'From Hello to Goodbye'

Overview

Development Programme

Duration dependant upon organisational needs

'From Hello to Goodbye' is bespoke by nature as so much depends upon the type of organisation, it's relationship with it's customers and it's individual needs. Therefore this initiative can be adapted to suit most organisations with a customer-facing team, and will provide valuable insights and clarity as to how well their team are performing. These findings are structured around staff interaction with the customer at every stage or at certain points of contact.

There may be a number of reasons for embarking upon this initiative, and emphasis can therefore be placed on specific areas as dictated by the desired outcome. We are happy therefore to be guided when deciding which activities and behaviours to observe. The outcome is often used to identify where future valuable training resources are best concentrated, as opposed to the common approach of having to presume what is needed to develop the staff and the organisation.

Typically this initiative involves our specialist trainer, Jason Routley, making a visit to premises and observing and recording behaviours. Jason worked for John Lewis Partnership and has considerable experience in the customer service sector.

We will be working within a logical written framework and looking for a number of indicators which would of course be guided by individual requirements. Depending on industry and sector, a typical example may include elements below:

Subject Areas Covered

The 'Customer Journey'. This involves looking at how the customer is interacted with at every instance and stage of dealing with your organisation. This may well include include parking, signage and logical merchandising, compelling displays and promotions. Telephone interaction and call handling are often examined, along with general account administration.

First Impressions. How and if the customer is greeted and interacted with in the very first instance as this will affect how the customer reacts in all further contact.

Telephone Sales. How well the member of staff communicates, asks for the order and identifies sales opportunities are examples of what we have often been asked to look out for.

Complaint Handling. How this is approached, dealt with and followed up by staff and management. We can often gather the opinion of customers as well! 

Management Presence. Interaction between management and staff and an indication of the resulting management style. This may reveal certain behaviours that highlight a potential training requirement, one thing we often look for is how well a manager engages with staff, and how long they spend sitting behind a desk.

Lost Sales and Margin Opportunities. How many staff are showing signs of being compliant order takers and how many are attempting to be sales people.

The Customer's Perspective. If required, customers can be encouraged to offer their opinion on how well the team looks after them.

What Next? A structured report will be issued and is usually discussed with all stakeholders, during a de-briefing meeting and this will highlight areas in which improvements can be made, along with suggestions as to how these may be implemented.

Who Should Attend?

This offering is often, (but not always) required by organisations who have more than site and want to spread 'best practice'. With that in mind we are sometimes asked to visit a site or a number of sites that are deemed to be offering good customer service, and others which are thought to be struggling somewhat.

This allows for a broader understanding of overall operations and if required, we can assist with rolling out the improvements and agreed changes across the whole company culture. This may lead to the delivery of a bespoke training package as a result and From Hello to Goodbye may well benefit from being combined with our 'Mystery Shopper' service.