Temperzone New Zealand Really Listens To Its Customers

It is not unusual for companies to ask their customers to complete surveys asking questions about their customer service. That’s nothing new. But rarely do you hear of a company who has not only listened to the feedback but put in place a series of major changes as a result. That is exactly what Temperzone Limited in New Zealand has done. In direct response to the feedback they received from customers, they have made some very major changes to the way they interact with customers and created a strong Customer Service Department

The feedback Temperzone received was customers wanted to do business with Temperzone, there was high confidence in the product range but they also expressed the desire for a more collaborative relationship and to better understand customers’ needs. Fairly confronting stuff, but instead of filing the information and just continuing on, the management met the feedback head on and developed a plan.

One of the first things they did was hire Joanne Iles as a Customer Service Manager.  Her role is to specifically manage the service delivery of the Temperzone Customer Service Department. When Temperzone News recently spoke to Joanne, her passion and commitment to improving the customer service was very evident. Jo came on board earlier this year in February and Jo and her team have already had a very big impact.

According to Jo, “It’s no longer just about the sales, the aftersales support is also very important. So we wanted to make sure our customers could get through to us and get a solution to any issue quickly. To be able to do this, we have increased our number of Technical Services Engineers by 50%. These guys have a total combined experience of over 40 years in the industry and they understand the issues that our customers come up against. As well as having the technical knowledge, they also understand the pressures our customers are facing trying to get units up and running quickly. We totally understand that our performance has a direct effect on our customer’s performance”.

“We have also moved one of the Technical Services Engineers to our One Stop Shop, which is our retail outlet here at the head office. It is a place where customers can come to collect the spare parts or equipment they need. We wanted to provide our customers with really accessible technical support. If any customers coming in have questions, he can help them right away.”

And the customers are happy. Several have commented that it is ‘Great to have someone here who can help, who understands the products.’

“Another recent initiative is the cross skilling all the Technical Services Engineers so they can all answer questions about any of our products and manufacturers.  This will enable them to help the customers when they ring in, because that’s when they need the assistance. The Technical Services Engineers handle on average 2,500 calls per month which works out to 125 calls a day! And the One Stop Shop handles on average 1,700 calls per month which works out to another 85 calls a day, plus customers coming in the front door.”

The initial customer feedback also highlighted the fact that the Warranty process was a bit of a struggle. A core focus for Jo and the management was to change the process and make it easier for customers to work with and more timely.

So with all these changes in place, what is the feedback from their customers saying now? According to Jo, “we have had some really positive feedback since we have made the changes. We are being seen by our customers to be more willing to talk about the issues and allocate the required resources to achieve a rapid resolution. The Customer Service Dept has really allowed Temperzone the opportunity to have a greater focus on our Customers.”

“One of the goals is to get resolution for customers in a timely manner. It is really important for our customers to have things sorted quickly so they can get on with their business.”