Iconic Strategies Hit Back at Claims that Customer Service is Getting Harder

With rising consumer expectations, many companies believe that it is getting harder to make customers happy. Iconic Strategies hit back and say that those firms simply don’t do enough in order to stand out from the competition.

Iconic Strategies has announced a 55 per cent increase in customer retention for their clients in the first two quarters of this year. The firm’s MD Simon Reynolds says: “We hear businesses complain that customer service is getting harder. We don’t agree with that. Consumers have changed their priorities, so we have changed ours and adapted.” Simon Reynolds of Iconic Strategies says that businesses must adapt to change and find a new strategy to beat the competition. “Adapting to change is nothing unusual in business. We need to be on top of things, analyse the market and be solution orientated”, explains Simon Reynolds.

According to research, consumers feel that the service they receive is getting worse. In fact, a study of the W.P. Carey School of Business found that customer dissatisfaction has increased over the years. In 2013, customer dissatisfaction has been recorded at 50 per cent, compared to 45 per cent in 2011 and 32 per cent in 1976. “Many firms insist that they provide excellent customer service”, says Simon Reynolds of Iconic Strategies. “It is easy to complain and say customers are harder to please, they are doing their best etc. However, if you blame the consumer for a decline in customer loyalty, then you are doomed.” Iconic Strategies say that businesses have to step up and show interest in what the customer really wants.

Iconic Strategies, an outsourced sales and marketing firm based in Norwich, have made it their priority to actively listen to consumers. The firm’s sales force meets with customers on a face-to-face basis. “Our clients want to work with us, because we have the fantastic opportunity to talk to people and engage with them in person,” says Simon Reynolds. “We basically make friends with people and build long-term relationships between the customer and our clients. The best thing is that we receive valuable feedback directly from consumers which we can forward to our clients for immediate consideration”, adds Simon Reynolds.

In order to achieve customer loyalty, Iconic Strategies suggest cross-channel marketing to reach consumers. People’s lifestyles have become busy and firms must determine where the main interactions and touch points with consumers can take place. Iconic Strategies support their clients with direct marketing campaigns and make the most of their face-to-face conversations. The results of the first half of 2014 have shown that the firm is on the right way to achieve their goal and increase their clients’ customer retention by additional 25 per cent in Q3. “We want to stand out from the competition. The strategy we use is not based on rocket science. We simply take the time to listen to people, take immediate action and show them how much we care”, summarises Simon Reynolds. In line with their clients’ request to represent them nationwide, Iconic Strategies are currently in the planning process to expand into further UK markets by the end of 2014.