Are you being served?

Its customer service week this week which means that we are taking the time to look at our own existing processes to make sure we are providing good customer service to our members.

We have all had experiences of good customer service; the unexpected, really helpful person at the Post Office that processed your passport/car licence renewal in a super-efficient, quick way that meant you were out the door in five minutes instead of the hour you were expecting.  And we also know what poor customer service is like– the hours spent speaking to your broadband supplier and trying to solve the transfer of your account to the new package you hoped would save you money, if only you could get the thing transferred in the first place.  Customer service is easy to identify in the world of retail.

But working in a membership organisation means that for me, I approach customer service by really thinking about what members need and what their requirements are. As an organisation we provide member benefits but it still important we work hard to make sure we are also providing great customer service on a day-to-day basis.  

It’s the little things that can make a difference, like making sure when a member rings with a query, I am able to quickly put them through to the best person placed to answer it– if that isn’t me! And I always work hard to make sure that I am professional and cheerful when I answer the phone or take a call for one of my colleagues. But on a larger scale, it is about making sure I put the needs of our members first.

This means when my colleagues and I are looking at processes, new projects or programmes of work, we always make sure we are thinking about how this will impact on members. For example, our focus with our Fit for the Future programme is about making sure we support members across a number of areas we feel there are likely to be challenges. This has included our Uncovering the Social Value of Sport report, as well as our upcoming Governance and Workforce later this month scheduled to support members when the UK Sports Governance Code is released.

This Fit for the Future programme also applies to the Alliance and we are in the process of setting our next 2017+ organisational strategy. We are asking members to identify the areas ahead that they will want support from us so we can make sure we are continuing to provide value for membership. This includes providing great customer service along the way. You can see our member satisfaction rate below.

You can find out more about the work we've been doing by reading our Keeping fit for the future report.

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