Keeping customers satisfied
Having had the luck and opportunity to be able to spend some time with family and friends in these last few weeks of summer, I have noted how the interaction between different generations when spending more time together emphasised changing expectations and could, along with increased understanding and knowledge, directly lead to a change in my requirements as a customer quickly and quite fundamentally. This idea kept coming back to me and what started out as some personal observations became a subject for discussion that the research team wanted to consider and highlight in this month’s newsletter: what are our expectations concerning our local post offices and what are Posts doing to meet said expectations?
It seemed reasonable to assume that a customer’s satisfaction is driven by being able to confidently access what is required, when, where and how each individual wants ( product or service). So we decided to explore recently reported events to help remind you and us how different or similar this may look around the world.
We accept that we live in a technically enabled and media accessible world where people are almost instantly aware of new initiatives happening globally, and this creates greater expectation of and demand for choice.
We also know that, in delivering an infrastructure of choice, some countries have been able to fast track development pathways benefitting from the experiences of early adopters and leaving out that which appeared essential but has been overtaken with advances and, on occasion, rendered obsolete. This is best instanced as an example looking at growth in mobile technology availability and utilisation; worldwide trends which now question the need and viability for fixed line telecoms.
Concepts and ideas can grow rapidly and can be cascaded at speed throughout the globe and create a knowledge and expectation which, in the past, would have been more predictable as it matured over time.
This pace of change creates a challenge for companies such as Posts which are focussed on continuously meeting and satisfying customer requirements, anticipating change and taking action to revise and revamp networks and what may be longstanding infrastructures or ways of working to produce successful sustainable results.
Assuming that action taken in and by Posts is in response to current and anticipated customer needs, let’s look at what is changing in Posts’ responses to creating viable choices.
- Extending alternative convenient access for customers
- Parcel terminals continue to be installed
- To enable 24/7 self-service access
- To extend availability by siting in locations with extended self-service availability over and above standard retail hours of business
- To offer a self-service alternative to personal service in outlets offering postal services
- Parcel terminals continue to be installed
- Extending availability of customer choice through partnerships
- Offering customers alternative locations from which to drop off and or collect parcels
- Offering a range of Post branded/ associated products and services through alternative locations
- Designated alternative customer delivery – How and were will parcels be dropped off to benefit the client.
- Outlet format changes to match customer expectations
- Modernisation of the retail network by Posts.
Parcel terminals are the main and largest growing trend when it comes to customer service channels at the moment. Fuelled by the growth of e-commerce and the fast pace of today’s society, people need to be able to pick up their parcels where and when it is most convenient to them. Most posts have realised this need and through partnerships have started locating parcel terminals in places where they are most accessible to their clients: supermarkets, shopping malls, gas stations or even train stations. And the trend is global, entities such as Correos de Chile, Post Denmark and Czech Post have started setting up their own networks, and the forecast is for this to continue and expand. See some examples below.
https://postandparcel.info/48340/news/companies/post-danmark-to-expand-parcel-terminal-network/
Another way the Posts are trying to satisfy their customers is by improving both their services and offerings by updating their technologies and infrastructure through partnerships. Such is the case of Post India with Infosys. The deal will not only modernise the technological infrastructure of India Post but also, customers will largely benefit from the installation of 1,000 cash dispensing ATMs at post offices.
New and creative delivery approaches have been put into place. In the UK, Royal Mail has been give the green light by the regulator to deploy the much talked about “delivery to neighbour” project, which allows Royal Mail to leave parcels with neighbours in case there is no one home to accept the item.
Looking at other competitive activity valued by customers, the recent agreement between Amazon and CollectPlus in the UK means that Amazon will see the nomination of and for parcel drop-off at the local convenience store for the customer to pick up.
Also, as of late there has been a trend where some Posts have been modernising their outlets or retail networks to better adapt to their clients’ needs. Such is the case with Australia Post which has launched its first few “superstores”, which include parcel lockers, travel services and even a digital essentials zone in-store to allow customers to shop online via iMacs and iPads. Another example is the partnership between Poste Italiane and Haypost to revamp the retail network in Armenia with new technologies, a new image and a designated retail area.
Yet, with increased customer familiarity using smart phones, we see opportunities and emerging developments for greater use of applications and formats building direct customer interactivity with screens, use of biometrics and emerging technology; all changing the look and feel of service to customers in outlets or remotely .
A clear example of such technological advancements and implementations in store is the agreement between Swiss Post and Apple, where Swiss Post will not only commercialise Apple products in its branches but also set up interactive displays of product information to inform its customers.
The product and service range of Posts’ own brands and 3rd party products influences the outlet format and indeed the options for access made available to customers, given that each will need to operate to a given and agreed specification.
A widely mentioned idea on how Posts or post offices can better serve their customers is by staying open for longer. A recent piece of research conducted by Royal Mail in the UK clearly showed that customers would rather have a reduced number of deliveries for longer opening hours for post offices. Also the research shows that post offices should broaden the number of services they offer (finance, retail, ID services, etc) and not limit themselves to only postal related services and products.
Staff service directly impacts customer satisfaction
In a service industry focussed on customer satisfaction even with increased reliance on technology the role of staff in supporting and enabling change is universally recognised as being critical to achieving successful outcomes.
Infrastructure investment plans reported this month as underway in Russia, Armenia and Poland all emphasised plans in relation to people change as a priority.
The interaction between the Posts and the customer has always and will always be crucial. Besides, what is being offered, how it is being offered is just as important. Poczta Polska has recently announced they will launch a training programme covering 50,000 of its 93,000 employees; the largest training programme in Europe.
Expanding customer choice and undertaking transition
In many cases Posts are looking to provide increased choice of access to customers which are relevant to now and perceived to be both sustainable and cost effective looking ahead
That may mean making difficult choices about what has existed to date and will face opposition by those who are content with the current state and /or need support to enable adoption of new ways of accessing services; staff and customers all being impacted.
So far this all has been positioned from the standpoint of expansion of choice and options for customers.
Yet Posts frequently face challenges from their stakeholders opposed to change, attempting to hold on to what may be longstanding service obligations which may need to be re-visited for the organisation to be sustainable and viable to meet customer requirements looking ahead.
This gets more complicated when considering the reality of providing equitable universal service obligations following, for example, the debate over USPS and the plans to provide a minimum service offer in rural areas.
In the UK over the last month we have seen reports challenging the equity of access by some customers to delivery in relation to provision of services for those residents in remote rural locations within Scotland.
Even though I live in a rural area and face serious network constraints and limitations based on an outdated telecoms infrastructure, I can and do increasingly rely on use of online services to communicate with colleagues, friends and family around the world, carry out transactions and shop.
In writing this I am reminded how fortunate I am, as I can still walk to my local Post Office, I generally get a daily delivery of mail and items I buy online and have a variety of options from different providers as to how to pick up and collect my parcels. I have come to expect this and see it as the norm whilst looking for continuous improvement.
This makes me wonder just what arrangements and actions are being taken by Posts to offer support and access to enable use of services for and by those consumers who may need additional help.
I shall put this on my list of future topics for the research team to consider in a future newsletter but meantime your comments, views, tips and ideas about what action is required to keep abreast of customer needs would be welcome, so as to exchange ideas and keep inspired and meeting the continual challenge.
