A Dickensian twist
As we approach the end of 2024, it’s time to reflect on what has been another eventful year for many organisations. And given this is my last note to you before Christmas; in keeping with tradition, I’d like to take…
Trading through tough times – the customer experience is key
As 2024 draws to a close, I do hope we can all find a moment to reflect on not just the business challenges, but also the successes, innovations and ways of driving up productivity and effectiveness. Working across such a…
Building business confidence through service
Warnings this week that some organisations intend to cut plans for growth, especially around headcount and hiring, are both concerning and hard to ignore. The Government has come under increasing pressure from businesses post-budget, but is so far standing firm. For…
The critical end-of-year period – maximising the Golden Quarter
The so-called Golden Quarter and its flagship moments – Black Friday and Christmas – present a significant opportunity for businesses. Especially for the retail, hospitality and travel sectors, for whom a major chunk of annual revenue can be earned in…
Reflecting on the Budget and road ahead for the Service Nation
There has already been much commentary on this week’s Budget, which was a defining milestone for the new government in setting its vision for economic resilience and long-term growth. For businesses, it was a reason to brace for impact. For…
Conditions are aligning to get customer satisfaction back on an upward trend
This month, we have released our latest six-monthly UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) - and unfortunately it doesn’t make great reading. Customer satisfaction has fallen for the fourth period in a row and now stands at its lowest level since…
An opportunity to rebuild trust and kickstart growth
It’s an extraordinary fact that around half of the world’s population is taking part in an election of some form during 2024. Here in the UK, our own General Election is hard upon us with a much-changed political landscape seeming…
Service in the headlines for the right reasons
We live in a world where poor customer service is increasingly dominating the headlines. As I discussed with the Financial Times for the leader of this weekend's FT Magazine, the collapse in service standards has cost UK plc billions and has eroded…
How personalised experiences can shape the future
The closure of Fenwick’s flagship London store last weekend struck a chord with me – particularly the stories in this Guardian piece from some of its customers who used to cherish the personal touch they received when they visited the iconic…
Turning around the worrying decline in customer satisfaction
Our latest UK Customer Satisfaction Index, published on Tuesday, illustrates once again that customer service is not an optional extra, but a strategic necessity. It is the key to success and long-term survival in today’s uncertain and competitive business environment –…