Good manners don’t cost a thing ….but bad customer service could cost the UK economy, says customer services expert, Sidona Group

Sidona Group reports on most important industry trends; offers consultancy and training for businesses to improve customer experience

October 2010, Devon based Sidona Group, the customer experience consultancy and training company, has today highlighted the importance of customer service, to mark the end of National Customer Service week. Sidona Group has, for the first time, amalgamated the most important industry research on business and economic trends, to create new insight and advice for companies looking to improve their customer service, and ensure competitive advantage. Key findings (*) include:  85 per cent of business leaders say the customer experience is the next competitive battleground  80 per cent of business leaders believe their companies are doing a good job in the way they treat customers - only 8 per cent agree  Poor Service costing UK around £14Billion a year  Over 50% of customers give up buying as a result of poor customer service Derek Blackburn, part of the leadership team who founded Egg plc and managing director of Sidona Group says: “As consumers face the continuing reality of an austere economic climate, and conspicuous consumption becomes a thing of the past for most, businesses in all sectors are struggling to retain customers – let alone grow their customer base. “While most companies believe that price is the key competitive differentiator, we disagree that price should be the be-all and end-all of business strategy. In a commoditised market other key factors like customer experience become the differentiator. Morale and consumer confidence drops significantly in times of recession – so inspiring confidence and building longstanding relationships with customers is absolutely crucial for success. While many businesses must take immediate decisions to ensure success in these tough times, it is vital to balance this with a longer term view of building a strong and loyal customer base.” (*) Research sources: 1. Source: Marketing Forum 2. Source: Bain & Co 3. OFT report, "Cost of complaints Report - Consumer Detriment: assessing consumer problems with goods and services, 2008" 4. Source: Genesys Further details from the website: www.sidonagroup.com About Sidona Group Sidona Group specialises in enabling companies to enhance their customer experience (CE) resulting in improved customer acquisition and loyalty. Services include customer and employee research, design of bespoke business processes and delivery of training solutions. Sidona Group has experience of working in a wide number of different industries in both the private and public sector and with a diverse range of companies from the very small to larger enterprises.

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