Allow me to share a recent experience with you.
My luggage was lost by an airline on a recent trip to Sierra Leone. I was travelling to run a marathon that I had been training for 6 months for, following an accident that left me with a knee that by all accounts, was hanging on by a thread.
Everything I had used in preparation for the race was in my bags. My kit, my fuel…my knee supports.
I was in contact with the airline's customer service desk every day of the trip. Annoyingly, each interaction felt like starting from scratch. There was no history of my previous conversations and I had to explain my situation to a new person every time. It was hugely disheartening and all the apologies in the world couldn't make up for the fact that I had not had my bag returned to me.
Finally, on the day I was flying back home, I got my bags back. But the whole experience left me feeling pretty irate.
My encounter with the airline’s customer service wasn’t just about a delayed bag. It highlighted the hidden inefficiencies that organisations can unknowingly harbour, which lead to me having a poor customer experience.
It made me think. What if companies, like the airline, don’t even realise the problems their customers are facing?
Organisations often have the best intentions, but without the right systems and processes in place, those good intentions can get lost in the shuffle. That’s where consultancy can help.
“Consultancy” is often dismissed as a business buzzword, but I have seen the value that consultative activities can add and so I would ask you to think beyond this.. For me, a consultative relationship should be a strategic partnership that helps organisations identify issues in their operations and put a plan together to fix them.
It is where a fresh perspective can be a game-changer. A consultancy-first approach can help identify those hidden pain points and inefficiencies that are impacting your customers. Conducting in-depth analysis, gathering feedback, and mapping out your processes can pinpoint the root causes of those frustrating experiences.
Unbiased Assessment: Unburdened by internal politics or biases, we can objectively analyse situations, identify root causes and propose unbiased solutions.
Expertise & Experience: We're committed to understanding your unique needs and using our industry knowledge to create solutions that work for you.
Data-Driven Insights: We gather and analyse data to identify trends and patterns, ensuring that solutions are based on evidence, not guesswork.
Strategic Solutions: Rather than merely treating symptoms, we delve deeper to diagnose and resolve the core issues, paving the way for lasting positive change.
Empowerment & Enablement: We equip your employees with the tools, processes, and training they need to deliver exceptional customer service.
Flexibility & Scalability: Our services can be tailored to specific needs and scaled up or down as required.
The Result? Happier customers, more engaged employees, and a healthier bottom line.
My trip to Sierra Leone was greatly impacted by the constant worry of my missing luggage. This is not an experience that any business would mean to put a customer through and the airline's lack of awareness about the personal consequences it had on me suggests that they could benefit from an outside perspective.
A consultancy-first approach isn't just a "nice-to-have," it's a strategic imperative for any organisation that wants to stay ahead of the curve. It’s about more than just fixing problems, it's about creating a culture of continuous improvement and customer focus.
So, the next time you encounter a frustrating customer experience, remember – it might be a sign that there are hidden opportunities for improvement. Don't let those blind spots hold your organisation back. Embrace a consultancy-first approach and unleash your full potential.