Latest news with #customerservice
Fast Company
2 hours ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Want better customer service? Treat your employees better
Poor customer service can hurt your business. But just how badly might surprise you. Just ask United Airlines. In 2008, musician Dave Caroll and his band Sons of Maxwell were traveling on United Airlines when the airline allegedly broke Caroll's $3,500 Taylor guitar. United Airlines refused to pay for or replace the guitar, so Caroll and his band did what musicians do best. They wrote a song about the incident called ' United Breaks Guitars ' which details Caroll's frustrating experience with the airline's customer service reps. The song went viral on YouTube with 25 million views (and counting). Travelers who came across the humorous video took to the internet to vent, recounting their own poor experiences with the airline industry, with United Airlines bearing the brunt of the criticism. It may be a coincidence, but a week after the video was posted, United Airlines lost 10% of its stock value —a value of $180 million. In today's age of sky-high digital connectivity, the need for companies to deliver remarkable customer experience has never been more important. While not all customers will be creative enough to record a viral music video detailing their experience with brands, customers can leave product and service reviews on sites like TrustPilot and Yelp, or take to social media and with just one post, share their experiences with thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of followers. And, as we have seen with the examples of United Airlines, those negative reviews can have an impact on a company's bottom line. And even though research shows that consumers are more likely to share negative experiences through social media (49%) compared to positive experiences (38%), many companies such as Zappos, Southwest Airlines, and Ritz-Carlton are renowned for their remarkable customer experience. Despite acknowledging that their level of customer experience can make the difference between their company's success and failure, many companies still struggle to provide even mediocre service to their customers. The reason is that these companies treat poor customer service as a core problem to be solved, when poor customer service is actually a symptom of something much more dangerous to their businesses. That 'something' is poor employee engagement. Treat the cause, not just the symptom Each year, companies invest billions of dollars in workplace training. According to Statistica, U.S. companies alone spent US$101.8 billion on training in 2023. And for some pretty good reasons. When employees receive practical and effective customer experience training, they gain valuable skills needed to successfully manage a range of customer interactions—from problem-solving customer concerns to answering complex customer queries, resolving issues in a timely manner, and salvaging negative customer experiences and transforming them into positive ones. While customer service training can provide employees with valuable clarity on how they should engage with customers, if the organization treats its employees poorly or has a toxic work culture, much of the training will fall on deaf ears. As Sybil F. Stershic, author of Taking Care of The People Who Matter Most, notes, 'The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don't feel valued, neither will your customers.' Simply put, companies that invest in customer experience training but don't treat their employees well will often find that their investments result in minimal improvement in their customer experience delivery. Remember, if your employees don't feel valued, neither will your customers. On the other hand, companies that focus on building a highly engaged culture, treating their employees fairly, and valuing their efforts are more likely to benefit from customer experience training. Why? Because when employees are fully engaged and feel valued, they are more likely to want the company to succeed and will do their part to help the company meet its business goals, objectives, and targets—including delivering the type of remarkable service that turns casual customers into raving fans of their organizations. This idea that engaged employees deliver better customer service is backed up by research from Gallup, which showed that companies that scored in the top quartile of employee engagement saw 10% higher customer loyalty/engagement compared to companies in the bottom quartile. These companies with higher levels of employee engagement also benefitted from 23% higher profitability. Treat your employees better If your organization is struggling with delivering poor customer experience, the best way to deal with the issue is to focus on both the symptom and the problem with equal measure. Yes, you should most definitely provide your employees with customer experience training, but you should also invest in employee engagement programs that help ensure that employees feel valued. Always remember this simple adage: 'Your customer experience will never exceed your employee experience.' Want to improve your customer experience delivery? Then be relentless in finding ways to treat your employees better. Here are a few examples of how you can make your employees feel appreciated for the work they do: · A simple 'thank you' goes a long way towards making employees feel valued. Publicly thank, recognize, and (If necessary) reward them for a job well done. Or, if more conducive to your workplace culture, write them a meaningful 'thank you' note or email. · Give them the opportunity to make recommendations on how to make your business stronger. Listen to their ideas and give them credit for any suggestions you decide to implement. · Be sure that your employees' pay and benefits package is commensurate with the value they bring to the organization. · Pay attention to their workload and give them the opportunity to achieve an appropriate work/life balance that reduces the chances of burnout. Treating poor customer experience as the problem rather than the symptom will produce, at best, a temporary increase in customer experience delivery. Only by treating both the symptom and the cause will you achieve the customer experience results your company is working towards. And that starts with treating your employees better.
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
stc Bahrain inks strategic partnership with Singapore Gulf Bank
Bahrain - stc Bahrain, a digital enabler, has announced a strategic partnership with Singapore Gulf Bank Bahrain to deliver advanced IT infrastructure and services that will enhance the bank's operational efficiency and customer experience. This collaboration marks an important milestone for stc Bahrain as it continues to empower businesses with innovative technology solutions while supporting Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030, which emphasizes innovation, sustainability, and the development of a strong financial sector, said a statement from the company. Through this partnership, stc Business will provide Singapore Gulf Bank Bahrain with customized IT solutions designed to streamline operations, optimise processes, and support the bank's efforts to adapt to the evolving demands of the financial sector. By integrating modern technology into its systems, Singapore Gulf Bank aims to improve service delivery and achieve greater operational resilience, it stated. By supporting businesses in their digital transformation journeys, stc Bahrain continues to demonstrate its role as a key player in advancing technological capabilities across industries and contributing to the Kingdom's long-term economic goals. "This partnership reflects our commitment to enabling businesses to thrive in today's digital economy, remarked Hesham Mustafa, the Chief Business Officer at stc Bahrain. "By equipping Singapore Gulf Bank Bahrain with advanced IT solutions, we are helping them achieve their goals while reinforcing our position as a trusted provider of transformative technology services," he stated. Ali Moosa, Executive Vice Chairman of SGB, said, 'Partnering with stc Bahrain marks an important step in building a future-ready, resilient digital bank built for the world." "By integrating advanced infrastructure and IT services, we are strengthening our ability to deliver seamless and secure financial services, in line with our mission to bridge traditional and digital finance,' he added. Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
20 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
Ajman Chamber engages the business community in service development and enhancement
Ajman Chamber organized an interactive session titled "Engaging Customers in the Development and Improvement of Ajman Chamber Services." The session aimed to enhance service quality, ensuring an improved customer journey and fostering an effective partnership between Ajman Chamber and its customers. The session, held at the Thara Entrepreneurship Hub, was attended by Mohamed Ali Al Janahi, Executive Director of the Member Support Services Sector; Fatima Al Awadhi, Director of the IT Department; a group of business owners from among the Ajman Chamber's members; representatives from private sector establishments; and relevant Ajman Chamber employees. At the outset of the session, Al Janahi welcomed the attendees and emphasized the Ajman Chamber's role in empowering the business community within Ajman and providing an environment that promotes economic activities. He emphasized that this is crucial for achieving the highest levels of prosperity and sustainable economic diversity, in alignment with the objectives of Ajman Vision 2030. He further clarified that the session serves as an interactive communication channel to ascertain customer needs and expectations, thereby enhancing their contribution to the development of the operational system. This initiative aims to achieve the highest standards of customer satisfaction and sustainable continuous improvement. The session also reflects Ajman Chamber's contribution to the national "Zero Government Bureaucracy" program by reducing service steps and requirements. Al Awadhi stated, "Developing and improving services at Ajman Chamber is a sustainable objective that Ajman Chamber is keen to achieve through continuous communication with its members from private sector establishments. This supports the enhancement of the emirate's business environment competitiveness and the ease of doing business." She further affirmed that the customer's voice is the cornerstone upon which Ajman Chamber relies for service improvement. During the session, several key services were reviewed, alongside a discussion on opportunities for their improvement and simplification of procedures. The session also featured a series of developmental recommendations supporting efforts to enhance service quality, aligning with the aspirations of the business community and contributing to the achievement of sustainable economic development goals in the emirate of Ajman.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Four steps to get ready for the Commission Compensation ruling
The impending Supreme Court decision and the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) redress scheme are set to reshape the motor finance landscape. The effective management of commission compensation will hinge on exceptional customer service and the streamlined efficiency that only a high degree of automation can provide. Here are four critical steps to help motor finance providers ensure their organisations are ready: 1. Master data ingestion and normalisation The first, and arguably most crucial, step is to gain complete control over historical data. Finance companies face significant hurdles with data completeness and accessibility from years past. Advanced analytics and risk assessment capabilities will, therefore, be critical to help make sense of deep historical data sets. This involves ingesting and normalising vast amounts of historical lending data, including loan agreements, commission records (discretionary/non-discretionary, commission applied/not) and past customer interactions. The goal should be to accurately verify the legitimacy of claims and determine customer eligibility. This includes confirming whether a commission payment was made to the retailer, understanding the loan details, and specifically, the type and amount of commission paid. Not every finance agreement included a commission, and commission rates varied (e.g., lower on new cars than used). By centralising and normalising this data, lenders can more accurately assess potential liabilities and identify specific customer segments most likely to file complaints based on their historical finance agreements and commission structures. This foundational step is paramount to calculating accurate compensation allocations. 2. Automate assignment of correct payout to each claim With a clear understanding of the data, the second step will be to automate the assignment of payouts. The evolving regulatory guidance from the FCA and the eventual Supreme Court decision mean that the precise calculations for redress are currently still fluid. This dynamic environment demands extreme flexibility in operational processes. A powerful business rules management system could play a key part in managing this process. It should empower business teams to implement and rapidly adjust business rules to reflect new regulatory guidelines without heavy reliance on IT or external professional services to make changes to rules and decision strategies. This user-controlled autonomy means that once the FCA clarifies the redress methodology (e.g., whether the payout is the commission paid to the retailer compounded over time), lenders can quickly configure their systems to automate these complex calculations. This automation is vital to efficiently handle the surge in claims that many motor finance providers are already experiencing; and which are likely to increase significantly once the Supreme Court decision is delivered. It should prevent the need for manual, case-by-case reviews and enable accurate allocation of hundreds of millions of pounds in potential payouts. 3. Personalise consumer communications The expected surge in complaints post-ruling will also put immense pressure on customer service teams and inevitably impact customer experience, brand loyalty and potentially increase churn across the whole business, not just those who believe they have a claim. Effective, individualised consumer communication will be key to managing this challenge. Proven customer communication and engagement solutions already developed for the financial services space should be able to facilitate clear, consistent and compliant communication with affected customers across various channels, including voice, SMS, mobile applications, email, social media and other channels. Leveraging strong data analytics, lenders should be able to identify the right channel and the right message for each customer. This is crucial for managing expectations, providing timely updates on redress schemes, and proactively reaching out to eligible customers. If, as expected, the ruling leads to a 404 redress scheme, the onus will be on finance companies to proactively contact affected customers, making automated, two-way communication capabilities essential. By automating mass communications, valuable FTE resources can be re-deployed to focus on more complex cases, rather than being overwhelmed by volume. This focus on a seamless digital experience is paramount to maintaining customer experience and reducing churn. 4. Bolster fraud protection Finally – and perhaps most important – in the context of this issue, is the likelihood of increased fraud risk. The activity around commission compensation will inevitably lead to a rise in fraudulent claims and lenders will need to be equipped to validate legitimate claims and identify suspicious ones effectively. Robust fraud protection capabilities need to be factored into the planning and preparation process. For example, through network and link analysis, connections between seemingly disparate claims could be uncovered, helping to identify organised fraud rings or individuals attempting to submit multiple claims through different channels or identities. This will also help to flag "speculative claims" – those submitted without real basis, perhaps encouraged by Claims Management Companies, differentiating them from genuine grievances. By integrating third-party identity verification services, claimant identities can be verified as legitimate and that they are indeed the individuals who entered into the original finance agreements, preventing claims from stolen or synthetic identities. The motor finance sector is, unquestionably, facing one of the most challenging periods in its history. Yet, as a key component of the UK economy, it is vital that it can continue to support clients and deliver services to keep motorists on the road. Preparing for the volume of claims that many providers have already provisioned for will be critical to achieve this. Andrew Williams is Senior Director, Non-Banking Industries for FICO "Four steps to get ready for the Commission Compensation ruling" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Top Gear
a day ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Genesis G80 Electrified Review 2025
Genesis is Hyundai's luxury diffusion line, a well-known quantity in its home market and the US, now tilting at the establishment in the UK and Europe. Many have tried and indeed are still trying, but Hyundai's top brass see it as a matter of honour to lock swords with the big players. And they want to do it by being different. Large saloons and SUVs are the traditional pathways to showroom glory and this, the G80 saloon, along with the GV80 crossover, were the cars it used to open its account. But Genesis didn't stop there. Now, there's also a smaller G70 saloon and estate/shooting brake (call it what you like), and a smaller GV70 crossover. Oh, and an all-electric GV60. Advertisement - Page continues below What is the difference factor you speak of? Key here is the fact that the company disavows the conventional retail model and is prioritising customer service above shiny-suited commission-incentivised salesperson patter. So there are no showrooms. Instead, Genesis plies its trade via a little-known tool called the internet and retail 'studios'. Its first was in London's Westfield shopping centre, now there are a total of 14 across the UK. Genesis also allocates customers an individual personal assistant, most of whom have been recruited from non-car spheres (one is ex-Harrods). There's a mighty five-year warranty, five-year servicing, and five-year roadside assistance package, and the car is collected and returned on covered transport. What of the car itself? South Korea's rep in the world of painless consumer durables is well established but we've come a long way since 'that'll be the Daewoo'. The G80 is an imperious looking saloon whose dropping rear roofline and cut-off tail suggest coupé-like grace in a sector populated by largely trad saloons. Advertisement - Page continues below There's the usual stuff about being able to render the car's silhouette with just two lines, although to be fair to the creatives here the G80's two-line game actually is strong. It's there in the headlights, the details aft of the front wheelarches and in the rear lights. The 'matrix' grille is the usual punchy Asia-Pacific fare, although better executed than many. And it's big, measuring 5mm shy of 5m in length, closer to a Mercedes S-Class than the E-Class with which it competes, and arguably generating more presence than the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and the near-invisible Lexus ES. A mid-life facelift in mid-2025 saw the wheelbase extended 130mm, meaning even more space for backseat passengers, while up top it now gets a massive 27in screen that incorporates both the driver display and infotainment displays. Plush indeed. You haven't mentioned powertrains yet… At launch you had the choice of a 2.2-litre, 207bhp four-cylinder diesel in rear-wheel drive only, or a 2.5-litre, 300bhp turbocharged four-cylinder with AWD. But if you want internal combustion now… tough. These have been discontinued in the UK. Instead, your sole offering is the G80 Electrified, which gets a 365bhp dual motor powertrain and a range of 354 miles from its 94.5kWh battery. That's up on the 323 miles and 87.2kWh of the pre-facelift car. Onwards and upwards. Alas, that means we need to hastily revise this car's opposition. Suddenly you're looking at the BMW i5, Mercedes EQE, and Audi A6 e-tron. The Polestar 2 is a smaller alternative, and heck, why not the Porsche Taycan if you're entertaining that kind of entry price? What kind of entry price? Ah, well... things kick off at an eye-watering £75,615. If you're looking for a small crumb of comfort, it's that there's only one specification and it gets all the toys already fitted as standard. So there's that. Still though... What's the verdict? ' In some respects the Genesis G80 is as soothingly reassuring as a BBC Sunday night sitcom ' In some respects the Genesis G80 Electrified is as soothingly reassuring as a BBC Sunday night sitcom. Whatever else is bothering you, the its primary goal is to make all the bad stuff go away. At least for the duration of your journey. This is a noble aspiration for a car of this type and provided you don't start asking it dynamic questions it doesn't really want to answer, the G80 is generally impressive. It's extremely well made, easier to operate and less showy than some of its rivals, and ticks all the tech boxes. The interior experience, in particular, is world class. Just a shame it costs so much. And that you can't take much stuff with you.
