Not Simply a Department Name. Customer Service Manager Claire Bell introduces the quiet revolution unfolding throughout many departments within Brand-Rex.

When Brand-Rex decided to create a Mission Statement that focused on Customer Service, it raised a few eyebrows, not least amongst the members of the Customer Service team. Our new Mission Statement simply stated our ambition – “To be the market leader in Customer Service”.

For a company that regularly referred to Customer Service as being the department that dealt with customer orders and liaised with internal functions, it took a little explaining to make it clear that this new mission statement did not simply refer to the performance of one department.

“So what is ‘Customer Service’?” many asked. A very good question it transpired. Depending on who was asked the question, a different response was given. We all have our own views about what Customer Service is. We all know how we feel when we get good Customer Service and how we feel when we don’t. But if we are to set a goal towards being the best in Customer Service, it is important that we have a broadly agreed consensus of what this actually means.

Brand-Rex decided to put Customer Service at the heart of our mission statement because we recognise that this is really what matters most to our customers. Our customers expect that we will deliver high performance cabling systems with maximum reliability – these are areas where Brand-Rex has built its reputation. There is however a recognition that manufacturing companies, equally true in our industry as in many others, are not the best when it comes to Customer Service.

Ask a customer why he returns time after time to the same supplier and you will discover that Customer Service is mentioned more than a few times. By focusing on this area, we believe that we are focusing on the area most important to our customers, allowing us to stand head and shoulders above our competitors. To ensure we were aligned in our understanding of Customer Service, Brand-Rex turned to the professional body that promotes best practice on this subject, the Institute of Customer Service (ICS).

The Institute of Customer Service allowed us to learn that Customer Service captures the entire customer experience in dealing with
Brand-Rex. From ease of communication to the way in which we respond, from consistency in delivery to flexibility of approach, from understanding customer needs and expectations to regularly providing that little extra above and beyond. The more we learned, the more we realised what a vast subject Customer Service truly is and the more we appreciated the scale of the challenge we had set ourselves.

During our first year of ICS membership, we have taken huge steps forward from those first tentative early days. Having undertaken a professional assessment of our initial position, we were able to develop a roadmap and a simple ten point plan, fully supported by the Brand-Rex senior management team.

We have regular dialogue with the ICS, we have attended seminars and organised visits to learn from some of the best practitioners of Customer Service Excellence in industries that are very different to our own. Possibly one of the most satisfying aspects has been the enthusiasm from many of our staff to gain formal awards in Customer Service. Employees from many areas within the business are learning and implementing newly developed skills in Customer Service.

Whether directly involved with our customers or working in other business functions our staff appreciate that they can all impact our ability to provide market leading Customer Service. We recognise that Customer Service excellence is a journey rather than any single event and that we must continue to improve in all areas to ensure that we meet our mission. But give a thought to this quiet revolution that is taking place within Brand-Rex as we apply real focus towards ensuring we consistently exceed your expectations.