The business with the workforce able to engage in a consistent and effective manner will be the one that achieves business growth. The excuse of waiting to get to know the client, for the complete picture of their needs to emerge, no is no longer acceptable. Changing the way that an organisation operates, the move towards better customer engagement puts everyone on the frontline.
A great example of how this wider, all-encompassing approach to satisfying current need and preparing for potential future need, is in a recently launched initiative developed by Shropshire-based Arrow County Supplies. Named ‘Ask Arrow’, Director Sam Blackledge expands on a way of working that has naturally evolved for a company that is already well renowned for its high-quality customer service levels.
Sam said: “When it comes to customer services, we are always working to take our provision to the next level. Wanting to expand on the traditional customer service model, we wanted to be able to provide a more proactive service to our customers that would enable us to engage with all opportunities for future business.
NEXT LEVEL CUSTOMER SERVICE
When it comes to meeting customer expectations, Arrow County Supplies isn’t content to just hit its targets: it aims higher.
It’s a fact that the customer service bar has been raised. Demanding very different kinds of relationships with companies, clients expect much more when it comes to being looked after by their services provider. In a crowded sector, the need to differentiate from the competition is vital for survival. Evolving customer service into a practice that holds customer engagement activity at its heart is the next logical step for FM suppliers looking to retain contracts and grow their business.
Personalising a service and offering in-depth expertise will encourage long standing business relationships. However, to engender business loyalty, a willingness to go above and beyond the immediate need is required.
The job of customer engagement is now the remit of everyone within the organisation. Increasingly the critical moments of interaction between companies and customers are spread throughout a business. It is now a shared responsibility to ensure rapid response and the development of internal lines of communication between supplier and customer.
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
“Originally, where we would offer recommendations based on our knowledge and then tailor to the customers’ needs, budget and expertise, we have developed our Ask Arrow programme to take us deeper, to allow us to learn more about the customer beyond the transaction.
“Through Ask Arrow, we spend significant time analysing current products, procedures and environments, then digging deeper to investigate strategic objectives, long-term plans and potential need in the future. These insights then allow us to make further recommendations: these might include additional tools or products, offer information on how to save time or money on certain projects, and provide other advice based on industry knowledge and first-hand experience with commercial and industrial cleaning methods.”
Launched in November 2017, Arrow is successfully rolling out the Ask Arrow programme to several UK organisations, with plans to significantly expand this provision in 2018. Sam continued:“To bolster the recommendations that we make, we also provide training to staff to enable smooth implementation in the event of new products or working practices being introduced.
“For us, it is not just about dropping in on our customers to provide something new or better, and then going away again until more product is needed. It is more about us working in a long-term partnership with our clients, to maximise efficiencies, increase quality levels, and deliver significant return on investment. Proactive customer care breeds brand loyalty and we hope that through Ask Arrow, we are able to retain and work with our customers for many years to come.”
Minimising customer effort through proactive engagement, and ensuring a quality customer service provision is a much larger beast than ever before. Delving deeper and offering more than just a standard provision, the scene is set for FM service providers in 2018.
www.arrowcounty.com REGULAR | 27
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