It was great to have Suhail Khan, VP and Head of Global NPS at Philips, back with us to present at the conference this year - and he gave an interesting presentation on the NPS journey, development and success at Philips.
Philips have a brand promise of sense and simplicity and they differentiate themselves through their innovation process, the way in which they develop customer relationships and the focus from their own staff on providing a superior customer experience. But with Social Media becoming the #1 activity on the web, they have recognised that there are areas into which they must expand to keep the customer promise fresh and focused.
200 million users joined facebook in one year...and 34% of bloggers blog about products and brands. In this environment it's not enough to know that this is happening - you need to know what people are saying - and you need to find the best way to respond. With only 14% of consumers trusting advertising, companies need to be reaching - and reaching positively - the 78% of consumers who give and rely on peer-to-peer recommendations.
For Philips, NPS has relevance in their business to:
- Grow revenue and profitability whilst enhancing customer relationships
- Strength the points of differentiation
- Deliver the desired experience
- And leverage promoters to create positive buzz - or word of mouth - which will grow revenue.
And social media is a part of that strategy.
Philips Healthcare is using Net Promoter and Social Media strategies to turn health-care into human-care through the approach of active listening. They connect social media streams to NPS strategies to deliver a holistic experience for their customers. Guidance comes from a global level but delivery, execution and empowerment is based at the local level. Whilst Marketing makes the promise to the customer, the Service organisation is then responsible for keeping the promise. And the Social Media strategy is part of delivering on the promise.
First thing is to LISTEN, and then the service teams can ENGAGE with and provide SUPPORT to the customers. Particularly where there is negative sentiment, the idea is to change this into positive promotion. Similarly to other companies such as Apple and Dell, Philips are also driving channels for peer-to-peer support. More than 50% of questions from customers are answered by other customers. Suddenly it's not just a conversation, it's a community of support and engagement. Effectiveness overall is measured using very simple KPIs (upholding the brand statement) and the main focus is on the delivery of true support.
Philips are achieving a positive experience through their integrated strategies and focus on NPS and Social Media. Before you step into that journey and ask yourself:
- Is our company ready for Social Media?
- Is our service organisation ready and empowered for Social Media?
- Is our Social Media operation ready and effective?
If the answer to those questions is yes - then you too can see the positive results that Philips have realised.
