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Customer satisfaction in service markets
Customer satisfaction in service markets
Our client is an environmental and engineering consultancy, providing expertise ranging from mining and minerals through to civil engineering, environmental sciences and waste management. The company had no independent measure of customer satisfaction and so wanted a survey amongst its major clients, to obtain feedback on its performance and highlight potential areas for improvement.
The research involved telephone interviewing of the top 50 clients, covering perceptions of performance across a range of service areas and benchmarking against key competitors. High levels of co-operation were obtained via a pre-recruitment phase, including ‘warm-up’ contact from the company’s account managers and a letter/email to all clients prior to starting the survey. Potential respondents were also offered a short summary of the research findings as an additional incentive to participate.
The results highlighted key strengths in service quality and customer management. However, they indicated a lack of commercial approach in generating additional business from existing customer relationships. The research output included the development of an on-going customer feedback mechanism and self-completion questionnaire, incorporated within the company’s customer relationship management process.
The research involved telephone interviewing of the top 50 clients, covering perceptions of performance across a range of service areas and benchmarking against key competitors. High levels of co-operation were obtained via a pre-recruitment phase, including ‘warm-up’ contact from the company’s account managers and a letter/email to all clients prior to starting the survey. Potential respondents were also offered a short summary of the research findings as an additional incentive to participate.
The results highlighted key strengths in service quality and customer management. However, they indicated a lack of commercial approach in generating additional business from existing customer relationships. The research output included the development of an on-going customer feedback mechanism and self-completion questionnaire, incorporated within the company’s customer relationship management process.
Attitudes to using Intermediaries
Attitudes to using Intermediaries
A research project on behalf of a major provider of facilities and sustainability management services, looking to explore attitudes and requirements of SME businesses – how they go about choosing their utilities and site-services suppliers; how they may/or may not use Third-Party Intermediaries (TPIs) for brokerage and/or related services; the respective pros & cons of this; and feedback on a new services proposition being developed by the company, targeted specifically at smaller businesses.
The project involved a series of focus groups in specialist viewing facilities in the North and South of England, scheduled over several evenings with each group lasting around 1½-2hrs. The group participants were screened and recruited via telephone (with additional reminder-calls plus a monetary incentive provided to encourage attendance on the night). All were the key decision-makers within SME businesses, across a range of different business types and industry sectors.
As well confirming potential financial advantage as a primary motivation in using an Intermediary, the research also highlighted saving time and effort/hassle as a significant factor; plus the importance of trust and transparency as the basis for a successful and long-term relationship; and the degree to which this is centred on personalised dealings with individuals.
The project involved a series of focus groups in specialist viewing facilities in the North and South of England, scheduled over several evenings with each group lasting around 1½-2hrs. The group participants were screened and recruited via telephone (with additional reminder-calls plus a monetary incentive provided to encourage attendance on the night). All were the key decision-makers within SME businesses, across a range of different business types and industry sectors.
As well confirming potential financial advantage as a primary motivation in using an Intermediary, the research also highlighted saving time and effort/hassle as a significant factor; plus the importance of trust and transparency as the basis for a successful and long-term relationship; and the degree to which this is centred on personalised dealings with individuals.
Assessment of UK export support services
Assessment of UK export support services
A series of research projects on behalf of the DTI & FCO, in connection with the operation of its TradePartners UK export support service.
The main survey involved a large scale programme of telephone ‘customer satisfaction’ interviews with those who had used each of the 10 specific export promotion services; and further ‘follow-up’ interviews with selected respondents to consider the full impact using these services had on companies’ export performance.
A related project involved a continuous programme of telephone interviews with businesses which had attended a range of promotional events organised by the Export Market Directorates; together with specific surveys (both telephone and face-to-face) targeting in turn businesses which had made enquiries or sought advice on specific export markets, users of the Export Market Intelligence Centre (EMIC) and companies which had received a grant for research under the Export Market Research Scheme (EMRS).
The main survey involved a large scale programme of telephone ‘customer satisfaction’ interviews with those who had used each of the 10 specific export promotion services; and further ‘follow-up’ interviews with selected respondents to consider the full impact using these services had on companies’ export performance.
A related project involved a continuous programme of telephone interviews with businesses which had attended a range of promotional events organised by the Export Market Directorates; together with specific surveys (both telephone and face-to-face) targeting in turn businesses which had made enquiries or sought advice on specific export markets, users of the Export Market Intelligence Centre (EMIC) and companies which had received a grant for research under the Export Market Research Scheme (EMRS).
Using multi-research methods to facilitate participation
Using multi-research methods to facilitate participation
Our client, a Global not-for-profit organisation, had developed a range of key products and services that support businesses to become more environmentally sustainable in their freight and logistics activities. The research aimed to validate the market demand for these new products and services; and explore attitudes towards the introduction of charging fees for certain services (in order to cover the costs of a more widespread and complex service delivery), rather than offering these ‘free-of-charge’ as had so far been the case.
The research targeted multi-national companies and their freight/logistics partners (across wide range of countries and regions); utilising both telephone interviewing and online self-completion methods, in order to facilitate maximum co-operation by offering respondents the choice of whichever method of participating would suit them best.
The results helped our client to prioritise which products and services are of most value/relevance to businesses (and conversely which are of lesser importance or value); in order to guide its short- and long-term investment planning.
The research targeted multi-national companies and their freight/logistics partners (across wide range of countries and regions); utilising both telephone interviewing and online self-completion methods, in order to facilitate maximum co-operation by offering respondents the choice of whichever method of participating would suit them best.
The results helped our client to prioritise which products and services are of most value/relevance to businesses (and conversely which are of lesser importance or value); in order to guide its short- and long-term investment planning.
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