Customer experience is the next big battleground for businesses and brands to conquer, according to Marketing Week magazine. “It doesn’t matter if you get everything else right,” says editor Mark Choueke. “If your customer experience is lousy, frustrating, over-complicated or full of unnecessary obstacles, you’re dead in the water.”

Mr Choueke argues that the economic crash means customers have less money to spend and there is likely to be an over-supply of providers chasing customers – and therefore customer experience matters more than ever. “Satisfied customers buy more and recommend more,” says Mr Choueke. And he adds: “The way your brand’s customer journey is viewed internally is probably not the way it is viewed by your customers. If you aren’t looking at it with objective eyes, you should be.”

“Mark Choueke’s analysis is spot on,” says Nigel Cook, Chief Executive of leading mystery shopping and performance improvement experts Douglas Stafford. “Customer experience always matters, but in the current economic climate, when there are fewer customers around and they are spending less, it matters more than ever. Video mystery shopping, which we are the market leaders in, is a vital tool to see how your business operates from the customer’s point of view – and the performance improvement opportunities the results can bring will help your business to stay ahead of the competition.”

Douglas Stafford has been working with large blue chip companies across a broad range of consumer markets for more than 20 years, delivering performance improvement programmes which help them measure, analyse, understand and improve their customers’ experiences. These are achieved through highly cost-effective mystery shopping and customer surveys, and are supported by industry-leading training programmes and processes that are proven to improve standards of customer service. Douglas Stafford also runs a number of schemes to help companies improve customer retention and connect and reconnect with past customers and prospects.

Talk to Douglas Stafford and see how we can help your business improve its customer experience – and its bottom line. Call Kathleen Field today on 02392 830011 or email [email protected]. For further details go to: www.douglasstafford.com

Motorists plan to keep their current cars longer according to new research by British Car Auctions. The report highlights that the UK car parc is ageing as fewer new cars have been sold since the beginning of the credit crunch in 2008. “The simple fact is the UK car parc is getting older, as fewer new cars are sold and both motorists and businesses have held onto their vehicles for longer,” said Tony Gannon, BCA Communications Director.

“The average age of cars on UK roads rose in 2010 to 7.25 years, which is a 14 year high. The trend for older cars is rising and we believe this could continue for several years to come.” Price remains the most critical factor for used car buyers, with 40% saying this is their highest priority. After make and model at 35%, low mileage is the third most important factor for used car buyers at 28%. Seven out of ten car owners plan to buy a used car next time they change.

The BCA report also suggests that families will be looking for smaller, more practical and economic vehicles as household budgets get squeezed. Half of those surveyed feel the rising cost of fuel will force them to change to a more fuel-efficient car and/or alter their driving habits. The price of fuel has already reached a point (£1.30 plus per litre) where a fifth of motorists say they will have to seriously consider one or both these options.

“Our research shows that motorists have several measures in mind to curtail their frontline motoring costs,” added Tony Gannon. “Top of the list is buying a car with better fuel consumption – at 27%. But demand for these types of vehicles could well outstrip supply, pushing up prices as a consequence. The next 12-18 months are going to be a very challenging period for the UK motor industry. The potential supply shortage of younger used cars over the next few years may create upward pressure on used vehicle prices, while economic pressures may lead to reduced demand which will push prices downwards. Which of those two levers will be the stronger remains to be seen.”

“This survey highlights how important it is that dealerships keep in contact with their present and past customers, knowing what their buying cycles are and talking to them regularly about upgrading to newer cars, then buying their existing cars from them for used stock,” says Douglas Stafford Customer Contact Centre Operations Manager Madelaine Cook.

“Although this survey shows that fewer people are likely to be buying new cars, the demand for quality used cars is likely to increase and this presents fresh sales opportunities and will become an increasingly important part of dealerships’ business. If you don’t have the resources or staff to talk to your existing or past customers on a regular basis then that’s something we can help with – our customer contact centre team are experts at communicating with customers on your behalf and will be happy to help.”

Douglas Stafford‘s customer contact centre can help dealers connect and reconnect with past and present customers increasing sales potential and building client loyalty. For more information about Douglas Stafford’s Customer Contact Centre and how it can help your business please call Crystal Campbell on 0800 783 1913 or email: [email protected]

The new car market could stay flat for five years according to the Chief Executive of Britain’s leading automotive industry organisation. Paul Everitt, of The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), says weak consumer confidence means dealers and car makers will continue to endure tough market conditions.

Mr Everitt also warned that the Government was unlikely to repeat the scrappage scheme, which ended in March 2010 and boosted new car sales by 330,000. “We need consumers to feel more confident,” Mr Everitt said in an article in Car Dealer magazine. “I feel like Arsene Wenger when I say it, but it’s easy to lose however it takes a long time to get confidence back!

“The things that previously buoyed the economy, such as houses gaining in value, are not happening. Before, people would release equity from their homes and buy what they wanted and others felt more comfortable taking on debt when they had an asset that was increasing. The new car market is likely to remain relatively flat – between 1.9m and 2.1m – for the next three to five years. It is always difficult making this kind of prophecy but in 2012/13/14 I can’t see a lot that will make a big difference. It will take that period of time for car buyers to come to terms with a new kind of reality.”

Nigel Cook, chief executive of performance improvement and mystery shopping expert Douglas Stafford – and himself a former dealer group general manager – says that the SMMT’s predictions is a reminder of how essential it was for businesses to continue to strive to improve their levels of customer service.

“With fewer buyers around it is vital that dealerships make the very most of every sales opportunity they get and having the highest possible standard of customer service can make all the difference between achieving a sale and not,” he says. “And in addition to finding new customers they need to ensure that they are communicating effectively with their existing and past customers because customer retention is absolutely vital to business success. If you don’t have the resources or staff to follow up leads or talk to your existing or past customers then get somebody to do it for you – my customer contact centre team are experts at communicating with customers on your behalf and will be happy to help.”

Douglas Stafford‘s customer contact centre can help dealers connect and reconnect with past and present customers increasing sales potential and building client loyalty. For more information about Douglas Stafford’s Customer Contact Centre and how it can help your business please call Crystal Campbell on 0800 783 1913 or email: [email protected]

Douglas Stafford has passed its ISO9001 audit in recognition of its quality management systems.

“This is great news and the culmination of eight month’s hard work by everyone in the team,” said Douglas Stafford’s Commercial Director John Fieldhouse (pictured left). “It demonstrates just how dedicated Douglas Stafford is to the continual improvement of our products and services.

“Delivering good customer service is at the heart of everything we do and gaining the ISO9001 accreditation is a confirmation of our belief in this approach. It will give our clients an even greater confidence in choosing to work with Douglas Stafford.”

Douglas Stafford has been working with large blue chip companies across a broad range of consumer markets for more than 20 years, delivering performance improvement programmes which help them measure, understand and improve their customers’ experiences.

These are achieved through highly cost-effective mystery shopping and customer surveys, and are supported by industry-leading training programmes and processes that are proven to improve standards of customer service. Douglas Stafford also runs a number of schemes to help companies improve customer retention and connect and reconnect with past customers and prospects. For further details go to: www.douglasstafford.co.uk