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The main sectors in which we work are shown opposite.
Below is a range of project summaries with client feedback where available.
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> Leisure
> Travel
> Business and Financial
> Government & Charities
> Service in Britain
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LEISURE
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>Gala Coral Group: monthly tracking of customer service delivery
Our tracking service for this leading UK leisure operator has run continuously since our consultancy started. We employ our own team of expert freelance auditors, who can spot the subtleties of customer service and changing trends. The survey tracks the main customer service metrics of speed, attitude and knowledge, across the industry. Our comprehensive monthly e-reports are used in call centre team briefings to help drive continuous service improvements.
‘Andrew set up our customer service competitor performance tracking audit in 2003, and it has run continuously for over 5 years now. This is a major testament to the use and value that our organisation derives from this survey. We particularly value Andrew's ideas to refresh the survey and add new initiatives, and the depth of insight he provides in our monthly reports'
Kim Elks - Call Centre Manager, Gala Coral Group
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>ODEON cinemas: meeting the full range of ad hoc research needs
ASR has been a valued partner to ODEON over many years. We have answered a very diverse range of research briefs, including brand integration, product and service development, online and magazine based communications and service delivery.
For example, we used group discussions and an online survey to help ODEON understand core values and customer priorities as they merged with the UCI brand. This was a good example of ASR stretching research with our own video clips and staff interviews across the UK.
'Over the last 5 years Andrew has directed a wide range of projects for ODEON. He is perceptive, energetic and good to work with, whether talking to local staff and customers or senior management. By using quant and qual techniques well together, he has gained a really good grasp of the issues driving our business'
Luke Vetere – Marketing Director, ODEON Cinemas
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>London Clubs International: guidance for a new leisure proposition
This international casino company has invested in six new UK sites in response to the deregulated gaming era. LCI used our research input to develop a multi-layered, modern leisure experience that encompasses varied dining and destination bar options and live music venues alongside modern gaming areas.
At each new venue, we used a combination of desk investigation, customer and marketplace surveys, competitor venue audits and interviews with leading leisure experts and journalists. This shaped our in depth reporting for each new venue and city.
‘At a crucial time in our history it has been extremely helpful to have Andrew work alongside us. His reports have been relied upon when important decisions concerning our new concepts have been decided. The real bonus for us is Andrew’s ability to illicit insightful comment from knowledgeable, expert contacts in locations where we are expanding’
Adam Roberts - Project Development, London Clubs International
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>Northcliffe/Associated Newspapers: regular ad hoc research input
We have undertaken a wide range of projects for this major publisher. Understanding the quality of retailer relationship used a postal survey to over 5,000 newsagents, as the right choice for this audience to maximise response. Our report focused on priorities for POS support and frequency and style of contact, plus action plans at city level. We have also researched the power of local print media for this client, focusing on their coverage and local community support during the 2007 summer floods that hit Yorkshire and the West Country.
'Andrew has been involved in a wide range of projects for Northcliffe and has consistently delivered real insight and recommendations that are acted upon. ASR provides us with the technical expertise, alongside innovative thinking that ensures full value is always received'
Chris Branford – Research Manager, Associated Newspapers
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>Racing UK: subscriber insights for this satellite TV channel
This broadcaster provides coverage from half the racecourses in the UK to residential subscribers, pubs, clubs and betting shops.
ASR has surveyed the customer base and potential subscriber market to track a wide range of behaviour and attitudes, plus conducted a ‘mystery subscriber’ audit to understand the efficiency of the sign-up process.
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TRAVEL
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>Brittany Ferries: comprehensive strategic review
This well established channel ferries company asked us to conduct a major review of their business, that would clarify investment priorities over the coming years.
We used a mix of desk research, group discussions and online surveys to build up a detailed evidence base. Our recommendations were wide ranging, and included pricing, communications and marketing initiatives, plus new on board facilities and catering options relevant to the summer and off-peak seasons.
‘ASR’s work has drawn together existing desk research with both qualitative and quantitative insights. The project was run very professionally and smoothly by Andrew and identified specific issues to address for future customer marketing approaches’
Richard Price – Marketing Manager, Brittany Ferries
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>Virgin Atlantic Airways: environmentally aware staff travel options
Staff research for this airline has shaped their travel to work policy, including a major push on car sharing. The project combined an online survey to over 5,000 UK employees with group and depth discussions in airport crew rooms and offices. These methods ensured the voices of all job and seniority types were reflected (see published article).
'ASR's research and insight provided us with strong evidence for business cases to improve staff transport’
Sian Foster - Project Manager, Virgin Atlantic Airways
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>EasyJet: advertising development and public attitudes
We have conducted several ad hoc surveys for this carrier. Online research (with Vertu International) was used to explore reaction to a new pan-Europe advertising direction.
Our UK environmental attitudes survey looked at what flyers thought about their behaviour, and how low cost airlines operate in the face of climate change pressures. We were able to assess flying relative to other ‘harmful activities’ which get significant media attention.
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BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL
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>The ICAEW: Communications strategy amongst ACA students
The ACA is the Gold Standard qualification in the accountancy profession, available to members of the professional Institute of Chartered Accountants (England & Wales). Our task was to assess the communications from the Institute, in the context of the wider relationship experienced by trainee ‘student members’. The ICAEW seeks to expand influence in key emerging markets, and our global qual/online research provided an essential blueprint.
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>Technal: customer satisfaction with maximum insight
This building products company sells to a limited number of UK customers. As with many b2b surveys, gaining a very high survey response rate is essential. ASR has managed their annual customer feedback survey for several years, always gaining over an 80% level of participation. We enhance our reporting with mini-depth discussions with core customers, and sound clips reported direct to the management board.
'This has been the smoothest annual customer survey in our experience and I particularly value the quality of your analysis and presentation’
Christine Simms – Marketing Manager, Technal/Hydro Building Systems
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>The Nottingham: customer research guides a major re-branding exercise
This well-established regional building society required a major rethink on brand and direction. ASR partnered with Fizz Research (two experienced ICG consultants) to give the agency the necessary evidence for, and endorsement of, their creative thinking. ASR designed a 500 sample hall test across the client’s core region to understand requirements, image and reputation of the brand – and the reception of new design directions. A revised logo and entire new image was unveiled in 2007.
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>Cognizant: IT outsourcing for the financial service sector
This global outsourcing provider wanted to use research to showcase its knowledge of a particular topic of considerable concern to IT professionals in financial services: how organisations are meeting the challenge of managing, cleaning and enhancing their customer and product databases in an era of corporate consolidation.
Telephone research amongst major CIO and other IT executives provided the evidence, with ASR presenting results at a prestigious London dinner for all respondents.
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>Vocalink: NPD assessment
Vocalink controls the BACS payments system in the UK. It is at the forefront of new product concepts and technology for the financial services industry. It turned to ASR to analyse and report an extensive online survey of new concept reactions.
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GOVERNMENT & CHARITIES
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>HM Treasury: Thoresen Review of Generic Financial Advice
The Thoresen Review took a comprehensive, multi-channel look at how the UK provides people with money guidance for their personal finances. As part of this review a pilot survey ran for 3 months.
ASR was charged with managing a thorough evaluation of the service. We used a combination of depth interviews with service users, industry expert observers and the contractors providing this service. This was combined with quantitative surveys with service users and the target market in pilot areas.
The Thoresen Review was published in March 2008, and drew many conclusions from our substantial body of research.
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>Help the Aged / Age Concern: travel and motor insurance for older people
Working with fellow ICG member CM Insight, ASR looked at how the UK insurance market provides for an increasingly large and healthy older age group, who wish to carry on driving and travelling often well into their 80s.
ASR used an unusual approach to providing quantitative evidence of discrimination and bias in these markets. We recruited 200 people aged over 65, and a younger control sample, to attempt to buy a range of policies using all the major channels. This exercise, along with group and individual discussions, allowed the client to present a compelling case for change to industry and Government. Published report available – please request.
‘CM Insight worked with ASR to respond to a complex and evolving discrimination brief in a highly flexible, efficient and professional manner, enabling the commission to be agreed and implemented against a very challenging timescale. We are delighted with the research, and will be using the findings to support our UK-wide campaigning work on behalf of older people’
Dr Ian Nowell – Director General’s Office, Age Concern England
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>Shelter: the potential for expanding consultancy services
Again working with CM Insight, we conducted telephone research for this well known housing charity amongst Local Authority and Housing Association clients. These organisations turn to Shelter for publications, reports, training and audits of their own services. Shelter wished to understand the quality of their service delivery, the competitive context they operated in, and the opportunities to expand their services.
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>The National Gardens Scheme: priorities for change and investment
This well-loved gardens charity required a comprehensive strategic review, with the target of substantially growing its income in 5 years. Well over £2m is raised annually, mainly for Macmillan Nurses and Marie Curie cancer care.
A wide mix of research methods were used to ensure we gained the full picture for the best possible value (see published articles). These included discussion groups with visitors and garden owners, depth discussions with staff, a visitor self-completion survey and market wide Omnibus. To help deliver better value, we brokered a jointly funded marketplace survey between this client and The National Trust. Our recommendations were delivered at the NGS annual conference to an audience of 200+ volunteers. The NGS has grown revenues by over 15% in each of the last two years.
‘Andrew was quick to get to grips with the key issues and devise a comprehensive programme of research to match our budget. Excellent written and verbal presentations enabled us to get strong support for the strategic direction the research helped to identify. All in all an excellent piece of work carried out on time and within budget’
Valerie Caldwell - Deputy CEO, The National Gardens Scheme
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SERVICE IN BRITAIN
This survey is managed by ASR every Spring, and has been a barometer of customer satisfaction in Britain for the past 4 years. The survey is available for purchase and valued by a wide range of Government and private sector clients.
Conducted in association with Research Now, and with keen support from the National Consumer Council, we poll 1,000 adults to track their satisfaction and likely loyalty levels by major industry. We also track the incidence of complaints and wider feelings towards the service people get in daily life, and what they do if they don’t like it. See our Articles page for press comments. Some 2008 headlines were:
> Only 1 in 6 think standards of service are improving; half think they are falling.
> But the incidence of complaining about service has fallen steadily over 3 years! We don’t think that formal complaints are as worthwhile as they once were, and register displeasure in other ways. We are increasingly frustrated by the reaction we get to a complaint and the ability to get redress.
> Half the population would rather take their business away than complain. Social networking sites, TV watchdog programmes, and online feedback channels all reflect the way that feedback has moved from frustration to a sharing and democratic phenomenon.
> Poor telephone treatment remains the major customer service target. Voice activated systems and incompetent staff remain by far the biggest complaint topics.
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