Codifying a benchmark Customer First Revolution.
THE PERFORMANCE CHALLENGE
The modern customer is discerning and ever-more informed. Completely on point with what they need and how they want that need to be filled. They take pride in their expectations and wave their ballooning choices in the modern brands face. They insist on a unique experience — personalised, responsive, one-to-one — and consider you shareable and recommendable only when they get all of the above and more.
Globally, Jaguar Land Rover needed to weather the impact of the shifting experience economy and it was critical that they reposition themselves to focus on the customer experience; the one true differentiator (and profit- maker!) in a market that is saturated and fickle.
The mission: To launch the global Customer First principles, locally in South Africa, so as to mobilise head office. How would they do it? Tanya Ramlagan, Head of HR for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, had experienced TPA and our impact in a previous life. When the performance challenge presented itself there was no other organisation she would rather call.
THE SOLVE
Ring, ring. We’re on it. Working with Tanya we codified a systematic process that would cascade from leaders to employees, to dealer networks to customers. A movement that would impart an emotional cultural shift, within a rich, local context. Remember, context is king. There is no patience for companies who fail to deliver on customer experience, and there is no use for values stuck on a wall. We made the Customer First principles real, alive in the expressions of over 100 people, and we did it in 90 days.
REVOLUTION
Revolution was our movement. A call to arms to contest anything less than excellence. Leaders were armed with the ownership of a Customer First principle. Leadership became ambassadors, advocates for what they wished to see in their people. Their adoption of certain behaviours and accountability motivated and necessitated engagement and change.
ConneXion sessions — talks, games and activities that explored personal psychology, working processes and relationships — facilitated the deep shift needed to approach the customer relationship differently. Activations moved the message beyond the four walls, encouraging Jaguar Land Rover to live into their principles, to offer and experience them first-hand.
A digital comms campaign ran throughout the 90 days; sexy graphics, films and knowledge nuggets fostered cohesion, cross-fertilisation and uptake of the Customer First Revolution. Perceptions were challenged. Relationships formed. Choice activations still spoken of today!
AMBASSADORS OF CHANGE
Fiercely human, Revolution focused on individuals. In turn, it focused on how these individuals could better facilitate a unique, personalised, transparent, dependable service. To deliver to customers Jaguar Land Rover had to deliver to themselves; leader to peer, peer to colleague.
As Customer First language was adopted, Jaguar Land Rover saw a distinct change in the behaviour of their people. The project birthed an emergence of a recognition culture, in which stories, celebration and Customer First practices are valued.
THE IMPACT
Head-turning. Employee engagement levels skyrocketed, with Pulse survey scores equalling 95% on completion. The South African team won the overseas award for top HR in the region, and Revolution was chosen as the benchmark programme for the global marketing sales and services company.
Revolution became Jaguar Land Rover’s fight against mediocrity, and their launch into the experience economy.
"THE PERFORMANCE AGENCY EPITOMISED OUR CUSTOMER FIRST PRINCIPLES BY BRINGING THEM TO LIFE. AS JAGUAR LAND ROVER WE EXPERIENCED EVERY INTERACTION, ENGAGEMENT AND EVENT AS WE WOULD LIKE CLIENTS TO EXPERIENCE US, AND SO OUR PRINCIPLES BECAME COHERENT AND TANGIBLE. THE CUSTOMER FIRST SOLUTION WAS UNIQUE IN ITS DESIGN IN THAT IT NOT ONLY CAPTURED PEOPLE INTELLECTUALLY BUT TAPPED INTO THEIR EMOTIONS, LEAVING A MEANINGFUL AND ENDURING IMPACT."
– Tanya Ramlagan, Head of HR Sub-Saharan Africa, Jaguar Land Rover