AN INNOVATIVE and cost effective scheme to help car dealerships increase their sales has been launched by performance improvement company Douglas Stafford.

The ground-breaking Showroom Appointment Initiative enables dealerships to reconnect with customers and potential purchasers.

It is a well-known fact that increasing showroom appointments leads to additional demonstrations, resulting in increased sales.

Douglas Stafford’s own team of automotive customer service advisors will contact customers on a dealership’s behalf and bring them back into the showroom creating extra sales opportunities.

“Our customer service advisors can become an extension of a dealership’s sales team and create additional showroom appointments each month. Our team will communicate with both past customers and potential purchasers who are not yet quite ready to buy,” says Nigel Cook, Douglas Stafford’s Chief Executive.

“It is all managed through our sophisticated client relationship management system. Our contact centre team will increase sales possibilities by making confirmed appointments to visit showrooms, increasing appointments and providing demonstration opportunities resulting in additional sales.

“Dealerships have huge untapped potential in the volume of data that represents past customers. By tapping into this resource and communicating with them on a regular basis, not only can additional sales be generated, but levels of customer service will be significantly improved.”

As well as these generated appointments, the customer service advisors will provide feedback containing valuable information regarding service issues and suggestions on possible areas of improvement.

As the majority of the charges for the initiative are performance related, it provides dealerships with a much needed, cost effective, extra resource to increase sales.

“By following up on ‘future action dates’ agreed with customers who are not yet ready to commit, our team will revisit opportunities at the appropriate time, enabling customers to be reconnected with a company at the right time,” adds Mr Cook.

“This helps to maximise future business potential and will bring additional customers through showroom doors.”

Call Madelaine on 0800 783 1913 or email: [email protected] or go to www.douglasstafford.com

A cancer charity is £1,000 better off thanks to the fundraising efforts of staff at Douglas Stafford.

FORT Cancer Charity, which is based at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, was chosen by staff at the company to be one of two charities they raised money for during 2010.

The charity supports people whose lives have been touched by cancer and provides complementary therapies and counselling. It also offers respite accommodation, giving patients and families a welcome break from the everyday stresses of coping with cancer.

During the past year staff at Douglas Stafford have taken part in a number of events which have raised money for charity.

“FORT is a great charity and everyone here is delighted to have been able to support them,” says Douglas Stafford’s PR & Marketing Manager Madelaine Cook. “The work they do is really important and we’ve been very happy to help.”

“We are very grateful and would like to thank Douglas Stafford very much indeed for their donation,” says FORT’s Fundraiser Michelle Edmonds. “Raising funds for charity is always hard so to have the business community’s support is most welcome.”

Picture: Douglas Stafford’s Chief Executive Nigel Cook presents a cheque for £1,000 to Fort Cancer Charity’s fundraiser Michelle Edmonds. Pictured (l-r) Rohan Tailor, Dan Spicer, Charlotte Shilling, Madelaine Cook, Nigel Cook [all from Douglas Stafford] with Michelle Edmonds, Mary Backhouse and Bruce Backhouse [from Fort Cancer Charity]

A cancer charity is £1,000 better off thanks to the fundraising efforts of staff at Douglas Stafford.

FORT Cancer Charity, which is based at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, was chosen by staff at the company to be one of two charities they raised money for during 2010.

The charity supports people whose lives have been touched by cancer and provides complementary therapies and counselling. It also offers respite accommodation, giving patients and families a welcome break from the everyday stresses of coping with cancer.

During the past year staff at Douglas Stafford have taken part in a number of events which have raised money for charity.

“FORT is a great charity and everyone here is delighted to have been able to support them,” says Douglas Stafford’s PR & Marketing Manager Madelaine Cook. “The work they do is really important and we’ve been very happy to help.”

“We are very grateful and would like to thank Douglas Stafford very much indeed for their donation,” says FORT’s Fundraiser Michelle Edmonds. “Raising funds for charity is always hard so to have the business community’s support is most welcome.”

Picture: Douglas Stafford’s Chief Executive Nigel Cook presents a cheque for £1,000 to Fort Cancer Charity’s fundraiser Michelle Edmonds. Pictured (l-r) Rohan Tailor, Dan Spicer, Charlotte Shilling, Madelaine Cook, Nigel Cook [all from Douglas Stafford] with Michelle Edmonds, Mary Backhouse and Bruce Backhouse [from Fort Cancer Charity]

A cancer charity is £1,000 better off thanks to the fundraising efforts of staff at Douglas Stafford.

FORT Cancer Charity, which is based at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, was chosen by staff at the company to be one of two charities they raised money for during 2010.

The charity supports people whose lives have been touched by cancer and provides complementary therapies and counselling. It also offers respite accommodation, giving patients and families a welcome break from the everyday stresses of coping with cancer.

During the past year staff at Douglas Stafford have taken part in a number of events which have raised money for charity.

“FORT is a great charity and everyone here is delighted to have been able to support them,” says Douglas Stafford’s PR & Marketing Manager Madelaine Cook. “The work they do is really important and we’ve been very happy to help.”

“We are very grateful and would like to thank Douglas Stafford very much indeed for their donation,” says FORT’s Fundraiser Michelle Edmonds. “Raising funds for charity is always hard so to have the business community’s support is most welcome.”

Picture: Douglas Stafford’s Chief Executive Nigel Cook presents a cheque for £1,000 to Fort Cancer Charity’s fundraiser Michelle Edmonds. Pictured (l-r) Rohan Tailor, Dan Spicer, Charlotte Shilling, Madelaine Cook, Nigel Cook [all from Douglas Stafford] with Michelle Edmonds, Mary Backhouse and Bruce Backhouse [from Fort Cancer Charity]

 Since 1955 The Wheel Specialist has been offering a professional and complete service to customers, refurbishing, redesigning and repairing alloy wheels for a wide range of vehicles from Ford Focuses to Ferraris.

The company has always had a strong commitment to providing a quick and easy, high quality service to its customers so it was no wonder that in 2009 it enlisted the help of performance improvement experts Douglas Stafford to ensure that it was offering the highest possible levels of customer service.

The Wheel Specialist founder Ginny Murphy knows full well that the company is working on a customer’s ‘pride and joy’ and is aware of the importance of ensuring customers are totally satisfied with the quality of the workmanship and the service they receive. 

Now, with Douglas Stafford’s experienced researchers conducting bi-monthly telephone mystery shops, The Wheel Specialist is able to analyse its sales processes and identify any aspects that could be improved and it is reaping the benefits of an increase in business performance as a result.

“Douglas Stafford provides crucial performance analysis to The Wheel Specialist,” says Chad Robbins, Account Manager at Douglas Stafford. “We understand just how important their customer satisfaction levels are to them.”

The partnership between the two companies is set to continue to grow in 2011 as The Wheel Specialist looks into what other benefits it could obtain from using other performance improvement services provided by Douglas Stafford.

 Since 1955 The Wheel Specialist has been offering a professional and complete service to customers, refurbishing, redesigning and repairing alloy wheels for a wide range of vehicles from Ford Focuses to Ferraris.

The company has always had a strong commitment to providing a quick and easy, high quality service to its customers so it was no wonder that in 2009 it enlisted the help of performance improvement experts Douglas Stafford to ensure that it was offering the highest possible levels of customer service.

The Wheel Specialist founder Ginny Murphy knows full well that the company is working on a customer’s ‘pride and joy’ and is aware of the importance of ensuring customers are totally satisfied with the quality of the workmanship and the service they receive. 

Now, with Douglas Stafford’s experienced researchers conducting bi-monthly telephone mystery shops, The Wheel Specialist is able to analyse its sales processes and identify any aspects that could be improved and it is reaping the benefits of an increase in business performance as a result.

“Douglas Stafford provides crucial performance analysis to The Wheel Specialist,” says Chad Robbins, Account Manager at Douglas Stafford. “We understand just how important their customer satisfaction levels are to them.”

The partnership between the two companies is set to continue to grow in 2011 as The Wheel Specialist looks into what other benefits it could obtain from using other performance improvement services provided by Douglas Stafford.

 Since 1955 The Wheel Specialist has been offering a professional and complete service to customers, refurbishing, redesigning and repairing alloy wheels for a wide range of vehicles from Ford Focuses to Ferraris.

The company has always had a strong commitment to providing a quick and easy, high quality service to its customers so it was no wonder that in 2009 it enlisted the help of performance improvement experts Douglas Stafford to ensure that it was offering the highest possible levels of customer service.

The Wheel Specialist founder Ginny Murphy knows full well that the company is working on a customer’s ‘pride and joy’ and is aware of the importance of ensuring customers are totally satisfied with the quality of the workmanship and the service they receive. 

Now, with Douglas Stafford’s experienced researchers conducting bi-monthly telephone mystery shops, The Wheel Specialist is able to analyse its sales processes and identify any aspects that could be improved and it is reaping the benefits of an increase in business performance as a result.

“Douglas Stafford provides crucial performance analysis to The Wheel Specialist,” says Chad Robbins, Account Manager at Douglas Stafford. “We understand just how important their customer satisfaction levels are to them.”

The partnership between the two companies is set to continue to grow in 2011 as The Wheel Specialist looks into what other benefits it could obtain from using other performance improvement services provided by Douglas Stafford.

 Red Funnel is an integrated transport, travel and leisure company employing some 400 people in Southampton and on the Isle of Wight. Operating the largest roll-on roll-off ferries serving the Island, Red Funnel carries over three million passengers per annum on its routes between Southampton and East and West Cowes, Isle of Wight. Here Michele Pothecary, Red Funnel’s Customer Experience Manager, explains how the company uses mystery shopping.

Why does Red Funnel use mystery shopping?

Customer service is really important to us and we want to be constantly improving the quality of the service that we offer to our customers. We want people’s holidays to the Isle of Wight to begin when they come into our terminal. We want people to have a really good experience with us from booking, to boarding, to buying a coffee in our coffee shop. We really believe that customer service is key and we strive to always offer the highest quality of service that we can.

What do you mystery shop?

Quite a lot! We video mystery shop the various areas within the booking and sailing process like check in, the ticket office, the yard, boarding, the terminal and on-board coffee shops, on-board restaurant, bar, on-board facilities and even announcements.

How does it help improve the business?

Mystery shopping allows us to see exactly how our business is operating from the customer’s point of view. It is important that we see how we are doing and address any areas where we should be doing better.

How do you use the results?

We use the results to see where we are getting things right and if there are any areas where we need to improve. We only show the footage to the member of staff involved and their manager and if someone does particularly well then they may be rewarded. It’s not about catching people out, it’s about recognition for people who are giving excellent customer service and it also helps us to see if we have any training needs.

Why did you choose Douglas Stafford?

Douglas Stafford provides a very professional and flexible service. They are very easy to deal with and everything they do is tailored to our specific requirements. That’s really important to us as one mystery shop may involve five of our departments and managers and the fact that they can all view their section’s footage online makes things very easy.

 Two very worthy charities have been chosen by Douglas Stafford to be the focus of its fundraising efforts for 2011.

The first is The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, a national organisation that gives young people between the ages of eight and 24, who have suffered from cancer and leukaemia, the opportunity to take part in the new and fantastic experience of sailing.

The majority of the young people are off treatment and in recovery from cancer and leukaemia.  The charity works with every young person’s primary cancer care unit in the UK, who deal with around 95% of young people being treated for cancer in the UK.

Internationally-renowned sailor Ellen MacArthur says: “These are really special kids. In many ways they are just the same as everyone else, they are interested in the same things as kids their age, they have the same goals in life, but the difference is that they do this with a huge challenge ahead of them.”  For more details go to: www.ellenmacarthurtrust.org

The second charity is Smile4Wessex, which supports the work of the Wessex Neurological Centre in Southampton which provides a dedicated, integrated 24 hour acute neurosurgical and neurological assessment, investigation and treatment service.

The work of the centre has a special resonance for one member of the Douglas Stafford team, who says: “A friend of ours has been treated there and we have both been more than touched by the amazing work the staff there do.

 “On Sunday 22nd August my partner and our friend were out for their normal Sunday bike ride as they did every week. No one really knows what happened but our friend fell off his bike at high speed while cycling down a hill and hit his head.

“He was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth but they could not deal with his injuries, we are so lucky that Wessex Neuro are based so closely in Southampton and they had a bed available.

“Our friend was given just a 5% chance of survival. Although he was given this small chance of survival the team there never gave up on him and around three weeks later they started to bring him round from his coma.

“Since then he has gone from strength to strength and continues to improve and astound the doctors and consultants with his development. He is now going through rehabilitation to re-train and re-learn how to complete the tasks that we all take for granted.

“We believe for him to be where he is now is down to all of the hard work and faith they had at Wessex Neurological in those early few weeks.” For more details go to: www.smile4wessex.org

Douglas Stafford has a charity committee for 2011 headed by Madelaine Cook and Kathleen Field and anyone who would like to become involved or who would like to make a donation should contact one of them on 02392 830011.