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Building and maintaining customer trust will be central to long-term recovery
T
he Institute of Customer Service (ICS) has highlighted that trust
has always been fundamental to our interactions – as customers, as employees and as leaders – yet in the face of the enormous upheaval presented by the Covid- 19 pandemic, widening inequality and increasingly polarised political and cultural worldviews, trust has
become increasingly strained across all aspects of our economy and society. Jo Causon, chief executive of the ICS, said: “Our research demonstrates
that high levels of customer satisfaction are directly correlated to higher levels of trust and in turn customer retention and recommendation, whilst improving efficiency and reducing cost. “Recent times have seen an overall stagnation in average trust levels
with organisations across the UK; yet this is not the whole story. A closer look reveals a deeper problem, with an ever-widening gap between those organisations who score highly on trust levels, and those who fall short.” As we continue to recover from the seismic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our economy, organisations should consider just how fragile trust is, Ms Causon said. The ICS research revealed the highest customer priorities for trust lie in the fundamentals – quality of products and services, competence, reliability, transparency and being treated as an individual. “Yet there are increasingly more complex issues at play,” Ms Causon said,
“with customers placing growing importance on an organisation’s ethical credentials – from approaches to environmental issues to the treatment of employees. “Empathy and care are critical aspects of customer experiences that have high personal importance, or when dealing with vulnerable customers.”
Over two-thirds of Brits have no home security measures in place N
ew research from Samsung SmartThings revealed that Brits have become more security conscious since the pandemic, with half of Brits experiencing concerns
about leaving their homes. With the days getting shorter and the clocks having just turned back, many people are considering their home security. The research revealed that over a third of Brits feel a greater need to protect the security of their homes, compared to before the pandemic. Teg Dosanjh, Samsung UK & Ireland’s director of connected services and technology, said: “With months of being at home and various restrictions in place, safeguards such as remote home security are likely to have slipped to the back of people’s priority list or become bundled into the “too complicated” basket. “However, home security doesn’t have to be complicated and there are some simple steps that people can take to ensure their homes are more secure as they start to leave more frequently.”
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HOW TO HEAT THE HOME OFFICE EFFICIENTLY THIS WINTER
Working from home might seem like the ideal situation but with spiralling fuel costs and the prospect of heating the home for an extra eight hours a day, home workers might be left feeling the chill.
HOTPOINT LAUNCHES GENTLEPOWER WASHING MACHINE Hotpoint has launched a premium range of washing machines, which includes a 9kg, ‘A’ energy rated, GentlePower washing machine (H8 W946WB UK). This machine claims to offer savings of up to 65% on energy, 59% on water and 30% on detergent.
3 November 2021
www.ierdaily.co.uk | 7
BRC WARNS THAT RETAIL HEADWINDS LOOM ON THE HORIZON
The latest ONS Retail Sales Index figures showed a 3.7% year-on-year increase in overall sales. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “The fifth consecutive month of rising sales is a testament to the perseverance and innovation of retailers who continue to constantly adapt to the changing COVID landscape.”
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