Open-access content
Monday 10th October 2011
11 October 2011
By James Richards
Winner: Carillion Facilities Management
Carillion’s customer experience strategy caught the judges’ attention because of an approach which began with the question: “How does the customer feel?”
One phrase encapsulates Carillion’s customer services strategy – it’s ‘don’t be afraid of your feelings’.
Carillion believes that there is a growing ‘commoditisation’ when it comes to delivering FM services. The problem for suppliers is how to differentiate your business from your competitors in an increasingly aggressive marketplace.
But rather than look at differentiation from the supplier’s point of view, Carillion turned the discussion around. What differentiates a supplier from the client’s perspective?
Basically, a supplier wants a positive experience that includes knowing their supplier is meeting the contract goals and adding value to the business. Part of that experience, Carillion realised, was the enjoyment of dealing that supplier.
To understand that client experience, Carillion needed to know ‘how the customer was feeling’ about working with Carillion, about its services and about dealing with its people.
Carillion set about putting the feeling into the phrase ‘customer relationship’ and created their Customer Services Strategy. If the customer enjoyed the experience, they would be inclined to come back, reasoned Carillion.
However, everybody reacts differently in different relationships. To that end, Carillion made its strategy as generic as possible to ensure its corporate consistency. But it also had to mould the strategy to each client to suit the people involved, to ensure that they felt valued by Carillion, that they enjoyed working with the company and – importantly – its suppliers.
This customer experience strategy underpinned its entire corporate strategy for 2010 – “it’s about how we do business, not just about what we deliver”. It was also led from the top by setting up a pan-Carillion steering team.
Included were the managing director of Carillion FM Richard Sykes, head of service for customer experience, Donna Kerfoot, and the managing director of each Carillion business unit.
Once the strategy was agreed, Carillion began developing wider initiatives and toolkits to help frontline teams and get their buy-in. Ultimately, this would embed the culture needed to become a world-class organisation renowned for delivering a world-class customer experience.
Sharing the findings
To ensure the success, the steering team had to identify, share and disseminate best practice across the group. It had to provide guidance to the business on customer experience benchmarks, objectives and business plans and engage with external organisations.
The main vehicle to accomplish this was the Centre of Excellence for Customer Experience. It champions the right behaviours and is responsible for the best-practice toolkit. Donna Kerfoot, head of service, works closely with contract teams to support them in embedding and measuring the customer experience culture.
A ‘seven-step’ employee-training programme – also open to its suppliers’ employees – was established to ensure a consistent approach by the Carillion workforce to the company’s customers. The programme also set out a “robust corrective action plan” for employees to identify and solve customers’ issues.
It was as much about altering the Carillion culture as delivering a better experience for the customer. Training involved personal improvement, such as listening skills, learning how to deal with conflict, how to sell yourself, understanding the person you are dealing with and how to make your own action plan.
Carillion has had to measure its progress with its customers. To that end, the company uses ServExcel Measurement tools, developed in partnership with the University of Salford and a number of similarly customer-focused businesses and organisations, including Disney and Shell UK.
Highly commended
Devonshire Square Management
Its customer-focused strategy puts the client at the centre of everything the business does. The company has a culture of working with a client towards one goal and vision.
By James Richards
Winner: Carillion Facilities Management
Carillion’s customer experience strategy caught the judges’ attention because of an approach which began with the question: “How does the customer feel?”
One phrase encapsulates Carillion’s customer services strategy – it’s ‘don’t be afraid of your feelings’.
Carillion believes that there is a growing ‘commoditisation’ when it comes to delivering FM services. The problem for suppliers is how to differentiate your business from your competitors in an increasingly aggressive marketplace.
But rather than look at differentiation from the supplier’s point of view, Carillion turned the discussion around. What differentiates a supplier from the client’s perspective?
Basically, a supplier wants a positive experience that includes knowing their supplier is meeting the contract goals and adding value to the business. Part of that experience, Carillion realised, was the enjoyment of dealing that supplier.
To understand that client experience, Carillion needed to know ‘how the customer was feeling’ about working with Carillion, about its services and about dealing with its people.
Carillion set about putting the feeling into the phrase ‘customer relationship’ and created their Customer Services Strategy. If the customer enjoyed the experience, they would be inclined to come back, reasoned Carillion.
However, everybody reacts differently in different relationships. To that end, Carillion made its strategy as generic as possible to ensure its corporate consistency. But it also had to mould the strategy to each client to suit the people involved, to ensure that they felt valued by Carillion, that they enjoyed working with the company and – importantly – its suppliers.
This customer experience strategy underpinned its entire corporate strategy for 2010 – “it’s about how we do business, not just about what we deliver”. It was also led from the top by setting up a pan-Carillion steering team.
Included were the managing director of Carillion FM Richard Sykes, head of service for customer experience, Donna Kerfoot, and the managing director of each Carillion business unit.
Once the strategy was agreed, Carillion began developing wider initiatives and toolkits to help frontline teams and get their buy-in. Ultimately, this would embed the culture needed to become a world-class organisation renowned for delivering a world-class customer experience.
Sharing the findings
To ensure the success, the steering team had to identify, share and disseminate best practice across the group. It had to provide guidance to the business on customer experience benchmarks, objectives and business plans and engage with external organisations.
The main vehicle to accomplish this was the Centre of Excellence for Customer Experience. It champions the right behaviours and is responsible for the best-practice toolkit. Donna Kerfoot, head of service, works closely with contract teams to support them in embedding and measuring the customer experience culture.
A ‘seven-step’ employee-training programme – also open to its suppliers’ employees – was established to ensure a consistent approach by the Carillion workforce to the company’s customers. The programme also set out a “robust corrective action plan” for employees to identify and solve customers’ issues.
It was as much about altering the Carillion culture as delivering a better experience for the customer. Training involved personal improvement, such as listening skills, learning how to deal with conflict, how to sell yourself, understanding the person you are dealing with and how to make your own action plan.
Carillion has had to measure its progress with its customers. To that end, the company uses ServExcel Measurement tools, developed in partnership with the University of Salford and a number of similarly customer-focused businesses and organisations, including Disney and Shell UK.
Highly commended
Devonshire Square Management
Its customer-focused strategy puts the client at the centre of everything the business does. The company has a culture of working with a client towards one goal and vision.