Hamilton Mercer

📢 5 important themes for National Customer Service Week have been outlined by the Institute Of Customer Service. Today, the spotlight is on "The Future of Service." When it comes to standing out from technology and AI in customer interactions, nurturing human qualities is key. Here are some thoughts on this: 💡 Core Skills: Genuine empathy, rapport, and personalisation are crucial attributes. 💡 Development: Equipping service professionals with the skills and confidence to add unique human value is essential. On the other hand, technology and AI play a significant role in enhancing customer experience. Here's how: 💡 Personalised Experiences: By analyzing customer behavior and preferences, tailored recommendations can be made. Predictive analytics help anticipate needs and offer proactive assistance based on past interactions. 💡 Proactive Customer Support: AI can alert representatives to potential issues before customers reach out, providing timely support. #NationalCustomerServiceWeek #NCSW2024 #CustomerService #CustomerExperience #Empathy #AI #Technology

📢 5 important themes for National Customer Service Week have been outlined by the Institute Of Customer Service. Today, the spotlight is on "Risk, Reputation & Trust." Here are 3 questions proposed by our Founder and CEO, Simon Scofield, for organisations to reflect on: 1️⃣ Is there alignment between what an organisation promotes in its marketing and sells through its various channels, with the actual experiences of its customers? In other words, are they fulfilling their promises? 💡 Processes, systems, and policies should be designed with the customer in mind, and service standards must be established to ensure staff can consistently deliver exceptional service.   2️⃣ Do staff members genuinely respect customers and want to help them, or do they view them as a burden? 💡 Even subtle actions, like sighing during a phone call, can convey to the customer that they are a nuisance. 3️⃣ Are staff members aware of how their behaviours and attitudes can influence the organisation’s reputation? 💡 Employees must act as ambassadors for their organisation and engage in behaviours that positively enhance its reputation and brand perception. #NationalCustomerServiceWeek #NCSW2024 #CustomerService #CustomerExperience #Ethics #Trust #DeliveringOnPromises

📢 5 important themes for National Customer Service Week have been outlined by the Institute Of Customer Service. Today, the spotlight is on "Effective Service Leadership." For customer service to truly thrive, it must be integrated into the organisation's business objectives and embedded in its culture. Leadership should exemplify these values, demonstrating them through actions rather than mere words. This commitment to service must shape the development of policies, processes, and systems. Furthermore, evaluation should prioritise the quality of service provided rather than simply measuring volume. Here are some recommendations from our Founder and CEO, Simon Scofield, for Service Leaders to create a sustainable Culture of Service Excellence: 💡 Prioritise Service Excellence as a fundamental business objective and core value. 💡Implement a Common Service Language to enhance internal communication. 💡Set clear Service Standards to promote consistency in behavioural performance. 💡Encourage regular collaboration between teams with a focus on achieving quick wins, as well as medium- to long-term wins. 💡Provide ongoing Training for staff to enhance and maintain their skills. When leaders prioritise and model service excellence, they inspire staff to adopt the same values, creating a cohesive environment where quality service becomes a shared goal. Ultimately, effective service leadership helps organisations differentiate themselves and build a solid reputation, leading to sustainable success and growth. If you'd like to discuss any of these strategies further, please contact Simon Scofield or Oliver Roberts. #NationalCustomerServiceWeek #NCSW2024 #CustomerService #CustomerExperience #ServiceLeadership #ServiceCulture #Standards #Training

📢 5 important themes for National Customer Service Week have been outlined by the Institute Of Customer Service. Today, the spotlight is on "Service with Respect Day." In 2017, our Founder and CEO, Simon Scofield, was featured in an interview with British Airways' Up to Speed magazine for an article titled “Are Customers Getting Angrier?”. During the interview, Simon discussed the challenges of navigating a ‘VUCA’ world – a landscape characterised by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. He emphasised the critical need for organisations to focus on ‘Vertical Development’ to equip their staff with the skills and resilience necessary to thrive in such an environment. Over the past year, we’ve heard similar concerns echoed by many of our clients: • “If visitors feel they aren’t getting value for their money, they can become rude and even confrontational towards our staff.” • “Hardly a week goes by without a team member mentioning they’re struggling to cope with the rising number of negative customer interactions.” We always advise our clients to maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards abusive behaviour and encourage staff to report such incidents. The challenge, however, lies in helping representatives distinguish between behaviour that is simply ‘unpleasant’ and that which crosses the line into ‘inappropriate’ conduct. For instance, if a customer refuses to accept a representative’s response or solution, is this a sign of being ‘abusive’, or does it indicate they need more clarification or reassurance? This is where emotional resilience becomes a vital skill - enabling representatives to professionally handle interactions with individuals they may not necessarily like, while still providing empathetic support in response to the customer’s needs. In conclusion, customer expectations have soared in recent years, and it’s easy for people to forget that they’re speaking to another human being, who also has emotions. While it’s important to let customers express their frustrations and to acknowledge their concerns, it’s equally important to ensure that this doesn’t devolve into outright abuse. #NationalCustomerServiceWeek #NCSW2024 #CustomerService #CustomerExperience #Resilience #Respect

Welcome to our newest client Inntel . The UK’s largest independent meetings and travel management company. Thank you to Jon Sparks for the fantastic delivery and Simon Scofield for the project design. #customerservice #customerexperience #training

What a fantastic evening! Oliver Roberts and I were honoured to be invited to The Hippodrome Stakeholders Celebration in London’s Leicester Square – an evening to thank key partners for their continued support. Hamilton Mercer have worked with The Hippodrome Casino for nearly a decade now, delivering customer service and communication skills training. The evening started with drinks at the Penny Bar, overlooking the impressive Grand Casino floor. Then, a presentation in the Magic Mike Theatre by Simon Thomas, Executive Chairman of The Hippodrome, titled ‘Our story so far and plans for the future’. The story of Simon and his late father’s vision to meticulously restore this iconic British landmark, back to its former glory, is truly inspirational. Even more impressive, is Simon’s relentless pursuit of continuous improvement and innovation; creating exceptional experiences for visitors; and his care and support for the local community. The food was prepared by the award-winning Heliot Steak House and Chop Chop and it was simply exceptional! And, of course, the live entertainment was fantastic! We were given an insightful Stakeholder Report with some impressive stats about the venue - check out the photos below to see them. And finally, a huge thank you to Lisa-May Jones (Lisa Marr) for the invite! We look forward to our continued partnership with The Hippodrome Casino! #CustomerService #CustomerExperience #Hospitality #Leisure

Thank you findcourses.co.uk for awarding our Essential Assertiveness Skills course ‘Top 10’ status for the 2nd year running! Assertive people perform better. They have the confidence to move projects and tasks forward by making timely, logical decisions based on mutually beneficial outcomes. This one day course is available as a tailored training course at your offices or Virtual. We also have dates every 2 months at our Covent Garden training centre and on Zoom.   findcourses.co.uk is a Keystone Education Group company, they are a leading online resource for people seeking the best educational path for themselves. #Assertiveness #Communication #PersonalDevelopment

Welcome X1 Sales & Lettings! We’ve been delivering our Consistently Delivering Exceptional Service course at their lovely Manchester and Liverpool offices the past few weeks. X1 manage over 4,000 properties on behalf of landlords across the UK. Thank you Lorna Miller, Simon Scofield, Mike Axford, Oliver Roberts and Ruairi McNulty and Yaqub Abdullahi who were involved in the project. #customerservice #customerexperience #training

It’s not just what you say, but how you say it too. Effective communicators are keenly aware of this and are skilled in both verbal and non-verbal techniques. Check out our Effective Communication Skills course which has been awarded a Top 10 Course in 2023 & 2024 by findcourses.co.uk. This one day course is accredited by the CPD Standards Office and is worth a total of 6 CPD Hours. You can attend the course at our training centre in Covent Garden or if you prefer, via Zoom. Pricing is from £295+vat. The next available dates are Thursday 20th June & Tuesday 3rd September. If you have a larger group of learners, we can deliver a tailored training course at your premises or via Zoom / MS Teams. Contact us on 0800 121 4660 for more information. #effectivecommunication #personaldevelopment #training

A great article detailing the importance of investing in your people! #customerservice #personaldevelopment #training