Even today too many organisations still view customer service primarily as a cost centre. For them, it's a necessary evil where the aim is to provide a minimum acceptable level of service at the lowest possible cost. Moreover, they invest with an unrelenting focus on...
The purpose of a consumer-centric digital transformation is to drive: ✔ Simply outstanding consumer experienceAnd✔ Profitable, sustainable revenue growthIt's a big challenge for long-established consumer brands.Here's how the home appliance industry is rising to this...
We've all seen this frightening statistic: A staggering 70% of business change initiatives end in failure. Why is this? And how can we achieve a higher success ratio? To find out I ran a LinkedIn poll. Here are the results: So, it’s clear. Change management...
A staggering 70% of business change programmes end in failure. Dig deeper and you'll find that the number one reason why business change fails is people and not process. This short article will help you to understand the people issues that derail change management....
After the year we’ve lived through no one can deny the need for change. And nowhere is this more obvious than the need for better customer service. That's because the coronavirus pandemic has already changed how customers choose to interact with companies and brands....
2020 has been a watershed year. Business change has been sudden and rapid. 9 months after Covid-19 swept across the world we are still living with disruption to so many aspects of our personal and business lives. Even as the first vaccinations take place, this...
The COVID-19 crisis has laid bare that being in business is fraught with risk. Companies that survive are not necessarily the biggest, but they are the most agile. But what does business agility really mean? And how do you become more agile? Defining Agile To some,...
Change is the only way to survive. The coronavirus crisis is taking no prisoners as it decimates large swathes of the economy. Despite unprecedented business support measures, a wave of bankruptcies is about to break – just as lockdown is beginning to ease. Sadly,...
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced dramatic business transformation on organisations, large and small, in countless sectors, right across the world. In a few short weeks so much has already changed. Although no one can clearly predict exactly how the post-COVID-19...
A crisis is always a catalyst for change. Some things never go back to how they were before. The Covid-19 crisis is fundamentally reshaping the working environment and the accepted work-life balance. The way we work is changing for the better. Work before Covid-19...
Like it or loathe it, working from home is the new normal. At least for the foreseeable future. The internet is awash with advice on how to effortlessly work from home. I've even thrown my hat into the ring here with my top 15 tips for working from home. Helpful as...
Managing change is hard at the best of times. How you manage change at a time of crisis is critical. Within the space of three short months, coronavirus has turned the world on its head. Overnight, the old certainties are gone. Carefully made plans lie in tatters....
In 1964 The Beatles sang “Money can’t buy me love”. 50 years on it is clear that money can’t buy loyalty either. Businesses around the globe have spent large sums of money on loyalty programmes but very often they just don’t seem to work very well at all. Why is this?...
For manufacturers the smart way of making more money is through service. Indeed, the days of competing on product innovation alone are long gone. When Apple, one of the best product companies on the planet, announced in 2016 that it makes more money from services than...
You will be hard pressed these days to find the words “extended warranties” writ large in store or online or uttered by your friendly sales assistant. But wait, there is more to this than meets the eye. If you are making any major purchase, whether it be a car, a...
As we enter a new decade, you can bet that entrepreneurs up and down the country are looking to embrace technology to drive business change and get ahead of their competitors. From a business technology point of view, more has changed in the last 10 years than in the...
Right to repair has been enshrined in legislation for the first time The right to repair is the new reality for manufacturers of dishwashers, refrigerators, TVs and washing machines. The race to the bottom that gave rise to low-end brands, shorter life cycles and...
Today’s announcement that British Airways is facing a record fine of £183m for last year's breach of its security systems demonstrates that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has teeth. For organisations, big and small, data security and privacy must be a...
How many of us would describe ourselves as a computer geek, a website guru or a master of social media? Very few I would imagine! And yet - just like me and many others - you've probably found yourself as a stakeholder or manager of a mission-critical digital project....
Do you listen to your customers? Does their voice carry into the upper echelons of your business? Do you take action to make a positive difference? The answers to all of the above should be a resounding “yes”. "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of...
Some consumers love product support packages as a way of buying into a closer, ongoing relationship their favourite brands. This is an interesting insight. Especially, when you consider that deeper customer engagement and increased customer loyalty represent the “holy...
Even the biggest businesses on the planet can make the most basic customer service mistakes. "We’re sorry this sounds like it has been an absolute nightmare"Microsoft UK Facebook Message Microsoft’s stated mission is to empower every person and every organisation on...
The service industry is awash with new technology. From smart sensors to field service automation. From virtual assistants to web portals and mobile apps. The common denominator? Making use of real time information to increase service efficiency and improve the...
Click or call. Customers have a choice. Increasing they are choosing online instead of over the phone. Which explains why your business is not receiving as many calls as it used to. And this poses a problem for the many businesses who have enjoyed great success in up...
Want more sales? Then, invite more complaints! According to Ruby Newell- Legner in her article "Understanding Customers", for every 1 customer who complains, there may be a staggering 24 others who don’t bother. Worryingly, 9 out of 10 of these could be lost to you...
How much time do you spend on the frontline? Out there where the day to day action is within your business. For example, side by side with your contact centre advisors as they take calls. Or out in the field with your delivery teams and service technicians. Forgive me...
