Case History
Customer Services
A large Life and Pensions company had recently undergone significant changes, including the arrival of a new CEO and a new IT & Operations Director, and the surrender of mutual status. The newly appointed Customer Services Director was charged with reducing costs by 10% whilst at the same time raising customer satisfaction levels, by improving efficiencies and reducing response times, a transformation involving over 2000 people at 3 locations. While the CSD was confident that the planned business process improvements would achieve the desired results, her concern was that low morale and significant backlogs would prevent smooth and speedy implementation, and lead to increasing customer complaints and higher costs.
To deliver a major change initiative to time and target, whilst at the same time improving customer satisfaction levels, and retaining and developing the human capital.
Supported the project stakeholders to:
- Review, redefine and implement the leadership style required to facilitate the organisational changes, against a clear development plan
- Develop a clear and encouraging vision for change, and enrol the organisation
- Analyse and navigate individual, collective and organisational obstacles to smooth and speedy change, and find innovative and effective solutions
- Make relevant, effective, tactical decisions during the process of change to deliver maximum success
- Celebrate early wins to further encourage change
The project completed on time and the division performed within its cost budget for the first time that anyone could remember. Customer complaints fell by 35% in one year. The customer satisfaction measure achieved its highest ever score by the end of the first year and this higher level was achieved consistently thereafter.
"We had a clear and resilient plan for process improvements and new ways of working, which looked on paper straightforward - in practice though we found ourselves hampered by a lack of good operational management experience and deeply entrenched ways of working. I feared the lack of belief by managers and staff in what was possible would result in a further fall in their morale which would slow progress and potentially lead to poorer performance and therefore a deterioration in customer satisfaction.
Inspiring Change made the human side of change clear and practical.
Not only did my team and I successfully complete the process changes, we exceeded all our targets, and were left with managers and staff who were equipped and encouraged for the next phase of change."
