What do customers want?
Jo Causon, Institute of Customer Service CEO, came to talk to colleagues at Nationwide about what customers really want.
Her opinion matters to us. Having happily spent many years topping customer satisfaction charts in Financial Services, we decided to raise the bar. A thorough search for the most rigorous measurement brought us to Jo's Institute and their customer satisfaction index.
Providing legendary service is one of our key objectives across the Society, so we were keen to hear what she had to say.
Read moreWhat is good customer service?
The Institute’s purpose is to make the UK better at customer service. Jo asked 'What does customer service mean to you?' The key is that 'one size doesn’t fit all'.
No two answers will be the same. What we each class as outstanding, good or unsatisfactory is unique for every one of us. We all have ever growing demands, frustrations and wishes when it comes to being satisfied in the world of customer service and therefore why it matters will also differ.
When we think of customer service, we usually think of physically interacting with a customer who is purchasing a product or service, however Jo was quick to remind us that, as colleagues, we are all customers of each other.
How does it make you feel?
However, it turns out the age-old phrase 'the customer is always right', isn’t right! What really matters is how we feel about the transaction. Here's a quick overview of a story that Jo shared.
She and her mother booked a cruise but unfortunately her mum had a fall and they couldn't go. After claiming the costs through insurance, Jo received a cheque in the post along with a compliments slip.
However, the insurance company did something a little different for Jo's mother. They sent her a personalised letter saying how sorry they were that she was unable to go on her cruise and wishing her well. This was, for the insurance company, a very small deed, but one that made Jo's mother feel special and valued.
At Nationwide, our PRIDE values guide us in how to give great service. The D – Doing the right thing, in the right way, is certainly paying dividends as we are consistently in the top 10 of the Institute’s coveted Customer Satisfaction Index.
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