Our clients
Power Train may be new to you but you will have heard of our clients. Here are some of the clients for whom we've helped to unlock their customer experience and leadership potential. Click on the highlighted logos for case studies or a mini synopsis.
Chiltern Railways
A complete customer experience, leadership and coaching programme to define and bring to life Chiltern Railways vision for success by harnessing positive attitudes, personal awareness and individual strengths.Virgin Media
Induction event for service technicians providing an informative, engaging and 'on-brand' company introduction for new recruits.Fiat
Fiat UK achieves sustainable improvements in customer satisfaction with Power Train
Introduction
Fiat has grown from a small factory employing just 35 workers in 1899 to a hugely influential global brand, encompassing some of the most famous racing car marques. They're synonymous with chic Italian design and outstanding customer service.
So when the new worldwide Fiat brand values were launched in late 2006, Fiat Auto UK turned to Power Train. Their Customer Relations team needed an on-brand programme that genuinely matched Fiat & Alfa Romeo customers' expectations and brought their customer service ambitions to life.
It was a tantalising prospect. Despite Fiat's distinguished reputation and enviable cachet, this was the first time their brand values had been formalised. Power Train was in at the start of an exciting new phase for the Italian brand.
The situation
Fiat Auto UK selected Power Train to design, develop and deliver a Customer Experience and Coaching programme for their team, to instil the key message of ‘delivery to the customer.'
The Fiat Auto UK Customer Relations team is open to new ideas and eager to learn. They're a young team dealing with a challenging working environment. On a daily basis they manage enquiries from Head Office, the dealer networks, as well as Fiat & Alfa Romeo customers. Above all, they needed the belief to embark on these interactions with absolute confidence.
And that made for a challenging training initiative.
Power Train had to foster empathy within the team, and to reinforce shared values. Everyone needed to know they were pulling in the same direction. Practically that meant solutions that would stick under pressure, and lessons that would go on taking root beyond the initial training programme.
The solution
Power Train worked on changing employees' mindsets; on re-investing them with the skills and confidence to address any situation. Those abilities were already there, but needed nurturing. Power Train helped team members recognise their abilities and to use their uniqueness to best effect; helping them to understand their customers' needs better.
The team participated in a two-day ActNatural Customer Experience event that recreated the Fiat Auto UK working environment using Total Reality sets. This showcased ‘real life' customer interaction, and helped the team learn about themselves, each other and their customers. As confidence grew, individually and collectively, the team became ever more engaged. They developed a newfound pride in their valuable role in the Fiat success story - a pivotal moment of realisation that continues to inform their progress.
For team leaders too, the emphasis was on sustainable growth. That meant going back to first principles; to examine the practical things underpinning customer service delivery: from employee engagement to rostering and absence management. It was, as it needed to be, a strenuous combination of the theoretical and the practical - all backed up by tailored coaching and workouts.
Power Train knew that nothing less than exceptional customer service delivery was appropriate for a brand of Fiat's stature. So how successful were they?
The results
Fiat Auto UK wanted their entire Customer Relations team to benefit personally from the training investment - and they needed their customers to enjoy the results from day one.
In both regards: success. The difference in the Customer Relations team was immediately palpable. The new mindset, coupled with a renewed sense of drive and ambition helped Fiat Auto UK deliver improved levels of customer satisfaction - up from 57% to 72% during training, and resolutely high ever since. There has also been a significant reduction in caseloads, down by 66%.
Without exception everyone has benefitted. Emma Toms, Customer Care Director, Fiat and Alfa Romeo, UK says that "The training has been radical, we have really changed the tone and the mindset of the people... this has brought about a very real and positive change for our customers."
LCH . Clearnet
A culture change customer experience and leadership programme to support the new customer service ambition of this specialist organisation.London Midland
A unique programme of events designed to retain and attract new customers by ensuring all employees demonstrate the desired attitudes and behaviours to "think like a customer" at all times.
O2
A bespoke customer experience programme for front line staff and Team Managers.Network Rail
A co-ordinated customer experience and leadership training and awards programme delivered to over 600 Major Stations staff and managers.
Northern Ireland Railways
An organisation-wide customer experience and leadership culture development programme delivered to 1300+ on-board, and on-station and head office management and staff. Now in its third year.
Virgin Atlantic Airways
How did Power Train get the Virgin Atlantic Terminal 3 team off the ground?
Introduction
The Virgin Atlantic brand is synonymous with consistently high quality customer service delivery. So, when Virgin made their plans for the new Terminal 3 (T3) facility at Heathrow, London, they listened to what customers were saying and responded accordingly. While customers wanted to get through check-in as quickly and efficiently as possible, they didn’t want to sacrifice any of the warmth or the quality of service they’d come to expect from Virgin Atlantic, irrespective of whether they were travelling Economy or Upper Class.
Power Train developed a new training programme that not only matched Virgin Atlantic customers' expectations, but also embodied their brand and met their new service ambitions.
The situation
It was a huge challenge. Four months in which to design, develop and deliver a brand new customer experience and leadership programme for front line staff and managers.
The practical issues were enormous. Power Train and Virgin Atlantic had never worked together before; T3 was still being built while the training was being designed and implemented, and the new service processes were continually evolving. Added to that, approximately 600 members of staff had to be trained prior to launch. With the eyes of the world focused on developments at T3, there was no margin for error.
‘T3 Futures’ was off the ground inside two months, and successfully rolled out to staff within another two.
The solution
Power Train worked with Virgin Atlantic to design and deliver 'T3 Futures' and with it, a whole new way of working. The main focus was on equipping staff with the skills (and confidence) to work in the new self-service environment – dedicated to hosting customers rather than receiving them.
All staff needed to work more efficiently and to deliver individual and personalised customer service. The Customer Experience events recreated the new environment using Total Reality sets to showcase 'real life' customer interaction. Events were delivered by a combination of Power Train Training and Actor Consultants with Virgin Atlantic licensed 'Powertrainers'. Managers’ events really focused on leading and coaching the new customer experience to ensure sustainability.
So how did Virgin Atlantic staff adjust to the new ways of working? And what did the customers think? After all, they'd inspired the new initiatives...
The results
Virgin Atlantic wanted their customers to see the results of 'T3 Futures' from day one. Sure enough, improvements were immediate. David Colgate – Consultant, Organisation and People Development, Virgin Atlantic said "Straightaway we saw an uplift in customer satisfaction and all time highs were achieved in passenger ratings across all levels."
All targets were met - and in many cases exceeded. Internal feedback shows that team members found it a positive, enjoyable experience. Relevant too: staff are united in feeling well equipped to deliver and exceed on the T3 service ambition.
'T3 Futures' continues to form part of Virgin Atlantic's induction – and is now being rolled out to Virgin Atlantic management teams worldwide.
Virgin Mobile
A values-based customer experience, leadership and coaching programme for 1200+ Contact Centre Operations Managers, Team Managers and customer service staff, followed by a customer experience leadership programme for Retail Store Managers.
Gatwick Express
After delivery of Power Train's 'Leading Lights' events, Gatwick Express received the highest ever recorded score for customer service satisfaction within the rail industry - an outstanding 94%.
The situation
Gatwick Express is the Train Operating Company running the high speed link between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria, carrying some 14,000 customers a day. Andrew Conroy, Head of Customer Service, was looking to undertake individually tailored customer service training designed specifically to fit the customer service ethos of the company, to excite its 300 employees, and to create a positive and progressive work environment. Most importantly, he wanted to create a customer experience that was seamless from train to plane.
The solution
Power Train was selected as training provider on its ability to quickly understand (and become enthusiastic about!) the unique mix of training needs involved. Its bespoke 'Leading Lights' evente designed for delivery by fully prepared and rehearsed teams, each consisting of a licensed Gatwick Express Trainer and a Power Train Actor Consultant. In a specially fitted-out venue, all aspects of the customer journey are re-created from platform to carriage interior, and all frontline employees enabled to understand and develop the 'Leading Lights' Customer Experience Mindset. They then apply it with different customers in a range of realistic and challenging situations. Through ActNatural, each participant quickly comes to recognise their own personality type and value the aptitudes and strengths which it gives them. Crucially, they also learn to recognise and respond to the personality needs of their customers - to deliver individual service by treating others as they need to be treated.
The results
The 'Leading Lights' events have made a significant impact on customer service performance at both company and individual levels. Andrew Conroy believes that Power Train delivered "probably best training I have ever seen at in my time at Gatwick Express." The results support his view - a customer service satisfaction score of 94% was recorded in the Strategic Rail Authority's 2006 National Passenger Survey following completion of the programme (the highest score ever recorded). Power Train has since also designed a recruitment event which plays a vital role in ensuring that new recruits fit the company customer service ethos right from the start.
Gatwick Express maintained their number one position for customer service in their sector for the sixth year running in 2007.
HobbyCraft
Helping a successful and fast-growing self-service retailer take front-line customer service to new heights.
The situation
HobbyCraft is the UK's largest chain of art and craft superstores with over thirty outlets across the UK and impressive expansion plans in the pipeline. Although offering a largely self-service facility, HobbyCraft believes that its staff should provide excellent customer service including advice and guidance on technical questions when needed. It was looking for tailored training which would help its staff spot those customers needing help and enable them to offer friendly and professional assistance and advice without being 'hard-sell'. The programme had to take into account a wide range of experience and confidence levels. In short, the objective was to ensure that customers would come back again and again.
The solution
HobbyCraft chose Power Train as the training provider because of the energy and enthusiasm it showed in addressing the customer-facing challenges presented. Power Train also fully understood the need to be customer focused without losing operational efficiency.
The 'Customer First' events, delivered to all retail managers and staff, focused on three key aims:
- create a 'putting the customer first' environment in every store
- to increase average spend
- to generate more repeat business
Designed around an extensive ActNatural 'workout', the event gave every participant the opportunity to identify and value their own personality and individual strengths. The participants then harnessed those strengths to develop 'Customer First' capabilities which they practised on 'real' customers (played by Power Train Actor Consultants) in a range of highly realistic and often challenging store situations.
The results
Initial results from the events are extremely positive with Store Managers reporting that their staff are actively and enthusiastically demonstrating their newly acquired customer service capabilities. A formal evaluation, to be conducted shortly, will confirm and quantify the outcomes of the programme.
HobbyCraft is now working with Power Train to further develop the programme for delivery to office and warehouse personnel.
Mercedes-Benz
'Class Leaders On The Road' and 'Best In Class' are large scale, high impact communication and training programmes rolled out to over 9,000 Sales and After Sales staff across the UK and Holland. Targets to achieve significant and sustained improvements in customer satisfaction scores have been achieved.
The situation
An established and truly global brand, Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars Division, is committed to delivering excellent quality and continuous improvement in all aspects of its operations. This philosophy, coupled with major change taking place internally and new legislation promoting increased competition within the market place, spurred the organisation to launch a major initiative to drive up its customer service performance and, with it, customer satisfaction scores.
Following a reorganisation and some new key appointments, the senior management team first of all wanted to ensure their 'prestige brand equals prestige customer service' message was communicated powerfully and consistently to people at the sharp end - all 9,000+ of them - in every Mercedes-Benz Retailer. To achieve this ambitious and business critical aim they chose Power Train to undertake all aspects of design and delivery.
The solution
Rolled out across the UK and in Holland, at sixty locations and in just five months, 'Class Leaders On The Road' comprised 250+ multi-media communication events. Housed in fully mobile, controlled environment conference trucks, up to fifty participants at a time took part in fully interactive events combining specially produced video footage, live action featuring customers and staff (played by Power Train Actor Consultants), plasma screen presentations and on-the-spot interviews and discussions with key Retailer and Head Office senior managers. As the underlying purpose of the road shows was two-way communication, as well as imparting the new customer service message, views on customer service related issues and suggestions for improvements were actively encouraged and taken back to Mercedes-Benz Head Office for consideration. In many cases they were incorporated into the next phase of the initiative.
Following 'Class Leaders On The Road' came 'Best In Class' training events delivered UK-wide to approximately 3000 customer-facing managers and staff in Mercedes-Benz Retailers. Combining the Power Train concepts of ActNatural, Total Reality and Emotional Impact, they were designed to grab attention, focus on delivery of a unique Class Leading Customer Experience and enable the participants to develop and apply a Class Leading Mindset in all customer-facing situations.
In continuing the initiative, a follow-up 'Class Leaders On The Road 2, 3 and 4' have now been successfully completed 'Class Leaders At Your Place' short training sessions have also been designed for delivery within the Retailers on an ongoing basis - and 'Best In Class' training events continue to be run for all new staff.
The results
Since commencement of the initiative, Customer Satisfaction Index scores have increased significantly and in five years, Mercedes-Benz has jumped from 26th to 3rd place in the JD Power rankings for service satisfaction, and are now in 1st place for sales satisfaction.
Bradford & Bingley
Highly focused values-based leadership and customer experience training programmes for the Operations and Retail arms of the business - designed to place Bradford & Bingley at the forefront of customer service delivery within its sector.
The situation
Bradford & Bingley is a long-standing financial services brand employing over 3,000 staff across more than 200 high street outlets around the UK. Having set ambitious targets for improvements across a range of Contact Centre key performance indicators, the organisation put in place a range of new processes and efficiency measures. It then decided to tackle the key behavioural issues to be addressed in ensuring achievement of the desired customer experience.
The solution
Initially Power Train was commissioned to design and deliver a Contact Centre training programme - for 100+ Agents, Team Managers and Process Coaches - to give them the confidence and skills to interact with customers according to their personality needs.
This succeeded so well in improving Contact Centre metrics that Bradford & Bingley decided to roll out the Power Train approach across their retail and management teams in order to support the transition from the selling of broker to own range mortgage products. In order to instil a 'common language' across the organisation, Bradford & Bingley and Power Train worked together to create 'The Bradford and Bingley Sales Way - You Make The Difference'.
Launched at the Retail Management Conference, this programme was designed to be delivered by internal trainers at venues throughout the UK. It successfully equipped branch managers and staff with the ActNatural capability to promote and sell both new and existing products. Through the built-in continuous review process, Power Train was able to work with the Bradford & Bingley training team to 'tweak' the output in order to really maximise the benefits.
Building on the success of the previous programmes, and as part of a new leadership development strategy, Bradford and Bingley has now commissioned Power Train to design and deliver an ActNatural Leadership and Coaching programme for its Group Operations Management Team and Credit Collections Team Managers.
The results
The Contact Centre programme has already made a major contribution to improved performance in a number of key areas, with metrics showing increased customer satisfaction and a reduction in customer complaints. In addition, staff satisfaction scores have increased by 54%, staff turnover has reduced by 28% and staff absence by 11.5%.
Initial results for the 'You Make The Difference' programme indicate that overall sales targets are already being exceeded.
British Gas
Power Train help British Gas deliver an ‘energising experience'
The energy utilities market is changing. Costs are rising and consumer confidence is falling. New suppliers are coming on-stream, upsetting the status quo and challenging the established brands for a piece of the action. It's a tough marketplace.
Market leaders, British Gas knew they had to be seen to set the benchmark for exceptional customer service delivery. Specifically they needed to refine their offering in line with what customers really wanted. And that's why they approached Power Train.
Power Train's Act Natural programme brought the customer engagement process to life - helping the British Gas Premier Energy team understand their customers (and each other) better than ever before.
Situation
British Gas Premier Energy, based in Cardiff, employs circa 1100 call centre staff. They're at the forefront in delivering the ‘improved customer experience'.
And one question cut right to the heart of what they'd been trying to decide: what did they really want customers to say about them? This formed the basis of Power Train's approach. A combined response was required: one that addressed the harder issues surrounding call efficiency, as well as the softer side of customer expectations.
But Power Train had to look at the interactions between team members too - to assess how well employees understood their inter-relationships - and how they impacted the working environment.
Solution
Power Train piloted a customised Act Natural Customer Experience programme "Look Who's Calling" for 80 Customer Service Advisers in March 2008. Then, "Look Who's Calling Coaching" worked on team leaders' roles as part of the new British Gas Customer Experience ethic.
It was a wide-ranging remit - focusing in on the interaction among staff as well as between Customer Service Advisers and their customers. For team leaders too, the training helped them to adjust their coaching style to reflect the needs of their individual team members.
The pilot was a great success and Power Train rolled out Look Who's Calling across the organisation. So how did the British Gas Premier Energy team adjust to the new ways of working? And what did the customers think?
Results
Power Train worked to some strict assessment measures: improvements in call handling time, customer feedback ratings, and employee engagement scores - collated over 2-3 months post-training.
Not only did the programme deliver improved call efficiency - but crucially, customer feedback showed that the quality of interaction with Customer Service Advisers went up. It also showed that their needs were being met better than ever. In addition, there was an improved increase in Net Promoter Customer Satisfaction scores too. And the implementation paid off in many other ways...
Staff engagement was better than ever. The training process helped Customer Service Advisers deal with customers and manage their inter-relationships with colleagues. Accordingly there was a big boost in team morale. Participants were ‘blown away' by what they'd discovered and completely empowered by it all!
According to Bev Rowney, Head of Service Support, British Gas, the feedback was outstanding: "We've enjoyed an unprecedented high in morale and employee engagement. And it's changed our approach to customer service... we can now visualise our customers and think of them as individuals."
The improvements at British Gas Premier Energy look even more extraordinary when placed in context - it all took place against a backdrop of rising prices and increasing customer unrest across the energy supply sector. They couldn't have chosen a more challenging time to address customer service - or a more prudent one.
Avis Europe
A cross cultural customer experience programme delivered to front-line personnel in Nice, France.
AWD
A performance management programme delivered to over 40 team leaders and soon to be rolled out to sales managers.
Boehringer Ingelheim
An internal customer experience programme for managers and staff in all functions within the UK Finance Division.
BT Global Services
Strategic B2B customer relationship, leadership and coaching programmes delivered to customer service, first line and middle managers.
Ernst & Young
A two-fold personal development programme for support staff, and a customer relationship management programme for the financial services division.
Friends Provident
An on-going performance management training programme now in its eleventh year.
GNER
A service vision launch event together with an award-winning customer service and culture change programme delivered to 2000 + employees. Followed by a sales training programme delivered to 900 + onboard managers and staff.
Isle of Man Steam Packet
An ongoing customer service programme for permanent and seasonal on-board staff now in its 5th year.
Midland Mainline
A customer experience leadership programme delivered to 150+ frontline managers.
Nationwide Building Society
A customer experience, leadership and coaching programme for over 100 managers and staff across HR Services. A workshop for 80 PA's to the Directors and secretaries from across the business to help them get the best from their boss.
New Look
A customer experience showcase staged at two management conferences, supported by a DVD-based training module designed for delivery in 200 UK stores.
Nokia Networks
A multi-element culture change programme for 1300+ management and staff across various functions in the UK base station division.
Scottish Widows
A major customer experience, leadership, coaching and culture change programme for 1500+ managers, team leaders and staff at Contact Centres in Edinburgh and Chatham.
Simons Group
A behavioural change training programme focused on construction site health and safety issues.
Stansted Express
A brand-related customer experience and leadership programme for 500+ on-board and on-station staff.
Tesco
A series of communication events delivered within a UK-wide programme of regional conferences for over 2000 senior store management.
TGI Fridays
A Guest Experience customer service launch event delivered at two major management conferences.
Transport for London
A series of customer experience, leadership and coaching programmes delivered to 200+ managers and staff at the newly launched Oyster Card Contact Centre, HR Shared Services Contact Centre, and the Lost Property division.
Virgin Trains
An ongoing series of customer experience, leadership and coaching programmes rolling out across the network to on-board, on-station and head office managers and staff. Now in its 9th year.
Vodafone
A customer experience programme for 1500+ managers and staff at two major UK Call Centres, supported by leadership and coaching training for managers and team leaders.