The system of commerce that we operate within has the underlying principle that if you buy more then you should pay less. Buy two get one free. 33% extra free. Bulk-buy discounts available. The thinking is that the more that is shipped then the lower the distribution cost, the lower the associated overhead and the … Continue reading Buy more – pay more
Brand aware
Today we have been running a pilot session for our upcoming ICT workshops. These are building upon the successful customer focus sessions we ran last year. The basic thrust of the event is around our ICT strategy, how this fits in with what the business wants and what our individual roles are in delivering it. … Continue reading Brand aware
What learning a language can teach you
I’ve been inspired by a blog I read today. It was by Benny the Irish polyglot who is convinced that anyone can learn a foreign language and be fluent in three months. I came across his site when I got the urge to learn Dutch for some reason, perhaps with a view to going on … Continue reading What learning a language can teach you
The internal customer
Treating parts of the organisation as customers in an internal market is a great idea except for one thing – it doesn’t work. Why not? Before I expand it is worth defining what is meant by a customer and a supplier. A customer is someone who has a demand for products and services and expresses … Continue reading The internal customer
Three levels of corporate responsibility
A business has three levels of responsibility. It is responsible to the market, its people and its society. All businesses should ensure that all three layers are built into their core values and consumers should avoid dealing with those that don’t. Everyone can understand that a business has a responsibility to its market. It needs … Continue reading Three levels of corporate responsibility
The Insinkerator
The Flintstones had a pig underneath their sink that would eat all the scraps of food that Fred and Wilma left on their plates. We don’t though, instead we have an Insinkerator Model 45 which macerates all of our leftover food items and flushes them through the waste pipe at least we did have as … Continue reading The Insinkerator
Customer satisfaction
Today I have been to a great event laid on by the Institute of Customer Service Institute of Customer Service It was one of their regular forums but this time the subject was measuring and using customer satisfaction. This builds on the recently announced figures by the institute on their UK Customer Satisfaction Index July … Continue reading Customer satisfaction
Customer training
Today we are trying out our new Customer First training programme as part of our membership of the Institute of Customer Service, prior to it being launched across the wider organisation. It’s all gone very well with a dozen or so willing volunteers getting involved, making positive noises about what is working and constructive comments … Continue reading Customer training
First, second and third line
It is a very common approach to have service provision to customers split into layers, or lines. The first line is the one that greets the customer and gathers information about them and their requirements. This is where the customer gains their first impression of the business and usually covers their high level and easy … Continue reading First, second and third line
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 