Bestway Wholesale is investing £250,000 in improving customer service across its 63 cash & carry depots.
The wholesaler has commissioned an independent research company to conduct interviews with 60 customers from each depot every quarter. The customers will be quizzed on a range of nine performance indicators, from car parks to product availability. In addition, customers will be asked to assign a score based on whether they would recommend their local depot to others. This will then be used as a measure to reward depots for their efforts.
The depots in each of the company’s six geographical regions with the highest improvement in their recommendation score over the previous quarter will be rewarded, with each depot member receiving a £120 bonus.
“Great customer service has to come from the bottom up. Each depot staff member is a customer touchpoint and we want to make sure that each customer is treated as a person rather than just a number,” said Bestway Wholesale MD Younus Sheikh.
The first survey was undertaken in October last year to set benchmarks for each depot, with an average recommendation score of 87%. A further survey was conducted in January, with the six most improved depots winning cash bonuses for all staff members.
“Price will always be a prime motivator for customers, but service is equally important. Commercially, it is impractical to continue to reduce prices but everyone loves to feel important,” said Bestway Brighton depot manager Fida Hussain.
“Bestway has a long history of looking after its staff and customers, and I am delighted the company has introduced the new initiative as it will help motivate staff to further engage with customers and increase loyalty.”
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