What we do

We’re hired to unlock what customers really want from an organisation, and use that insight to design customer experiences that drive loyalty.

To achieve this, we’ve created in-house techniques which define how customers themselves evaluate the benefit they receive from products & services, including linking so-called ‘intangible’ customer benefits such as “confidence” and “trust” to the physical activities and incurred costs that drive such feelings.

We offer both end-to-end experience programmes, as well as more tactical solutions to specific problems. Within our programmes, our clients can expect:

  • Qualitative and quantitative research programmes -  pinpointing differences in loyalty between customer profiles. Our specialist panels and customer labs structure the innovation process to explore loyalty factors at any step in customer interaction
  • Loyalty Lifelines - our trademark diagnostic where we identify where in their experience journey, customers are starting to lose their faith in the process or brand, and recommend ways to fix the problem before it’s too late. We also uncover how to encourage new customers to become faithful, by positioning loyalty driver messages at appropriate times and places in marketing communication
  • Out-of-industry benchmarking – identifies innovative and best practice learning worldwide, to offer fresh thinking and detailed case studies.
  • Creative Workshops – innovative facilitated sessions, typically generating over 100 ideas per session, built around the benefits that customers value most
  • Channel Troubleshooting – in-depth audits, pinpointing where customer benefits can be  reinforced in channels such as retail, call centres and websites
  • Customer Induction Programmes – orientation and training sessions, aimed at immersing new employees in what customers value most, and encouraging a customer-first attitude across executives and frontline employees alike.
Newspaper Tablet Editions – Reaching Out or Locking In? Blog, Insight, News - 17. Jan, 2012 Newspaper Tablet Editions – Reaching Out or Locking In?

As more people choose mobile devices to be their primary source of news and information, we explore the pro’s and cons of using newspaper tablet editions. And from our experience, we think some publishers are missing a trick…..

Ways for marketers to beat the downturn Blog, Insight, News, Retail, Toolbox - 12. Jan, 2012 Ways for marketers to beat the downturn

What do you do when your tried-and-tested marketing techniques aren’t as effective in today’s economy? Start by staying positive – here’s how some of those negative trends can have silver linings if your mindset allows you to see them..

What Mary Portas didn’t suggest for Britain’s High Streets… Blog, News, Retail - 21. Dec, 2011 What Mary Portas didn’t suggest for Britain’s High Streets…

Last week saw the much-awaited report by retail guru Mary Portas, offering ways to reinvigorate Britain’s ailing High Streets. Aside from a few small gems, we felt it missed a Big Idea, so we have one of our own to share instead…..

Watching Gen Y shop for Christmas – 5 Lessons Blog, Insight, Retail - 09. Dec, 2011 Watching Gen Y shop for Christmas – 5 Lessons

Regular visitors to this site will know that we have a particular interest in Gen Y or the Millennial Generation, so we’ve been out in the run-up to Christmas, watching them shop, both in High Streets and malls, as well as on-line. What have we learned? Here are 5 clues to attracting Gen Y shoppers……..

3 Tips For A Winning App Blog, Insight, Retail, Toolbox - 03. Dec, 2011 3 Tips For A Winning App

Smartphone apps continue to expand on a whole variety of platforms.
But what makes an app really stick? By this we mean an app that earns its keep long-term and becomes a part of your life. We offer 3 tips for anyone building an app…..

Building a Mindset of Being Better Blog, Healthcare, Insight - 31. Oct, 2011 Building a Mindset of Being Better

In a busy deadline-driven world of operational efficiency, how do industry leaders find the time and motivation to build truly world-class organisations? Perhaps the answer lies not at the end of a rainbow but in the tail-end of a bell curve……

Surgery Checklists – how a factory taught a surgeon how to save lives Blog, Healthcare, Insight, Toolbox - 11. Oct, 2011 Surgery Checklists – how a factory taught a surgeon how to save lives

This article shows how a doctor adapted the risk management techniques of aircraft-maker Boeing to improve the patient outcomes in his operating theatre. Read on to learn how checklists can improve the consistency and quality of any product or service.

UK bookshops need to re-think their customer experience Blog, Retail - 05. Oct, 2011 UK bookshops need to re-think their customer experience

This week, figures showed as many as 25% of Britain’s bookshops have closed in the last six years.
Coupled with a similar decline in new store openings, this represents an alarming decline. So who’s to blame, and what’s to be done to restore the appeal of the UK bookshop?

Customer Faithful at WFDSA Regional Conference – Istanbul Blog, Insight, News, Retail, Speaking - 05. Oct, 2011 Customer Faithful at WFDSA Regional Conference – Istanbul

Customer Faithful’s Rick Harris was a speaker at this month’s WFDSA regional conference “East Meets West” in Istanbul, Turkey. The conference brought together experts from government, consumer groups, academia and the direct selling industry across the EMEA region.

Product information in the retail customer experience Blog, Insight, Retail - 21. Sep, 2011 Product information in the retail customer experience

As shoppers, we’re all used to easy access to heaps of product information, right? Just google the item you want, and dozens of online retailers will come to your aid. But how much of this data is what customers actually want? Can shoppers trust it, and how important is this in the overall customer experience?