is that customer-centric analytics

embarking on CX initiatives, investing in the

that can jumpstart CX, such as propensity

most relevant equipment is critical. The same

modelling (37%), customer lifetime value

way you wouldn’t expect a tightrope walker

projection (34%), or performance simulation

Tom is responsible for global marketing

to improve their performance with a suit of

(33%), are still far from prevalent.

initiatives and functions. He has more than

armour, spending in the wrong areas can only

When all is said and done, organisations

and Senior Vice President at Pega

20 years of marketing leadership experience

have to realize that implementing new

in global technology organisations. His mul-

technology without due diligence is like

ti-disciplinary background includes B2B and

customers determine their marketing focus,

taking a giant leap into the unknown. They

B2C marketing and sales experience as well as

those companies named email (43%) and

need a more holistic, strategic approach, in

product management, corporate strategy, and

digital ads (42%) as their top two channels,

which businesses look at their customers

business development roles.

despite increasingly low customer response

in a new way – as individuals with unique

rates. On the other hand, only 28% of

needs and preferences who have a complex,

companies said they were planning to invest

real-time relationship with every brand they

hinder CX projects.

Although 68% of companies say their

https://www.pega.com/

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 27

RESEARCH

The UKCSI is an independent, national benchmark of customer satisfaction published each January and July across 13 sectors of the UK, conducted by The Institute of Customer Service.

The UKCSI measures customers’ experiences and relationships with organisations on 26 metrics which are based on customer priorities. For over a decade it has provided us with a biannual snapshot of how UK consumers are feeling.

Latest Headline Results The latest UKCSI report was released at the beginning of July 2020. We’ve pulled together some of the highlights. The full report, published by The Institute, is available to download free on their website: https://www.instituteofcustomerservice.com/uk-customer-satisfaction-index For more detail, including scores for all named organisations, it is also possible to purchase in-depth reports on each sector.

The July 2020 UKCSI is 77.0 (out of 100), 0.1 points lower than a year ago and 1.2 points below the highpoint recorded in July 2017 The research for this UKCSI is based on 45,000 customer responses conducted in 2 waves of research: the first wave was conducted between 10 September and 7 October 2019; the second wave was conducted between 16 March and 13 April 2020.

78.2

77.9 77.4

77.1

77.8

78.2 78.1

77.0 76.3 76.0

77.9

77.7

77.1

77.0

76.9

76.2

69.4

Jan-08

Jan-13

Jan-15

Jul-17

Jul-20

Customer satisfaction with Public Services has improved but has fallen in the Tourism sector • Leisure is the highest rated sector, with a UKCSI score of 80.2 • Retail (Non-food) is the second highest rated sector but its UKCSI score of 80.0 is its lowest for 10 years. Similarly, while Retail (Food) has fallen by just 0.5 points compared to a year ago, its score of 79.6 is its lowest since January 2015.

• The Public Services (Local) sector has improved by 1.4 points compared to July 2019. The biggest improvements are for satisfaction with complaint handling and the number of experiences rated as being right first time.

• Customer satisfaction in the Tourism sector fell by 1.6 points to 78.6, the sector’s biggest ever year on year fall and its lowest score since 2009.

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 29

RESEARCH

The highest rated organisations for customer satisfaction are John Lewis (85.3), Nationwide (84.4), first direct (84.2),M & S (Non-food) (84.0) and M & S (food) (83.5) July-20 Rank

Organisation

Sector

July-20 Score

July-19 Score

July-19 Rank

Change in score July -19 to July -20

1

John Lewis

Retail (Non-food)

85.3

85.3

4

0.0

2

Nationwide

Banks & Building Societies

84.4

84.2

8

0.2

3

first direct

Banks & Building Societies

84.2

86.8

1

-2.6 q

4

M&S

Retail (Non-food)

84.0

83.4

11

0.6

5

M & S (food)

Retail (Food)

83.5

80.5

49

3.0 p

6=

Amazon.co.uk

Retail (Non-food)

83.3

84.4

6

-1.1 q

6=

Subway

Leisure

83.3

81.3

31

2.0 p

8=

LV=

Insurance

83.0

83.6

10

-0.6 q

8=

Nationwide Insurance

Insurance

83.0

81.6

26

1.4

p

10 =

Aldi

Retail (Food)

82.9

81.9

24

1.0

p

10 =

Premier Inn

Tourism

82.9

83.0

13

-0.1 q

p Increase in UKCSI score of less than one point

q Fall in UKCSI score

p Increase in UKCSI score of one point or more

The extraordinary context of COVID-19 16 March and 13 April 2020. Customers who

feedback we have received suggests that

in the extraordinary context of the COVID-

participate in the UKCSI research are asked to

many organisations have seen a boost in

19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown. In

rate a recent experience they have had with

their customer satisfaction ratings since the

this UKCSI, we have reviewed data from the

an organisation. Therefore, while not all the

lockdown was introduced but the situation is

specific time periods in which research was

customer experiences recorded in this UKCSI

volatile and evolving. The evidence from the

conducted in order to assess the impact of

took place during or around the lockdown

UKCSI suggests that while the overall trend in

COVID-19 on customers’ experiences with

period, it is likely that the extraordinary

customer satisfaction has remained flat, the

organisations. The July 2020 UKCSI is based

context of COVID-19 will have influenced

COVID-19 environment has produced variable

on customer research data gathered between

customer attitudes and UKCSI responses

impacts across sectors, organisations and

10 September and 7 October 2019 and between

given during March and April. Anecdotal

customer groups.

The July 2020 UKCSI has been produced

Based on the evidence in this UKCSI, The Institute have identified 8 key areas of focus for organisations in the

1 Reset business and customer experience objectives

2 Protect the health and well-being of employees

30 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

3 Support, develop and empower employees

4 Prioritise the needs of vulnerable customers

RESEARCH

The impact of COVID-19 and the lockdown on customer satisfaction is most apparent in the Insurance, Tourism and Public Services sectors

Sector

July 2019 UKCSI

Responses given 10 Sept – 7 Oct 2019

Responses given 16 – 23 March 2020 (Pre Lockdown)

Responses given 24 March – 13 April 2020 (Lockdown)

July 2020 UKCSI

Change: Lockdown and Pre Lockdown

UKCSI yoy change

UK all-sector average

77.1

77.1

77.1

76.8

77.0

-0.3

0.1

Leisure

80.0

80.2

79.9

80.4

80.2

0.5

0.2

Retail (Non-food)

80.9

79.9

80.4

79.9

80.0

-0.5

-0.9

Retail (Food)

80.1

79.8

79.3

79.5

79.6

0.2

-0.5

Banks & Building Societies

79.7

79.5

78.5

79.2

79.1

0.7

-0.6

Insurance

78.8

78.8

78.8

77.6

78.6

-1.2

-0.2

Tourism

80.2

79.1

78.0

78.1

78.6

0.1

-1.6

Automotive

78.5

78.7

77.4

78.4

78.3

1.0

-0.2

Services

76.6

76.8

77.5

77.1

77.1

-0.4

0.5

Public Services (National)

75.4

75.2

77.2

76.0

76.1

-1.2

0.7

Public Services (Local)

73.9

74.5

75.2

77.0

75.3

1.8

1.4

Telecommunications & Media

74.7

74.5

74.2

73.2

74.2

-1.0

-0.5

Utilities

72.1

72.9

71.9

72.6

72.6

0.7

0.5

Transport

70.8

71.9

70.9

71.1

71.4

0.2

0.6

Customers believe that protecting employees and vulnerable customers should be top priorities for organisations Do the right thing to protect their employees 40.1% Prioritise the needs of vulnerable customers 39.8% Keep customers updated 39.7% Maintain availability of the products/services they provide 38.3%

context of the evolving COVID-19 crisis

5 Make sure your customers know how to access services and contact your organisation for help and advice

6 Understand how customers’ needs and priorities are evolving

7 Focus on improving service productivity

8 Develop your capacity for innovation and agility

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 31

BOOK REVIEW

ECONOMICS IN THE AGE OF COVID-19

When I saw, at the end of April, that MIT Press had published a book on the economics of COVID-19 I was both impressed and alarmed. Impressed by the sheer speed with which all concerned must have acted in order to research, write, and produce (albeit digitally) an entire book in that time.

“This is the fastest we’ve ever moved a book through our system due to the immediacy of the content. The launch of the MIT Press First Reads series and the swift publication of Economics in the Age of COVID-19 reflects our ambition to address important topics in a fast yet responsible and authoritative manner."

- Amy Brand, Director, The MIT Press The key question, though, is whether the book is actually any good. I feared the worst when I noticed a typo on page 2 of the preface, but from then on it was all good news – the book is excellent. No doubt by the time you’re reading this some things will have become much clearer than they are as I write this review (in May 2020), or when the book was published, but I suspect that we’ll still be wrestling with the impact of this pandemic, the decisions we need collectively to make, and what our best route out of it looks like.

Joshua Gans takes an economist’s view of the pandemic, but resists the urge to paint public health and economic welfare as being in opposition. His argument is important enough that I think it’s worth giving a detailed summary of the whole book…

Health before Wealth Pandemics dramatically shift the relationship between public health and the economy, so seeking to find a balance is a mistake.

Under normal circumstances, because production is finite, public health and the economy is a trade-off, with diminishing returns. A pandemic changes that; it hollows out our ability to produce. That changes the balance, meaning we now need to give up a large degree of health to improve the economy. We must prioritise public health (for example by locking down swiftly) for both social and long-run economic reasons.

BOOK REVIEW

“…pursuing public health can be consistent with superior long-run economic performance.”

want to continue business as usual when we it doesn’t mean you don’t have a good

Predictable Surprises

Rallying Innovation

can. If customers aren’t turning up today, business.

Because of the enormous public interest in making any vaccine, or other health

Economic policy, therefore, should be to

innovations, widely available, there is a

Cumulative processes (e.g. exponential

“pause” the economy, preserving busi-

danger that this may disincentivise inno-

growth) are hard to understand, but predict-

nesses and jobs, using some mixture of

vation for fear of potential profits being

able. The rate of infection (R0) is not just

approaches such as banning foreclosure,

squashed. Advanced Market Commitments

a biological number, but also a social one.

paying bills/wages, and making loans. The

or other similar tools that help to guarantee

Epidemiological models sometimes ignore

best solution may be income-dependant

minimum profits may help.

this, and it means that by taking action we

loans, to try to ensure the burden is allo-

can mitigate the maths.

cated relatively fairly. If no action is taken

“The difficulty for a vaccine maker is that a

to pause the economy, there is the potential

low price on the vaccine reduces their profits but

the country eventually, there are huge returns to

for a “dark recession”, more like a natural

generates much more value for other firms as

doing it quickly.”

disaster, caused by damage to production

the economy recovers.”

“…if you know you are going to shut down

capacity (i.e. workers dying or being too ill

A War Footing

to work).

We may want a new “Manhattan Project” to address this and future pandemics.

Markets are great, but in times of crisis

“We know exactly why businesses have seen

it’s necessary to move to a “war footing”

their customers disappear…Moreover, we know

of centralised control. Markets are effi-

that, ideally, we want people to go straight back

research is a fraction of that devoted to other

cient because they work even though people

to their economic activity afterward.”

threats – notably, national security. Our

within them don’t have full information, but that takes time. Should I convert my factory

“The funding for innovation for medical

experience in 2020 suggests that our attention

The Testing Economy

has been misfocused.”

to make ventilators or facemasks? What if we end up with too many of one and not enough

Testing is vital to recovery. Testing is

The Future

of the other? Maybe I should wait and see?

the only way to control the rate of infec-

Central coordination prevents duplication

tion without blanket bans. If there proves

and delay, because of the information avail-

to be no lasting immunity, then strict social

future we will need some kind of global pan-

able to government.

distancing, tracing, and testing will be nec-

demic response institution (similar to IMF),

essary for a long time.

and we should be prepared to spend 100s

Governments must adopt central control to coordinate both public health response and economy. Their health policy should

Perhaps most importantly of all, in the

of billions on it. We will need a global pan“The testing economy is what emerges when

demic response unit, which creates issues

be to “surf the curve” (i.e. to both flatten

you have the virus under control, but you do

to be resolved around national sovereignty,

the curve and temporarily increase health

not have widespread immunity…This means

costs, etc. There is a danger of compla-

capacity), then move to heavy infection

that tests, like post-9/11 security measures, will

cency, so it’s important to note that in some

testing until/unless widespread immunity is

likely be part of our daily lives for many years to

respects we got relatively lucky with COVID-

achieved. Other important central interven-

come…”

19 (it doesn’t stay alive in the air, it seems

tions include price controls on key goods, such as hand sanitiser.

This Time It Really Is Different The inevitable recession, caused by

relatively genetically stable, and so on). Next

Re-emergence

time could be much worse.

Opening up after lockdown will be stag-

“…spending hundreds of billions per year to

gered, for example to prioritise those who

mitigate substantially the risk of global pandemics

can’t work at home and who can work rela-

is as close to a no-brainer as we are likely to get.”

policy, is importantly different to other

tively safely, probably starting with workers

recessions, because it’s something we are

in construction and manufacturing. Hubs

choosing to do. Gans likens it to a public

such as offices, schools, conferences, and

holiday (e.g. the short recession we choose

especially public gatherings are likely to be

Stephen Hampshire

to have every 25th December). This is

locked down for much longer.

Client Manager

important, because it means that (unlike a

If a vaccine is possible, it will take at least

normal recession) there is nothing fun-

a year, and will inevitably require prioritis-

damentally broken in the economy, so we

ing and rationing at least in the early stages.

TLF Research stephenhampshire@leadershipfactor.com

www.tlfresearch.com | Summer 2020 Customer Insight 33

HOW HARD CAN IT BE?

CUSTOMER SERVICE DURING THE LOCKDOWN: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

so I could go straight through security and I spoke to a guy there who answered within 3 rings and sorted everything for me in a matter of seconds. Amazing service! Everyone has a bone to pick with banks these days but I think their service should be praised when they're working at reduced capacity and still providing awesome service. BRAVO Barclays!!!”

“I contacted HSBC via the app. Although they took a long time to answer, they made me feel valued as a customer and they appreciated this difficult time we all face and understood my position. After a long conversation I was left feeling I had a bank that was there to help and would do anything to ensure I was happy and I knew they were only a call away. Money worries through these times and being furloughed

We have completed 3 surveys with TLF Panel during the lockdown, mainly to track how the lockdown has affected their lives and changed their attitudes and priorities. In the most recent survey we also asked panellists whether they had

has left us never wanting to book any future flights

with no idea when I’ll be back is worrying but

with them.”

mortgage payments will be on hold and I know I can

The customer experience with holidays has been just as variable: “I called Ionian Island Holidays when my holiday

talk to someone that will listen and assist as much as possible! This gives me some peace of mind”.

There were many delighted customers including this over-65 year-old lady from East Anglia:

received any particularly good, or bad, customer

to Greece was cancelled. When they offered a voucher

service, asking them to provide details. Over

for future travel I explained my husband was likely

1,500 people from all over the UK completed the

to be made redundant. They told me I could have a

my granddaughter's flute stopped playing properly.

survey and on re-reading their stories over the

full refund of my deposit £300 if I waited until my

It had been a gift to her from us and she wanted to

last 2 days, what has hit me between the eyes

holiday start date. They were very kind. I contacted

continue to practice during lockdown although her

is the huge discrepancy in service provided –

them again and received an e-mail from the

lessons had to stop. The flute was purchased through

literally from one extreme to the other. Rather

Managing Director saying they hadn't been able

this company so I emailed and asked if they could

than reading about me describing their varied

to recoup their losses from either the airline or the

help at all. They replied promptly, arranged for the

experiences second hand, I’m going to use the

accommodation owner, but would refund me in

flute to be uplifted from us, repaired it, free of charge,

full flavour of their own words to contrast the

full. I wrote back, thanking him and the lady in the

and returned it to us after only 1 week. This company

superb response of some companies compared to

office I'd spoken to originally and I received another

would have had the same problems with staffing as

the appalling, I would say unethical, behaviour

e-mail from the MD saying he had passed on the

everybody else, but my experience with others has

of others.

message to her and he hoped my husband's work

been very poor, ranging from empty promises to no

situation improved. I thought that was top notch

response at all. I think most of us will have had the

customer service”. (55-64 female, Southampton)

same type of experiences and we will remember who

All industries have been affected by the pandemic and in every in every sector you can find contrasting examples of superb and appalling service. Refunds

“I had a cottage booked for April in Yorkshire,

“I nominate Gear4music who I contacted when

to do business with in the future.”

This lady is by no means alone in thinking

have been a massive problem for many people during

and of course had to cancel it. The fuss that the

the lockdown. Let’s take airlines. Comments about

company put up, when I asked for a refund, was

very carefully about who she will do business

British Airways were overwhelmingly positive –

disgraceful, I explained that I have diabetes and

with in the future. And this young man from

“British Airways were very helpful and friendly even

cancer, but they were having none of it, they

Scotland is having very similar thoughts:

though they were busy and got the refund sorted out

said I needed to get a form signed by my GP, so I

quickly and easily. It felt like a pleasant experience so

downloaded the form, filled out my part, put in a

beginning of lockdown and it only arrived today

we won't hesitate to rebook with them.”

cheque for the cost of filling it and a SAE so that they

(23rd May). I tried to contact Homebase several

could send it back to me as neither of us wanted

times to chase up delivery but was unable to get a

to go to the practice. About a week later I got a

response of any kind. There’s nothing worse than

letter from NHS stating that I need to be shielded,

over-promising and under-delivering because you

people. Money back on flights! Ryanair has been

I emailed it straight away to the company, and

feel as though you’ve been robbed. I certainly won't

atrocious. After the first refund form (which they

they gave me back most of my money. They kept

be shopping with Homebase again.”

ignore) there is no way of getting in touch with

£78 for administration costs, which I felt was a bit

them. They have a webbot which seems to be

much!!!!!!” (55-64 female, South East)

Virgin, easyJet and Ryanair fared much less well. The 2 comments below are typical.

“My main problem was the same as a lot of

designed to be as little help as possible. They have

The much maligned banks seem generally to

“I ordered some paint from Homebase at the

Next time the lady from Southampton wants to go on holiday to Greece I know which company she’ll be using. But why can’t companies

a phone number which costs 13p a minute so after

have provided a very good response during the

understand that there are lots of places to buy

wasting 6 hours with no answers or results it cost

lockdown. The comments of this 25-34 year old

paint, a host of other holiday cottage options in

you £46.80 for the privilege!” 25-34 female, Leeds

lady from South Wales followed by a 35-44 year

Yorkshire, other alternatives for most products

old guy from Yorkshire were typical of the reac-

and services. I know that customers’ behavioural

Faro was cancelled by the airline. It took us 2 hours

tion of many panellists who have needed help

intentions don’t always materialise in practice

in a queue to get through. They were extremely

from their banks over the last three months.

but I think the dramatic impact of COVID-19 will

unhelpful refusing to refund the cost of our flight

The provision of apps to enhance the delivery of

give customers much longer memories this time.

which was £324 and only offering an alternative

a seamless omni-channel experience seems to

flight for a future date. We eventually accepted a

have been particularly effective

“We did have to contact easyJet when our flight to

flight for next January and did expect they would

“I am a Premier banking customer with Barclays

allow us to use the full cost of our cancelled flight

and I have to say they have been AMAZING! I was

but again they refused and the flight we had booked

charged twice in the space of 2 minutes for an order I

only cost £140 leaving us out of pocket to the tune

made with Argos and after an hour on hold to them,

of £184. Really feel cheated by the company which

decided to ring Barclays instead. I rang from the app

34 Customer Insight Summer 2020 | www.tlfresearch.com

Nigel Hill Chairman TLF Research

Customer Insight Magazine is created and published in house by TLF Research.

The magazine is our way of sharing features and latest thinking on creating an outstanding customer experience. We hope you enjoy reading the magazine as much as we enjoy creating it.

If you’ve got an interesting customer experience story to tell and would like to feature in the magazine, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact our editor Stephen Hampshire for more information.

Email Stephen at stephenhampshire@leadershipfactor.com or give him a call on 01484 467014

ABOUT TLF RESEARCH We are a full service customer research agency. Specialists in customer insight, we help our clients understand and improve their customer experience.

Get in touch to find out more about what we do.

Visit us online at tlfresearch.com or call 01484 517575

FREE WEBINARS Our range of free 30 minute webinars is designed to give you an introduction to key customer research subjects.

From how to guides & what to focus on, through to best practice & the analysis of your results, our webinars will give you lots of hints & tips to help you get the most out of research.

WARMING UP RESPONDENTS TO MAXIMISE RESPONSE RATES 12th August 2020 11:00-11:30am

Whether you are trying to increase a low response rate or hope to encourage a few more customers to take part in your research programme, this webinar provides practical tips and ideas for communicating with customers before the survey and engaging their interest in your research.

BENCHMARKING RESULTS, CAN IT BE DONE RELIABLY & HOW?

DO YOU NEED TO MEASURE CUSTOMER EFFORT?

26th August 2020 11:00-11:30am

2nd September 2020 11:00-11:30am

We are all interested to see how our Customer Satisfaction or NPS scores compare to others, but how do we do it reliably and what do we want to get from benchmarking? Greg Roche talks through different approaches to benchmarking and how best to use this MI to drive action.

Customer Effort is a relatively new metric, but it is gaining in popularity as a headline metric and an effective measure of customer loyalty. If you are easy to deal with – customers are likely to come back. Chris Elliott is a big advocate of Customer Effort, in this webinar he will talk about the pros and cons of the metric and how it can add a different perspective to your customer research.

TURNING INSIGHT IN TO ACTION: THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTION PLANNING

B2B CUSTOMER JOURNEY MAPPING

9th September 2020 11:00-11:30am

16th September 2020 11:00-11:30am

There is no point doing customer research unless you’re planning to do something with the results. Action planning is the best way to ensure you are using the insight gained from your customer research to drive positive change to the customer experience. Greg will guide you through best practice when creating an action plan and show you some practical examples of how they can work.

Journey mapping is an important task to undertake for both B2C and B2B customers, but the outputs for these 2 groups will look significantly different. We’re focusing on B2B customer journey mapping in this webinar and how to ensure all the relevant insight is captured.

NEURO DESIGN FOR INFOGRAPHICS

ONLINE SURVEYS: A GUIDE TO SUCCESS

29th September 2020 11:00-11:30am

30th September 2020 11:00-11:30am

Infographics are popular because they can engage people with insight and make data stories memorable, but it’s not always clear how to achieve the biggest impact. In this webinar we discuss what Neuro Design, the field which applies lessons from cognitive science to the aesthetics of design, can teach us about making the right design choices.

Are you making the most of your online surveys? They are an effective way to gather feedback and can help you reach large numbers of customers, but they need to be carefully considered. In this webinar, Vicki will take you through her best practice guide to creating online surveys that deliver results. She’ll cover a range of topics, from maximising response rates and questionnaire design, to analysing and feeding back the results.

Sign up today at tlfresearch.com/webinars