Organisation development consultancy Echelon has developed a programme that is producing noticeable results as its clients win and retain more customers.
To date, Echelon’s ‘service DNA’ programmes, focused on customer loyalty, have seen:
- A 2 per cent overall increase in passenger numbers for an organisation in the public transport sector
- A 65 per cent increase in compliments and 40 per cent reduction in complaints sustained throughout 2008 by this same business.
- One NHS Trust – over two years – score significantly better on issues that mattered to patients.
- One Council consistently outperforming the top quartile for customer service performance by seven per cent.
- A 40 per cent increase in customer satisfaction for a logistics company.
- A 37 per cent increase in customer satisfaction for a client from the hotel sector.
- A client in the travel industry achieve 50 per cent lower staff turnover than its industry peers.
- Over 1,000 improvement ideas collected in three months from staff at one organisation in the health sector.
- Clients win National Training Awards, a UK Housing Award and a NHS Communications Award.
“Customer loyalty underpins business success at any time, but right now it could be the one thing that guarantees survival. We believe the key to creating and understanding customer loyalty is through the development of a detailed insight into customers’ specific expectations, mapping, if you like, the organisation’s service DNA,” said Jenny Hill, who heads up Echelon’s consultancy team.
“Understanding this DNA leads to the creation of a branded customer experience that not only increases customer loyalty but adds customer numbers through the power of advocacy. Wider benefits measured include a reduction in complaints, an increase in compliments and, in a competitive job market, reduced staff turnover.”
