Skip to main content
Facilitate Magazine: Informing Workplace and Facilities Management Professionals - return to the homepage Facilitate magazine logo
  • Search
  • Visit Facilitate Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit Facilitate Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @Facilitate_Mag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management Logo of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
    • Comment
    • People
    • Reports
    • Research
  • Features
    • Analysis
    • Features
    • Round Tables
    • Webinars
  • Outsourcing
    • Contracts
    • FM Business Models
    • Interviews
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Opinion
    • Procurement
    • Trends
  • Know-How
    • Explainers
    • Legal Updates
    • White Papers
  • Jobs
  • Topics
    • Workplace Services
      • Hospitality
      • Catering
      • Cleaning
      • Front of House
      • Grounds Maintenance
      • Helpdesk
      • Mailroom
      • Manned Guarding / Security
      • Pest Control
      • Washroom Services
      • Disaster Recovery
      • Specialist Services
    • Professional Performance
      • Behavioural Change
      • Continual Professional Development
      • Education
      • Management
      • Recruitment
      • Training
    • Workplace Performance
      • Benchmarking
      • Health & Wellbeing
      • Operational Readiness
      • Procurement
      • Security
      • Workplace User Experience
      • Workplace Culture
    • Compliance
      • Health & Safety
      • Risk & Business Continuity
      • Standards
      • Statutory Compliance
    • Building Services
      • Architecture & Construction
      • Asset Management
      • Building Controls
      • Building Fabric
      • Drinking Water
      • Fire Protection
      • HVAC
      • Landscaping
      • Mechanical & Electrical
      • Building Security
      • Water, Drainage & Plumbing
    • Technology
      • Building Information Modelling
      • CAFM
      • Data & Networks
      • Document Management
      • Information Management
      • Internet of Things (IoT)
      • Software & Systems
    • Energy management
      • Energy Management Systems
      • Electricity
      • Gas
      • Solar
      • Wind
    • Sustainability
      • Environmental Quality
      • Social Value
      • Waste Management
      • Recycling
    • Workspace Design
      • Agile Working
      • Fit-Out & Refurbishment
      • Inclusive Access
      • Lighting
      • Office Interiors
      • Signage
      • Space Planning
      • Storage
      • Vehicle Management / Parking
      • Washroom
    • Sectors
      • Corporate Office
      • Education
      • Healthcare
      • Manufacturing
      • International
      • Retail
      • Sports & Leisure
      • Regions
  • Buyers' Guide
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Content
  • News
Content
Building Services
Topics
Compliance
Architecture & Construction
News
Content
Building Services
Topics
Compliance
Architecture & Construction

BIFM Awards 2011: Innovation in Customer Service

Open-access content 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.
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Most-Popular

 

Latest Jobs

Property Programme Manager - Fire Safety – Student Accommodation (MC)

London (Central)
£100k plus bonus + package
Reference
54310

Interim Head of Health & Safety

London (Central)
£300 per day (PAYE)
Reference
54307

Engineering Manager

Staffordshire
£60,000 + car +bens
Reference
54209
See all jobs »

 

 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to print

Sign up to receive our weekly Redactive News e-newsletter.

Subscribe
Facilitate magazine cover, June 2020
​
FOLLOW US
@Facilitate_Mag
Facilitate Magazine
Facilitate Magazine
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel: 020 7880 6200
​

IWFM

About IWFM
Become a member
Qualifications
Events

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to Facilitate Magazine
Write for Facilitate Magazine

General

IWFM Jobs
Help

www.facilitatemagazine.com and Facilitate magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive, Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London, E1 8BL