Debenhams and Empathica recognised in the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Debenhams and Empathica recognised in the UK Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Since launching a Customer Experience Management (CEM) programme, Debenhams, the department store group, has achieved over 380,000 items of feedback from their customers, and identified more than 22,000 brand advocates who have made 2.2 million recommendations to friends and followers via Facebook and Twitter using GoRecommend. The project - powered by Debenhams' long term partners and CEM experts Empathica has been so successful that it has now been shortlisted in the 2012 UK Customer Satisfaction Awards.

 
Due to Debenhams' continual focus on improvement, the Overall Customer Satisfaction level, based on customers who have scored Debenhams a perfect 5 out of 5, increased by 9% (from 47% to 56%) in the first year alone, and has since reached 71%. Satisfaction within all areas of the customer experience has also increased, with particular improvements in till point availability (34% increase), product availability (33% increase), and the overall dressing room experience (25% increase). Satisfaction with the Debenhams Staff and Service has also reached over 80%.
 
The key aspect of Debenhams' strategy has been a cultural shift away from Mystery Shopping to a full scale Customer Experience Management programme enabling increased focus on feedback from their actual customers.
 
Debenhams' Strategy Manager comments: "The project with Empathica has given the company a new passion for customer service and a focus on what's most important to them. Rather than sales advisors learning how to 'pass' a set of criteria covered in the mystery shop, the focus is now squarely on the customer and exceeding the customer's expectations each time they are in the store."

Gary Topiol, Managing Director for EMEA of Empathica, adds: "Debenhams is a very customer focused organisation and I am delighted that Empathica has played such an instrumental role in the success of their customer feedback strategy, now also recognised by the ICS. We will continue to support them in their ongoing commitment to delivering a superior customer experience."
 
- Debenhams has been shortlisted with Customer Experience Management experts Empathica in the 2012 UK Customer Satisfaction Awards.  The companies are recognised in the Customer Feedback Strategy category of the awards which will be announced on 6 March 2012 at the London Marriott Hotel Grosvenor Square.
 
The Customer Feedback Strategy category highlights plans which have led to an improvement in customer satisfaction and performance, and in particular how easy organisations make it for customers to provide them with feedback and how they close that loop.