Entries by ' Annie Mulady '

Should the service we experience as customers reflect the amount of money we are paying for the goods? As consumers, it is our choice if we want to make our purchases as cheaply as possible or pay more for higher quality or peace of mind.

Over recent months, I have been carrying out a training programme which involves participants deciding whether a number of organisations are ‘Wow’ – fantastic and we want to deal with them all the time, ‘OK For Now’ – those who just do what it says on the tin or ‘Ow’ – those we hate and will avoid at all costs. Obviously there are some differences in how people rate these organisations, but some common themes are coming through and one is – it’s not all about the money.

So let’s have a look at the negatives first and, without naming and shaming those organisations in the ‘Ow’ category, they are consistently those who we do not feel give us value for money or who are not open and honest. Budget airlines often come into this arena for hidden charges, misleading information and in some instances (and again I will not name them) a complete disregard for the customer – there is one airline that does not even have a customer service department. Organisations that it is thought mistreat their staff or are unethical also come into what people consider to be an ‘Ow’.

On a more positive note, the ‘Wow’ organisations are not necessarily providers of the most expensive goods and services. A leading hotel chain who ‘guarantees you a good night’s sleep’ is frequently cited as a trusted organisation and one we want to do business with. I have been staying at one of their hotels over the period of 6 weeks and do not have a bad word to say for them – you know what to expect in your room, the receptionist actually recognised me and the welcome was always warm. Another ‘Wow’ is a supermarket chain which was always known for being a cheap but unpleasant experience. Now they have recognised the need for service with a smile and addressed this through staff training and introducing a service based culture which has now put them into the ‘Wow’.

So what is the point of being considered a ‘Wow’ company? When we are interacting with the ‘Ow’ companies, as customers, we tend to be on the ‘back foot’ - we go in with a negative attitude as we are expecting a poor or frustrating experience. I know when I contact my telephone line provider, I go in as the customer from hell before anyone has even picked up the phone as I am expecting a bad time. If you are considered a ‘Wow’ company, we go in with a positive attitude as we are expecting a good or even excellent experience – even if something goes wrong, we trust that this service provider will put it right.

Putting the customer at the heart of your business model and making it easy to do business with you reaps the rewards of customer trust through loyalty, and new customers through a positive reputation.

If you want to ensure that you are a ‘Wow’ company by achieving maximum performance from your greatest asset, your people,  contact Annie Mulady on 01628 475988 or annie@muladysolutions.co.uk

You are not alone if the thought of giving presentations scares you. Giving a presentation is worrying for many people. Presenting or public speaking regularly tops the list in surveys of people's top fears - more than flying.

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Moneypenny, the outsourced reception specialist, has released new research through mystery shopping, ranking the FTSE 100 in terms of the first impression they give callers. The results were quite frightening with just one in four of the UK’s top companies having an ‘excellent’ reception service.

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Are we sometimes motivating with a one size fits all approach or do we take the time to actually find out what turns one person on and another off completely?

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Managers can make or break a company in the same way MPs can make or break a Government. While they do not always have the ultimate power on policy making, their actions will determine if the vote goes for or against their party. Equally, their behaviour can have a huge effect on the image and credibility of their party

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