2012customercareguide.pdf

Creating outstanding customer experience in shopping centres

BCSC Educational Trust, 1 Queen Anne’s Gate, Westminster, London, SW1H 9BTt: 0207 222 1122 e: [email protected] w: www.bcsc.org.uk

RealService, Kingsbridge House, 130 Marsh Road, Pinner, Middlesex, HA5 5LXt: 020 3393 9603 w: www.real-service.co.uk

ISBN number: 1 897958 54 4

Designed and produced by FourthQuarter.co.uk

Creating outstanding customer experience inshopping centres A BEST PRACTICE GUIDE

A BEST PRACTICE GUIDE

Creating outstanding custom

er experience in shopping centresA BEST PRAC

TICE G

UIDE

http://www.FourthQuarter.co.uk

http://www.bcsc.org.uk

Foreword

When the guide was first written in 2005,it focused attention on the role that customerservice has to play in our shopping centres,high streets and retail parks. It was aprecursor to the BCSC Achieving CustomerExcellence Award programme (ACE), whichhas proven to be an important catalyst forimprovement within our industry.

The world has changed enormously sincethe first edition of this guide. The worsteconomic recession since the 1920s, anexplosion in online shopping and rapid risein the use of social media and newtechnology, has had a profound impacton retailing businesses.

Customer expectations have also moved onduring this period. The success of the ACEAwards is proof that shopping centres haveembraced the power of customer serviceand the benefits it can bring.

With the Mary Portas Review into the futureof our high streets still fresh in our minds,there has never been a better time to re-examine the role that customer service hasto play in shaping our towns and cities andperhaps more crucially, contributing totheir economic survival and to thewellbeing of their residents.

This new edition brings to life through aseries of current, best practice case studiesand revised checklists, how the highest

standards in customer care in shoppingcentres and retail destinations look andfeel. The case studies show what steps canand are being taken by the best in theindustry to ensure that they deliver afantastic customer experience. Ultimatelythis is about giving the public safe, secureand enjoyable places to work, shop andtake their leisure.

This guide also challenges us to think aheadabout the way service will evolve as ourindustry responds to the fast-movingeconomic, social and technological changestaking place. It is a crucial read for everyoneworking in our field.

I would like to thank members of the BCSC’sCustomer Experience Committee, ACEAwards judges and BCSC members fromacross our industry for their time andexpertise in assisting RealService in puttingthis invaluable guide together.

Peter DrummondBCSC PresidentBDP, Chief Executive

Creating outstanding customerexperience in shopping centres is BCSC’sthought-leadership document on howretail property delivers customerexperience and care to its customerswhether these are shoppers, retailers or other stakeholders.

We would like to thank the following for their participationand support in this study:

Grace Bagster Jackson SquareSteve Belam The OracleAnna Bluman Capita SymondsSue Bown Severn CommunicationsKaren Brooks Key Lime PR & MarketingAlison Burdis Westfield DerbyErica Burlace CrownGateRubie Charalambous The BreweryAndrew Davy The Mall PavilionsJohn Gray John Gray Service Charges LtdPerminder Dhillon Kingfisher Shopping CentreJemma Fern Gunwharf QuaysLouise Freethy RealService Best Practice GroupRose Hobson KazooSean Kelly pr4propertyElisa Linley Gunwharf QuaysAndrew McMillan Engaging ServiceTom Nathan Brent Cross Shopping CentreDeborah Owen-Ellis Clark The Bee GroupSandra Parr GBM Support ServicesTrevor Pereira Capital Shopping CentresNigel Sarbutts Brand Alert Justin Snoxall British LandLance Stanbury Mall Management SolutionsDavid Tudor Morgan British LandDavid Woodman PRUPIM

Acknowledgements

Creating outstandingcustomer experience in

shopping centres

Acknowledgements

RealService would like to thank the following members of the project steering group for their support throughout this study: Lance Stanbury, Mall Management Solutions / Andrew McMillan, Engaging Service / Davinder Jhamat, BCSC.

RealService would also like to thank the BCSCEducational Trust for its contribution to the study and to Dan Innes of Innesco for his involvement on its behalf.

The text of this publication may not be reproduced nor may talks or lectures based on material contained within the document be given without the writtenconsent of RealService. No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material included in thispublication can be accepted by the authors or the publishers.

Researched and written by:

Howard MorganHeather Purchase

Sue FlattoDanielle Sanderson

RealService Kingsbridge House130 Marsh Road

PinnerMiddlesexHA5 5LX

w: www.real-service.co.uk t: 020 3393 9603

ISBN: 1 897958 54 4© RealService 2012


Contents

INTRODUCTION 1

1 CREATING A SERVICE CULTURE – 6Are you all singing from thesame song sheet?

– British Land: Personality makeover– Service culture: Scorecard

2 UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMERS – 9Mindreading for beginners

– Research methods– Gunwharf Quays: Getting to know you– Understanding customers: Scorecard

3 PEOPLE AND MANAGEMENT – 14Power to the people

– Hammerson: Motivating retailers– People and management: Scorecard

4 THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE – 18The journey is the treasure

– The customer journey– ACE Awards– The Oracle: How to be a Top Ace– Kingfisher Shopping Centre: Leadingby example– Westfield Derby: Ensuring happy families– Communication: Scorecard– Journey: Scorecard– Facilities: Scorecard– Experience: Scorecard

5 STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS – 26Do unto others…

– Retailer relationships– PRUPIM: Strengthening ties– Supplier relationships– Jackson Square: Keeping you securityteam secure– The Mall Pavilions: Cleaners are key staff– Community relationships– The Kingdom shopping centre:Inspiring the community– Retailer relationships: Scorecard– Supplier relationships: Scorecard– Community relationships: Scorecard

6 PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT – 38What gets measured gets improved

– Capital shopping centres: Improvementby measurement– Performance measurement: Scorecard– What is your total score?

7 SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY – 41Watch the birdie

– The Brewery: The Facebook revolution – CrownGate: Quick Response – Discountingthat engages retailers

8 THE FUTURE 46

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This update of the 2005 BCSC Customer CareGuide re-examines the research conducted byIndustry Forum Service. The 2005 researchprogramme identified elements of customer carebest practice in shopping centres whichcompanies and employees could embrace inorder to improve their performance.

The guide has been updated now to takeaccount of the dramatic changes that havetaken place in the world and in the shoppingcentre industry since the first edition waspublished. For example, recession combinedwith an explosion in online shopping andincrease in the use of social media and newtechnology, has had a profound impact onretailing businesses across the board. The rolethat the high street has to play in shaping oursociety has been heavily scrutinised. As anindustry we have become more knowledgeableand experienced about the power of customerservice and the benefits it can bring.

The 2005 research included interviews withretailers, shopping centre managers, propertycompanies, town centre managers, consumersand customer service experts within the sector.In addition a number of structured visits toshopping centres were carried out to developthe customer journey approach. The majority ofthe original research focused on the aspectsof the shopping experience beyond the retailstores themselves.

This update continues the approach outlinedabove. While this guide recognises theimportance that aspects such as shopping centredesign and retailer mix have on the customerexperience, we continue to focus on theelements that shopping centre management areable to directly influence.

The examination has involved:

• conducting interviews with BCSC ACE Awardswinners and judges

• exploring perspectives on best practice withshopping centre management teams, industryexperts and consultants

• expert contributions from the BCSC CustomerExperience Committee members

• drawing on the extensive customer researchconducted by RealService on behalf of shoppingcentre owners and managers, and

• lessons from members of the RealService Best Practice Group.

(A list of contributors is shown in theAcknowledgements section at the back of this guide.)

APPROACHThe underlying principle of this guide can be summarised by this simple formula;

Customer = customer focus + service operational excellence

In other words, great customer service is theoutput of clarity of understanding aboutcustomers’ needs and the ability to respond anddeliver a responsive service every time.

Creating outstanding customer experience in shopping centres 1

Introduction

Introduction

2 Creating outstanding customer experience in shopping centres

Take a moment to think about the organisationsthat have the best reputation for customerservice. Have you noticed that they seem to be one step ahead of you and have just the right product or service when you need it(customer focus)? They also seem to deliver the product with great skill and if things do go wrong, they put it right quickly and withoutfuss (operational excellence). Together thatmakes customer service.

Research by the Institute of Customer Serviceshows that the top 10 companies rated by thegeneral public for great customer service are:

Amazon (92)

Marks & Spencer (food) (87)

Ambulance Service (87)

First Direct (86)

John Lewis (86)

Fire Service (86)

Virgin Holidays (85)

SAGA Holidays (85)

Boots (85)

Marks & Spencer (non-food) (85)

Source: 2012 UK Customer Satisfaction Index inbrackets – max 100

Underpinning each of these organisations whetherthey be in the public or private sector, traditionalor online retailers is an obsessional focus on thecustomer and operational excellence. It isfascinating to see the fire and ambulance serviceslisted alongside retailers such as Amazon and JohnLewis. For the shopping centre industry, retailerslike Amazon have raised the bar of what customersexpect in terms of speed, choice, value for moneyand service.

Companies like John Lewis and others renownedfor their service culture, like Pret A Manger and Apple have the following characteristics in common:

• they are led by visionary, inspiring leaders whopromote change. These people communicate aclear vision and operate by a strong set ofvalues that they share with their staff

• have values that appeal to customers and staff.They focus on meeting customer needs,operating in a way that lets staff take pride intheir business and makes customers happy tobuy from them

• unlock the potential of their people. The bestbusinesses develop their employees, makingthem feel valued and encouraging them tocontribute to the business

• promote new ideas and ways of working. Theysee that future success depends on constantimprovement and innovation

• know their customers. They are always lookingto learn from their customers and try toanticipate and respond to their changingdemands, and

• try to exceed their customers’ expectations.They place great emphasis on continuallyimproving the quality of the products andservices they provide.

The chapters in this guide reflect these commoncharacteristics and follow the structure of the2005 guide. We illustrate with case studies andpractical checklists the areas that customerfocused organisations typically excel at.

Introduction

The areas covered are:

1. Creating a service culture – Are you all singingfrom the same song sheet?

2. Understanding your customers – Mindreadingfor beginners

3. People and management – Power to the people

4. The customer experience – The journey is the treasure

5. Stakeholder relationships – Do unto others…

6. Performance measurement – What getsmeasured gets improved

7. Social media and technology – Watch the birdie

8. The future

Each section is supported with a scorecard/senabling you to rate your customer service.

CUSTOMER SERVICE BASICSBefore we explore these areas in detail, it is worthreflecting on some basics about what makes andbreaks the customer relationship.

MEETING CONSUMER EXPECTATIONSFigure 1 illustrates the consumer reaction to metand unmet expectations. Key to deliveringcustomer expectations is:

• understanding expectations – take time toresearch and explore your customers’expectations of your company and yourshopping centre. Some customer expectationsmay be unrealistic and you will need tomanage expectations to prevent dissatisfaction

• meeting expectations – meeting expectationscreates customer satisfaction but this in itselfdoes not develop customer loyalty

• exceeding expectations – consistentlyexceeding expectations develops loyalty, and

• recovering when expectations are not met –people and processes must be in place tocollect feedback when expectations are notmet. Recovered customers have been shown to have more loyalty, once recovered.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCEThe focus of attention among the leading thinkerson the subject of customer service is towardswhat creates a great customer experience.Christopher Meyer and André Schwager definecustomer experience as ‘the internal andsubjective response customers have to any director indirect contact with a company’.1

Figure 2 demonstrates the recall of a consumerto their ‘experience’. There are sometimesmistakes or failures in a service which lead to a


The diagram illustrates graphically the consumer reaction to not-meeting, meeting and exceeding expectations.Considering how to establish expectations which are not met and where expectations can be exceeded is fundamental in establishing key action points.

Expectation

Unmet

Met

Exceeded

Dissatisfaction

Neutral

Satisfaction

Delight

Surprise

Consumer reactionFigure 1

1 Meyer, C. and Schwager,A. Understanding CustomerExperience, HarvardBusiness Review, 85, (2007),pp. 116-126.

Introduction


bad customer experience. Best practice seeks toidentify these early by getting the customer toprovide feedback in order that changes can bemade. The graph shows the recall to an eventrelative to the nature of the experience.

A strong recall of a bad experience creates anunhappy customer and one who is likely tospread his/her dissatisfaction to colleagues,friends and family (the negative multiplieraffect). OUCH!

A strong recall of a very good experience isoften caused by a ‘delighter’, sometimescalled the ‘WOW’ factor. A very happycustomer is similarly likely to spread themessage to his/her colleagues.

In the middle, there is little recall of anaverage satisfactory experience.

The challenge in the shopping centre industrytoday is how to deliver a customer experiencethat is not just better than the shoppingcentre in the next town or city but how tocompete, or at least co-exist, with the bestonline retailers.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDEThis guide has been written with the specificneeds of shopping centre management teams inmind. We hope this will be a practical guide foryou. We also believe that it has wider value andwill serve to help all those involved in themanagement of our towns and cities.

We have responded to feedback from theseaudiences about the first edition of the guideby introducing:

1. More case studies from within the shoppingcentre industry for readers to learn and beinspired by.

2. A scoring system with more detailed andaction oriented checklists, so that you canmeasure how well your centre or yourcompany is performing:

Fully score 2 points – if the best achieved practice is already in place

and fully implemented

Partially score 1 point – if the bestachieved practice is being implemented

but still work in progress

Not score 0 points – if this is a new started best practice to you and you have

not started to implement it.

Implementing best practice

Mem

ory

Experience

Bad

Forget

Recall

Good

Emotional attachment

Recover

OUCH! WOW!

Unhappy Customer

Figure 2

Introduction

As with all self-assessment toolkits it is betterto be honest with yourself. These self-assessmentscorecards are designed to get you thinkingabout the way you implement best practice inyour shopping centre or portfolio.

To download the full suite of scorecards, pleasevisit www.bcsc.org.uk/research

WHAT DO I DO NEXT?We suggest that you use the guide in thefollowing ways:

• Study the case studies and discuss these withyour teams – what can you learn and apply inyour own centre or town?

• Compare and score your processes and bestpractices using the self-evaluation checklistprovided.

• Carry out an audit process and mysteryshopping exercise to test the physical attributesof your shopping centre and the performancelevels of your staff using the BCSC CustomerExperience Committee’s Audit Questionnaire asused in the judging process for the ACE Awards.www.bcsc.org.uk/ACEAwards/


• Conduct research to find out how thecustomers (consumers, retailers and otherstakeholders) perceive the product/serviceoffer of your shopping centre.

• Identify the key elements of customer care on which to focus your business in the next 12 months.

• Use the guide as part of a training programmeto create and motivate customer championsand to energise the process of continuousimprovement in customer care.

Introduction


Chapter 1Creating a service culture

Are you all singing from the same song sheet?

As previously highlighted, organisations that scorehighest for customer satisfaction are also recognisedfor having service cultures which are alive within theorganisation. Their people live, breathe and act inaccordance with the service culture every moment ofevery day. John Lewis and Apple are great examplesof this in the world of retailing.

Having a shared and clearly understood culture inyour organisation will enable your staff to knowexactly what is expected of them – how they shouldlook, speak and behave. It will also reassure yourcustomers who will know exactly what they canexpect from your organisation.

Our research for this guide has reaffirmed thatdeveloping a service culture is not just about thelanguage you use – for example, whether youdescribe your retailers as ‘tenants’ or ‘customers’. It is about defining what your service culture looksand feels like. While this does not have to be writtendown, it is frequently captured by means of a servicestrategy, core values and mission statement.

It is also about measuring the success of your culture– for example, do your customers feel you are livingup to your values? Are the performance targets setout in your service strategy being met?

The following British Land case study details itstransformation from a traditional to customer-focused landlord following a determined shift inculture over a number of years. In 2005, just 42% oftop retailers rated British Land’s overall performanceas ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. By 2009 this had risento 73% with the company being recognised as‘Landlord of the Year’ by the Property ManagersAssociation (PMA).

The case study in Chapter 4 shows how a completechange in culture turned The Oracle, Reading, from amere ‘also-ran’ in the ACE Awards in 2008 to overallwinner three years later.

Adopting a service culture, however, does not standon its own – it is part of a wider strategy whichembraces corporate responsibility and sustainability.For example, British Land takes its corporateresponsibility and sustainability agenda veryseriously, stating that it creates competitiveadvantage by ensuring that the company and theindividuals within it ‘do the right thing’ – enhancingits reputation and making it a partner of choice for occupiers.

Managing Director, Chris Grigg, says: “Managing ourenvironmental, economic and social impacts iscentral to the way we do business and to deliveringvalue for our shareholders.”

Great service flows from culture. If you do not have a customer-focusedculture you cannot provide great service. Culture, however, cannot beturned on like a tap whereas you can copy a great product you cannotcopy a great service culture. To achieve consistently high and enduringservice standards, a service culture has to be built through leadershipand to permeate an entire organisation.

CASE STUDY

British Land – Personality makeoverBritish Land’s transformation from traditional tocustomer-focused landlord can be traced back to2005 with the arrival of Stephen Hester as thenew chief executive. Hester took the view thatno business could be successful financially longterm without listening to its customers andunderstanding their needs, particularly inidentifying business opportunities andunderstanding when an occupier needed morespace. Cultural change was needed at BritishLand with Justin Snoxall, Head of the BusinessGroup, to instil a customer focused ethosthroughout the organisation.

The first job was to draw up a ServiceCommitment, which set out British Land’sperformance requirements in areas such asresponse levels, transparency and value formoney. Around the same time, British Landstarted to reduce the number of managing agentsit used. This coincided with the acquisition ofPillar Property, which had already undergone aprocess of agent consolidation.

Snoxall says: “We needed to consolidate so thatwe could better manage our agents’ performanceand provide consistency of service standardsacross our portfolio. We introduced KeyPerformance Indicators (KPIs) for our agents inareas such as responsiveness, service chargemanagement and agent licence for alterations.

“We started to issue British Land statements forservice charges – prior to that the agents had allissued their own and brought standards in linewith the RICS Service Charge Code. At the startonly half of agents were delivering budgets ontime. Within a year, through careful monitoring,this had risen to 100%.”

In 2005 British Land also conducted a customersatisfaction survey of its top retail directors whichshowed that only 42% rated British Land’s overallperformance as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Theperception was that British Land was “operatingin a bubble, protected by its managing agents”.

The feedback prompted British Land tostrengthen its relationship managementprogramme by introducing account holderswhose role was to develop relationships with keyretailers, understand their issues and identifyopportunities.

A repeat retailer survey in 2007 revealed thatBritish Land had made big strides in improvingcustomer satisfaction with 70% of retailers givinga rating of ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. They spoke ofgood working relationships and how theyappreciated British Land’s commitment totransparency. Retailers, however, felt that BritishLand was not putting the same effort intoproperty management as it was lettings.

As a result, the property management team onthe retail side was expanded. British Land alsobegan to engage more with the PMA tounderstand retailer issues. The 2009 retailersurvey showed that retailer satisfaction withBritish Land had risen again to 73%. Retailersvalued British Land’s efforts to provide servicecharge transparency, however what they reallywanted was a reduction in service charge costs.

Before the cultural change British Land wouldhave deflected their call to its managing agentsand avoided the issue, hoping it would go away.Its response in 2009 was to listen and try tosolve the problem, providing support for itsmanaging agents.

Over the following 12-18 months British Land wasbeing told by its retailers that they wantedbetter value for money from the service chargeand other occupancy costs. As a result BritishLand worked with a number of other biglandlords and retailers in a scheme spearheadedby Arcadia boss Sir Philip Green to reduce servicecharge costs. This resulted in a reduction ofservice charge costs of 18% at flagship centreMeadowhall, Sheffield, and a decrease of 13%across the portfolio. “The upshot was that webecame very focused on providing value formoney,” adds Snoxall.


Creating aservice culture


The improvement of customersatisfaction is set as apriority and led from thetop of the organisation

Find out who is responsible for customer service strategy in yourorganisation

Obtain a copy of the strategy and think what this means for yourpart of the organisation

Customer care objectives areclearly communicated to allmembers of staff and suppliers

Make yourself familiar with the customer service goals of your companyand/or shopping centre

Create a communication plan to share your goals and targets

The organisation hasidentified who are itsstakeholders and why theymatter to the business

Are you clear about whom your stakeholders are?

Prepare a stakeholder map or chart which shows how each of theserelate to your business

Prepare an action plan showing how you aim to maximisestakeholder satisfaction

The organisation has a missionstatement that emphasises theimportance of customerservice and has identified thevalues it wants to live by

Find out the mission statement and values of your organisation

Is the mission statement clear about the importance of customer service?

Have the mission and values been effectively communicated to you andyour colleagues?

Have the mission and values been effectively communicated to yourstakeholders including retailers, suppliers and the wider community?

The organisation is aresponsible corporate citizen

Find out whether you have a corporate responsibility policy

Make yourself familiar with its goals and targets

Draw up and implement an action plan to help achieve these goals

The organisation isenvironmentally responsible

Do you have a published environmental policy with clear standards,guidelines and targets for energy use, waste management, water use,travel and sustainability?

Do you help and encourage centre staff, retailers and shoppers tocontribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the centre?

Do you make use of technology to improve sustainability, for examplesensor-lighting, automatic taps, water-harvesting and half-flush optionsfor toilets?

Do you have an electric car-charging point?

Do you provide recycling facilities and encourage retailers andcustomers to make use of them?

BEST PRACTICE CHECKLISTFULLY2pts

SCOREPARTIAL1pt

NONE0pts

Total points score

Total score

Service culture – Scorecard

Chapter 2Understanding your customers

Mindreading for beginners

When creating a service strategy for yourorganisation, this is the first and most importantquestion to ask. Without a clear answer, your servicestrategy is likely to lack focus and could fail todeliver as different parts of your organisation striveto satisfy different customers.

Industry best practice has moved on since the 2005edition and it is now widely recognised that forshopping centres, the customer does not just mean

shopper; it is also retailer, investor, staff member,supplier, contractor, local community and one ofmany special interest groups. Together these areoften referred to as ‘stakeholders’.

Understanding the needs of each stakeholder orcustomer group is vital as each plays an importantpart in the success of your shopping centre. Anexample of best practice is British Land’s stakeholdermap as follows:

At the heart of any successful strategy to manage satisfaction is the ability to listen and respond to the customer which earlier we called‘customer focus’. But who is the customer?

Investors and Analysts

From individualshareholders to major

corporate investorsand analysts

CommunitiesPeople who live near to our

assets, local government,community groups, and

other local partners

CustomersRetail and o!ceoccupiers and

prospective occupiers– plus our customers’

customers andemployees

Sta"We employ a

relatively small teamof around 200 people

SuppliersIncluding our property

management teams around theUK (managing agents) and

project teams (e.g. architects, engineers,building contractors and trade

contractors)

Cent

ral G

overnment

Peers and Industry Associations

NGOs

Research Partn

ers


Source: www.britishland.com/647-stakeholder-engagement


RESEARCH METHODSFocusing on the customer’s needs is aprerequisite for delivering customer satisfactionand creating loyalty. There are a number ofapproaches that companies can use to listen totheir customers. Most successful companiesemploy some or all of them. Average or poorperformers either use very few or, may do a poorjob of turning feedback into action.

The research methods that we describe belowcomplement the many day-to-day conversationsthat a good centre manager and their team willhave with retailers and other customers. Thereis nothing better than taking time out frombehind your desk to “walk the floor” and findout what is working well and not so well at yourcentre and town.

Quantitative: What gets measured gets improved.Good quantitative research will give you and yourmanagement team hard numbers that measurewhere you stand now and how you compare withyour peers. These enable you to set clear,measurable targets for the future. Examples ofsuch measures are customer satisfaction,willingness to recommend, dwell time, averagespend, frequency of visit, etc.

Qualitative: Qualitative feedback puts the voiceof the customer into your organisation, giving youa real feel for what your customers are sayingabout you and how they are expressing it.Qualitative feedback is critical to understandingemotional responses, perceptions andexpectations. Methods for understanding yourcustomers include:

• personal face to face interviews• personal telephone interviews• mystery shopper surveys• web surveys• panels and focus groups• comment forms • third party review websites, and• social media monitoring

Below are examples of some of the most commonapproaches used by shopping centres to understandtheir customers’ needs.

Mystery shopping: Research indicates that the mostimportant aspect of the service provided by acompany is how much the customer values thehuman contact they receive from members of yourteam. Seen through the eyes of the customer,mystery shopping can be used to accuratelyexamine the level of customer service yourbusiness is providing. A variety of differenttechniques can be used including video, telephone,on-site and web enquiries.

Mystery shopping is the judging method used in theBCSC ACE Awards. An independent mysteryshopping company visits each shopping centre andworks through a series of detailed checklistsfollowing the customer journey. Shortlisted centresscoring highest are mystery shopped again bymembers of the ACE Awards judges’ panel.

In the case study in Chapter 3 mystery shopping isthe method used at Brent Cross shopping centre todetermine its ‘Sales Assistant of the Year’ and byowners Hammerson, for its ‘We Love Retail’ Awards.

Market research: Shopping centre managementteams must undertake regular research tounderstand consumers. Research will enable you tounderstand how your customers, prospectivecustomers and competitors’ customers are thinkingand behaving so that you can tailor your offer andmarketing activities accordingly.

The Gunwharf Quays case study that follows detailshow exit polls provide invaluable information aboutthe demographics of its shoppers, distancetravelled and reasons for coming.

An understanding of how and why customers aregained as well as lost is crucial, both in attractingnew customers and in retaining the existingcustomer base. New methods, such as pedestrianpath tracking using mobile phone technology andmore traditional methods like footfall monitoringcan also help to measure consumer behaviour.

Understandingyour customers



Retailer satisfaction studies: Feedback fromPMA members indicates that retailers highlyvalue the opportunity to give feedback abouttheir level of customer satisfaction, as long asthere is clear follow up by the sponsor of theresearch. “PMA members value the opportunityto give feedback about how their shoppingcentres are run including areas such as servicecharges, marketing and communication,” saysPMA spokesperson, John Gray. Typically researchinterviews with retailers will take place at ashopping centre, estates surveyor and propertydirector level.

Studies are often repeated annually as a meansof monitoring and measuring progress as well asmaking portfolio comparisons between shoppingcentres and business units. For example, in orderto encourage and enable comparisons, membersof the benchmarking club – the RealService BestPractice Group, some of whom feature in thecase studies in this guide, have identifiedseven core questions that should appear inretailer surveys.

These are:

• satisfaction with communication with propertymanagement

• satisfaction with responsiveness to requests• overall satisfaction as an occupier• overall satisfaction with property management• understanding of business needs• value for money received for service chargeand/or rent, and

• willingness to recommend.

Retailer forums: Regular retailer forums, hostedby centre management, provide retailers with anopportunity to air their views, wants and needsand to find out vital centre communications.Minutes and action points should be circulated toevery retailer after every meeting.

In-built feedback and mechanisms: Best practicecompanies ensure that customer comments,complaints, and questions are collated, analysedand acted upon. A shopping centre cannotimplement a recovery strategy – a plan formaking amends when something has gone wrong –if it does not know who has had a problem andwhat the problem is. Methods for obtainingcustomer comments include feedback forms atthe customer service desk, feedback section onthe website, social media and consumer panels.

Staff surveys and suggestions: A staff survey is apositive way to engage with your team members– including contract staff – giving them theopportunity to comment, in confidence, aboutworking at the centre and inviting suggestions forimprovement. It shows that you value theiropinion and are willing to listen and act upontheir suggestions. Findings should be fed back tostaff and suggestions acknowledged andrewarded when acted upon.

Steve Belam, General Manager at The Oracle,Reading, introduced a staff survey en route towinning the title Top ACE in the 2011 ACE Awards.(See case study in Chapter 4.)



CASE STUDY

Gunwharf Quays – Getting to know youLand Securities’ Gunwharf Quays is a large mixeduse scheme sandwiched between PortsmouthHistoric Dockyard and Spinnaker Tower on thePortsmouth waterfront. Due to the centre’s primequayside location, customers expect servicestandards that are more akin to a top touristdestination than an outlet shopping centre, saysMarketing Manager Elisa Linley. In order to meetthese high expectations, the team at GunwharfQuays goes to great lengths to understand whattheir customers are really thinking and feelingabout their experience at the shopping centreand what drives them to keep coming back.

1. Mystery shopping: An independent mysteryshopping company is used to gauge thecustomer journey from beginning to end.The survey covers everything from websiteease of use and experience of travelling to thecentre, through to cleanliness of toilets,helpfulness of staff (on the phone and inperson) and usefulness of signage in and aroundthe centre. The results provide the centre witha list of improvement opportunities.

2. Annual exit poll: Between 750-1,000 peopleare questioned about their customerexperience. The aim is to find out who is usingthe centre, where they are travelling from,purpose of visit and overall impressions aboutthe facilities, staff and customer service in thecentre and stores. Linley adds: “The exit pollprovides us with a really good check andbalance as to whether our perceptions of thesite match those of our customers, andwhether they are satisfied with a visit here.”

3. Independent retailer satisfaction study: Everyyear, a sample of Gunwharf Quays’ 130 storeand restaurant managers are questionedabout their level of customer satisfaction.

Interviewees are asked about centremanagement’s performance in a number of keyareas including marketing, communication,responsiveness and understanding needs. Linleysays: “The feedback enables us to take steps toensure the centre is working as efficiently andsuccessfully as possible.” The results arebenchmarked, enabling the centre to measureits own performance over time and to makecomparisons with other shopping centres inLand Securities’ portfolio.

4. Path Intelligence: An evolutionary system thatuses mobile phone tracking technology toshow how customers are using the centre, e.g.where they go when it rains, which toilets areused most and at what times, the combinationof shops customers are visiting, which eventsare attracting customers and increasing dwelltime. The information helps centremanagement make better decisions about, forexample, whether the right facilities are inplace, if the occupier mix is working, the besttimes and locations to deploy cleaning andmaintenance staff, and where and when tostage events to maximum advantage.

5. Social media: Facebook and Twitter are usedto communicate with customers. “It gives usimmediate feedback about events and givesGunwharf Quays personality.” says Linley.The effort that Gunwharf Quays puts intounderstanding its customers so that it canprovide the best possible customer serviceis reaping rewards.

Named ‘Customer Service Team of the Year’in the Sceptre Awards, Gunwharf Quays waspraised for outstanding 94% customer satisfactionrates, 8% year-on-year sales increases despitethe economic downturn and an increase in dwelltime from 111 to 121 minutes.


Understanding customers – Scorecard

The organisation activelyworks to identify the needs ofall customers – shoppers,retailers staff, suppliers andthe local community

Do you undertake regular research to understand the needs ofyour customers?

Do you actively seek customer feedback about your service?

Do you share the findings of customer research with colleagues andsuppliers and take steps to eliminate the cause of complaints?

Is there an effective process in place to encourage staff suggestions?

Are suggestions evaluated and/or trialled?

Are staff members and suppliers rewarded for successful suggestions?

Retailers Do you have an effective retailer communication strategy so that youunderstand their priorities and expectations?

Are issues identified through contact with retailers recorded, and thensolutions identified and systematically followed through?

Have you measured how well retailers perceive that you communicateand understand their needs?

Shoppers (consumers) Does the shopping centre management team record and analysecustomer complaints and compliments?

Do you have a research programme to make sure you understand thechanging needs of consumers?

Are the research methods that you use (e.g. focus group, exit interview,mystery shopping, social media, mobile phone tracking, etc.) producingvaluable and actionable insights into consumer behaviour and aspirations?

How well can you measure whether the action you take is improvingshopper satisfaction?

Suppliers Do you actively involve your suppliers (e.g. security and cleaning,service desk, etc.) in suggesting ways to improve customer satisfaction?

Other stakeholdersand groups

Do you actively research and support the needs of the wider communityand special interest groups within it? For example, the elderly, families,the disabled, tourists, non-English speakers, etc.


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Chapter 3People and management

Power to the people

An effective recruitment process needs to be inplace to find them and once found, a formalinduction process implemented to enable newrecruits to understand and embrace the organisation’sculture. Customer service and any other relevantjob training should be provided so that peoplehave the skills and knowledge to fully meet therequirements of their role. Customer serviceachievement goals should be set, progressmonitored and success rewarded.

THE RIGHT PEOPLEEmployees can be trained in the technical process oftheir jobs but attitudes and personality are difficultto change. People with a positive, flexible attitudeand friendly, open disposition are often best suitedto the role.

When, for example, Andrew Davy, General Managerat The Mall Pavilions, Uxbridge, is recruiting cleaners,he looks for what he calls ‘meerkats’ – people who willnot hide behind a cleaning trolley but will instead holdtheir heads up, make eye contact and interact withcustomers. He believes that anyone can be taught todo a task like clean a floor but you cannot teachsomebody personality or how to smile. (See casestudy in Chapter 5.)

RECRUITMENT PROCESSUsing a careful and extensive selection programme torecruit the most suitable people can reap substantialfinancial benefits in terms of staff retention, reducedabsenteeism and improved customer service.

En route to winning the title Top ACE in the 2011 AceAwards, The Oracle, Reading, changed its recruitmentpolicy by actively looking for gregarious types whoenjoyed talking to customers and had the ability tothink for themselves. The centre also introduced arole-play style second interview to single out thosewith a real flair for customer service. (See case studyin Chapter 4.)

Restaurant chain Wagamama, ‘Customer ServiceChampion of the Year’ in Hammerson’s inaugural‘We Love Retail’ Awards, places enormous emphasis onthe types of people it recruits. A spokesperson says:“Wagamama prides itself on customer service and wealways want to be as friendly and helpful as possible.The diversity of experiences, different ways of thinkingand individuality expressed among the Wagamamastaff is part of what makes the teams unique all overthe UK.” (See the following case study.)

INDUCTION AND TRAININGOnce recruited, all staff, whether employed orsubcontracted, should have the training and knowledgeto fully meet the requirements of their role. Thisshould include an induction and customer care trainingprogramme which is updated annually.

At Jackson Square, Bishops Stortford, General ManagerGrace Bagster gives members of her subcontractedsecurity team time off work to attend training courses,which she feels makes them better and moreinterested in their jobs and reduces staff turnover.(See case study in Chapter 5.)

The culture of an organisation needs to be supported by the recruitmentand retention of management and staff, with the right attitude andpersonality profile.

Wagamama views staff training as a key partof its success. A spokesperson says: “Duringtraining Wagamama teaches employees morethan just the basics – it aims to promote anunderstanding that all customers are differentas are all members of staff, therefore adaptingtraining to each individual. Once initial traininghas been completed Wagamama continues todevelop its staff with further training coursesand management opportunities to furthertheir growth.”

EMPOWERMENTCustomer service should be embedded withineach role and delegated authority given to allstaff members so that they are empowered toresolve customer issues immediately. An efficient,effective and immediate response to a customerissue, are key to keeping the customer satisfied.

For example, at The Oracle, Reading, a processof multi-skilling staff was introduced, whichinvolved security staff and managers beingtrained to run the Information Desk. The aim wasto break down barriers and give people a betterfeel and understanding for one another’s roles.Crucially, it also meant that if a job neededdoing, more people could step in and get it done,improving customer service delivery. (See casestudy in Chapter 4.)

CUSTOMER SERVICE GOALSGreat customer service produces positivecustomer experiences, which drive sales andprofitability. Achieving customer service goalsshould be set by management and rewardedeither through regular awards or throughformal objectives, using performancemeasurement and an appraisal process whichsupports and monitors progress.

For example, Westfield Derby’s ten-strongconcierge team provides events and promotionalcampaign support to the marketing team. Theultimate aim is to drive footfall and increasedwell time. Stretching KPIs were set for the teamin 2011, all of which were met or exceededincluding, for example, being 8% over target ingaining Westfield Kids Club sign-ups. Footfall of25 million was maintained with dwell time up by17.5%. (See case study in Chapter 4.)

REWARDS AND AWARDSRewards encourage changes in behaviour.Immediate small rewards create a more dynamicculture. Awards for the highest achievers motivateand inspire others to do the same. For example,Brent Cross Shopping Centre’s ‘Sales Assistant ofthe Year Award’ is always eagerly anticipated bystaff and retailers as is Hammerson’s ‘We LoveRetail’ Awards. (See the following case study.)

People andmanagement



People andmanagement

CASE STUDY

Hammerson - Motivating retailersThe ‘Sales Assistant of the Year’ prize-givingceremony is always one of the most eagerlyawaited events among workers at Hammerson’sBrent Cross shopping centre in North London. Theanticipation starts in June when nominations areinvited and builds to a crescendo of excitement inSeptember when a first prize of £1,000, trophyand certificate is awarded to the individualjudged top for outstanding customer service.

There are usually around 40 nominations, whichare reduced to ten finalists by the centre’sCustomer Service Working Party, a sub group of theRetailer Board. Each finalist is then independentlyassessed by a mystery shopping company.

The top ten finalists are invited onto stage duringa champagne breakfast attended by retailers,family members, local media and dignitaries aswell as any passing shoppers. Every finalistreceives a minimum of £100, with the top threewinning more money and other prizes. A host ofother awards are handed out at the same timeincluding ‘Retailer of the Year’ and ‘EnvironmentalRetailer of the Year’.

Centre manager Tom Nathan says: “The awardsreward great customer service performance in ahighly competitive environment. They celebratethe best, providing public recognition for thehard work winners and finalists have put in.”

At portfolio level, Hammerson’s ‘We Love Retail’Awards celebrates the best in customer servicefrom across its 10 UK shopping centres. Eighteenwinners are recognised for exceptional customerservice. David Atkins, Hammerson CEO adds: “Wework with the best retail, catering and leisurebrands in the UK and there is tough competitionfor each award. The winners continually deliverfirst class customer service and are willing tomake the in-store experience special for ourshoppers. This plays a large part in the success ofour centres and we are delighted to recognisethe dedication of these teams.”

A spokesperson for restaurant chain Wagamama,winner of the prestigious ‘Customer ServiceChampion of the Year’ Award, says: “TheCustomer Service Champion of the Year Award isa benchmark for all of our staff to work towardsand a great point of reference for what can beachieved with training and hard work.


People and management – Scorecard

Senior managers demonstratestrong personal leadership incustomer service

Do you personally encourage, recognise and reward customer serviceexcellence?

Do you have a customer service award scheme for staff and suppliers?

Ethical issues are discussedand there are clear guidelinesto help resolve conflicts

Does your organisation have an ethical policy and are you, and yourstaff, familiar with it?

Do you have a confidential process for resolving ethical issues at work?

The organisation reinforcescustomer service through asystematic approach toemployee recruitment,retention and management

Do you place emphasis on customer service skills, including a strongability to relate to customers, when recruiting staff?

Is customer service written into each job description and area ofresponsibility?

Do customer service targets feature in personal development plans forevery staff member?

The organisation supports andtrains staff in the delivery ofcustomer service

Is there an effective induction programme for all staff and contractpartners to ensure that your customer service ethos is understood?

Do you give regular training and updates to staff and contract partnersin customer service skills?

Do staff and contract partners have the opportunity to acquire a formalqualification or accreditation in customer service?

Is the training programme reviewed and updated annually?

Senior management promotesa culture of empowermentand taking personalresponsibility for service

Do your staff and suppliers have the personal and financial authority tosolve a customer issue quickly?

The views of staff and suppliersare regularly canvassed andperiodically measured

Do you measure staff and supplier satisfaction (e.g. through staffsurveys), communicate and act upon the findings?


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Chapter 4The customer experience

The journey is the treasure

Customer experience can be viewed as the successfuloutcome of a customer journey which makes thecustomer feel happy, satisfied and justified by theirdecision to use a specific product or service.Customers should feel a sense of being respected,served and cared for according to their expectations ofyour brand. The journey spans the whole relationshipwith your brand. It starts from awareness, discoveryand attraction through to interaction, purchase, useand personal recommendation.

In this chapter we focus on the shopper customerexperience. Today’s shoppers are faced with the optionto research, price compare, purchase, take deliveryand receive after sales support without leaving theirhomes. Shopping centres therefore need to competeand ensure that the customer experience is as good, ifnot better than the online option. With Amazon beingeffectively the world’s largest online shopping centre,selling nearly 500,000 items every single day, thechallenge is a big one.

It is worth noting that there are several critical timesduring a customer’s relationship with your businesswhere a decision is made – by the customer – tocontinue or discontinue interacting with your brand.This may be arrival in the car park, a visit to the toilet,an encounter with a sales assistant in a shop or anattempt to find information on your website – anyevent in fact that helps to clarify the relationship witha particular brand, product, or service.

These are often referred to as ‘moments of truth’ andhow your business interacts with the customer at thesecritical moments can significantly increase (ordecrease) the long-term viability of that relationship.Identifying and anticipating those key points ofclarification is critical to maintaining and growing aprofitable customer relationship. The customerjourney described below is laden with potential‘moments of truth’, which is why close attentionshould be paid to each and every one.

Customer experience is a hot topic in business today. Companies nowrecognise the huge difference that a great customer experience can haveon increasing revenue, driving profit margins and generating loyalcustomers who recommend your products and services to others.

THE CUSTOMER JOURNEYThis section is based on a detailed analysis of thecustomer journey. There are a number of stagesto the journey, which include:

• Deciding to go

• Getting there

• Arrival – car park and pedestrian entry

• Entering the shopping centre

• The shopping centre experience

• Food and drink experience

• Facilities

• Communication and interaction with theshopping centre staff

• Signage

• Leaving the centre

We have grouped the customer journey intofour areas:

1. Communication

• Website

• Telephone, email, social media

• Help desk

2. Journey

• Getting there

• Arrival and car park entry

• Entering the shopping centre

• Signage

• Leaving the centre

3. Facilities

• Cleanliness and standards

• Recycling

• Disabled

• Families

• Food and drink

4. Experience

• Interaction with shopping centre staff

• Cleanliness and standards

• Safety and security

ACE AWARDSThe ACE Awards founded in 2007 aim to promotebest practice across the industry and reward thehighest standards and innovations in customerservice, as well as provide a platform to celebratethe best examples of customer care. Thechecklists in this section broadly mirror those usedin the judging for the ACE Awards which rewardthe highest scorers in the following categories:

• under 40,000 sqm

• 40,000 sqm

• over 80,000 sqm

• retail/shopping park

• ACE ‘Star’ – an individual member of staff whohas given exceptional customer service.

The judging process includes mystery-shopperaudits of shopping centres, details of which canbe found at: www.bcsc.org.uk/ACEAwards/


The customerexperience


“The people on the Information Desk were fantastic. They lookedup and smiled straightaway – they were so spontaneous and

friendly. The cleaners were exactly the same.”

CASE STUDY

The Oracle – How to be a Top AceSince 2008, Hammerson-owned The Oracle inReading has undergone a cultural and customerservice revolution that has seen it be transformedfrom an ‘also-ran’ in the ACE Awards to winner ofthe highest accolade, Top Ace. The Oracle’sincredible journey started with entry into the 2008Awards. “We took the feedback from the judges todraw up an action list for improvements,” explainsGeneral Manager, Steve Belam. “We regardedthese as the foundations from which to build.”

The first job was to give the centre’s customerservice staff NVQ Level 2 and 3 customer servicetraining. “It took six months to complete buteveryone bought into it,” adds Belam. Thisprompted a shift in recruitment policy. “Weactively started to look for people with a moreopen personality, gregarious types who enjoyedtalking to customers and could think on their feetand for themselves.”

The security team, referred to as Duty Assistants,and cleaners were also given NVQ training inrecognition that everyone who works at the centrehas an important role to play in delivering greatcustomer service. “We wanted to instil a oneteam policy where everyone was equal andtreated the same,” says Belam. A number ofimportant aesthetic changes were also made.The shopmobility area was given a revamp tocreate a more conducive environment. The staffuniform was also given a dramatic makeoverwith the colour pink introduced and a moretailored and flattering look achieved.

Another important step was the introduction ofan annual staff survey giving staff the opportunityto feedback, in confidence, about working at thecentre. Feedback from the ACE Awards judgesin 2009 created yet another list of action pointsfor Belam and his team. This resulted in theintroduction of a role-play style second interview

in the staff recruitment process to single outthose with a real flair for customer service.

At the same time staff rotas were re-organised tocreate more shift overlap at key times and teammeetings were held more frequently with KPIsset for individuals and financial incentivesintroduced. A process of multi-skilling staff wasalso introduced, which involved security staffand managers being trained to run theInformation Desk. The aim was to break downbarriers and give people a better feel andunderstanding for one another’s roles. Crucially,it also meant that if a job needed doing, morepeople could step in and get it done, improvingcustomer service delivery.

A mystery shopping programme was introduced,revealing further opportunities for improvement.The Oracle was also instrumental in the launchof the Reading Retail Awards, culminating in anannual black tie dinner. By the time of thejudging for the 2011 ACE Awards, The Oracle’stransformation was complete. Judge AndrewMcMillan says: “The people on the InformationDesk were fantastic. They looked up and smiledstraightaway – they were so spontaneous andfriendly. The cleaners were exactly the same.While it is helpful that The Oracle is in a lovelylocation next to the river and is of great design,what’s more important is the way it conveysthrough its people that they will look after you.”

Belam concludes: “It took us three years to becapable of winning an award because it requireda complete change of culture, which is notsomething you can turn on like a light switch.“Whether we won an ACE Award or not, customerservice has become an important and integralaspect of our business. It just goes to show thatyou can run a programme of constantimprovement if you listen and act on the judges’feedback. They only see what the customer seesand that is the part we have to get right.”




CASE STUDY

Kingfisher Shopping Centre – Leading by exampleWhen the ACE Awards’ judges mystery shoppedCapital & Regional’s Kingfisher Shopping Centre atRedditch for the first time, they were bowledover by the helpfulness of security controller,Jim Nicholls. When they returned for a secondvisit, they made a beeline for Jim to see if theirfirst impressions had been right. They werenot disappointed.

The judges were so impressed with Jim's work inthe centre, that they created an entirely newaward to commend him with the ACE Award forCustomer Excellence. Jim, 39, had only beenworking at the centre for two years when he wonthe award. He started as a security officer havinghad no previous experience in the field. Accordingto General Manager Perminder Dhillon, Jim’squalities were quickly recognised and heprogressed quickly up the ranks to team leaderand onto security controller.

Dhillon says: “Jim stands out because he works tohigh standards and leads by example. Jim goesout of his way to help other people – colleaguesand members of the public alike. Our standard ofcustomer service is vital to the service we provideas a shopping centre and I am very proud we havemembers of staff such as Jim to look after ourcustomers in the manner they deserve.”

Jim has undergone customer service,management, and major incident training in hisrise to taking charge of the control room. He isalso a volunteer Community First Responder forWest Midlands Ambulance Service, which meanshe is trained in the use of automated externaldefibrillators and the treatment and control ofa wide range of potentially life threateningconditions should anyone suddenly fall ill.

Jim’s Emergency First Response skills and hiscalm and collected attitude in an emergencyhave enabled him to help save the lives ofseveral shoppers who have suffered heart attackswhilst in the shopping centre. “Jim’s ability torespond in those first few crucial seconds madeall the difference,” adds Dhillon.



CASE STUDY

Westfield Derby – Ensuring happy familiesWestfield Derby was the first new Westfielddesigned and managed shopping centre to openin the UK in 2007. One of the primary aims thenwhich remains today is to create a relaxed,family destination.

A winner in the 2010 BCSC Ace Awards, WestfieldDerby was commended by the judges for theconsiderable amount of thought that had beenput into the overall shopper’s experienceincluding the outstanding parent child facilities.There are four parent rooms in the centre, eachproviding a range of first class facilities includingtoddler and parent rooms, private breast feedingareas, toilets of differing heights, baby changingfacilities, microwave and bottle warmer plus aTV with a kids’ DVD running continuously. “Partof the Concierge Team’s role is to inspect themalls, including the parent rooms, five times aday to make sure the facilities are clean and inworking order,” says Alison Burdis, Senior TeamLeader for Westfield Derby’s multi-awardwinning Concierge Team.

Westfield’s red kiddy cars are a huge attractionfor families, with the introduction of a nominalhire charge having had minimal impact ondemand. “Some people come to the centre justto let their kids ride on the cars,” adds Burdis.“We encourage kids to have their own kiddy carlicence complete with photo to save a lot ofform filling every time they hire a car. Theysimply give us their licence for safe keeping untilthe car is returned.”

Once a month, the centre runs a ‘Crafty Kids’session, which attracts 40-60 children plus theirparents and grandparents for a few hours ofcreative fun. Sessions are often run in associationwith retailers. These kinds of sessions help todrive footfall back to the retailers plus the kidslove them and want to come back.” Other eventsorganised to create a relaxed, family atmosphereinclude Build-A-Bear workshops, character meetand greets with the likes of Raa Raa - the NoisyLion and Rosie & Raggles as well as entertainersin the malls during school holidays.

Children are actively encouraged to joinWestfield Kids Club, which entitles them to arange of benefits including free gifts, storediscounts and two for one offers on entry toattractions such as Drayton Manor, the NationalIce Centre and Legoland. Members also receiveregular events updates, newsletter andbirthday cards as well as an online discounton Christmas Grotto bookings. Burdis says:“We want to reach as many people as we can,so that they become loyal to us rather thango to another destination.”

The customer experience – Scorecard


The shopping centre websitegives comprehensiveinformation about theshopping centre

Does the website give clear directions to the centre?

Are all stores, services, facilities and events mentioned on the website?

Does the website list centre and store opening times?

Is there a “Contact us” facility on the centre’s website?

Is the website kept up-to-date?

Communication is effective:Telephone/Email/Social media

Do you have target response times for dealing with telephone, emailand social media queries?

Is website use monitored (site and page hits) and information used toimprove website design and ease of use?

Is the style and tone of communication defined, well understoodand followed?

Do you have a strategy for maximising the potential and effectivenessof social media? (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

Shoppers can easily obtainhelp and information

When needing assistance can customers easily find a member of centrestaff to help them?

Are shopping centre staff easily recognisable and smartly attired?

Where present, is the customer service desk staffed at all times duringopening hours?

Can customer service staff summon back-up help if necessary?

Do you provide up-to-date directories and/or mall guides?

BEST PRACTICE

PART 1: COMMUNICATIONCHECKLIST

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A first-time visitor can easilyfind their way to and aroundthe centre

Are there clear signs to the centre from surrounding roads?

Is there a good public transport service to the centre?

Is there easy access to and from the centre for pedestrians and thosearriving by public transport?

Are all entrances to the centre easy to find?

Are the surroundings maintained to a standard befitting the shopping centre?

Is signage within the centre clear, consistent and comprehensive?

Car parking is straightforward Is the car park easy to find?

Are there sufficient parking spaces, even during peak times?

Have efforts been made to make it easy for shoppers to rememberwhere they parked – by zoning, colour-coding or numbering?

Are sufficient parent and child spaces available and are their locationsclearly signed?

Are sufficient disabled spaces available, and are their locations clearly signed?

Is the car park well lit throughout?

Is the car park kept clean and tidy?

Is there a car parking attendant?

BEST PRACTICE

PART 2: JOURNEYCHECKLIST

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The customer experience – Scorecard

The facilities in the centremeet the needs of shoppers

Do you offer free Wi-Fi?

Do you have a free ATM?

Do you have lockers which customers can use?

Is there a post box or post-office service available?

Are there toilets within an acceptable walking distance throughout the centre?

Are the toilets cleaned often enough to keep them free fromunpleasant odours?

Are all cubicles kept clean and free from graffiti?

If a toilet is broken, is it signed clearly as out of order?

Are there hooks on the back of cubicle doors?

Are sinks checked regularly to ensure they are clean and free fromexcess water?

Is the floor kept clean and free from litter and toilet tissue?

Do you have energy-efficient hand-dryers?

Are all hand dryers in working order or are there sufficient disposable towels?

The centre caters well forvisitors with disabilities

Are disabled toilets clearly marked on centre maps?

Are they clean and free from unpleasant odours?

Can the disabled toilets be accessed easily and without problems?

Does the website tell customers about the centre’s disabled access features?

Are all parts of the centre accessible to wheelchair users with ease?

Is access into the centre from the car park easy for wheelchair users?

Is information available in alternative formats such as Braille?

Can shoppers hire wheelchairs or mobility scooters?

The centre considers theneeds of families

Is there a comfortable place where babies can be fed?

Is there a facility for warming food and milk for babies?

Do you have a child-safety scheme?

Is there a crèche where shoppers can leave their children?

Have consumers been surveyed to check the crèche is reasonablypriced and conveniently located?

BEST PRACTICE

PART 3: FACILITIESCHECKLIST

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Car parking is straightforward(continued)

Is help quickly available to customers who experience difficulties inthe car park?

Are payment machines well located?

Can customers pay for parking using a credit/debit card?

When leaving the car park, is the exit route clearly marked?

Does the centre offer valet parking, car cleaning and other services tocar parkers?

BEST PRACTICE

PART 2: JOURNEY (CONTINUED)CHECKLIST

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The centre considers theneeds of families (continued)

Are the baby-changing facilities checked frequently to ensure they areclean and fresh smelling?

Has a mystery shopper surveyed the baby changing facilities for comfortand practicality?

Is there a play area for children?

Are there TV or plasma screens available in seated areas playing aselection of entertainment for all ages?

The centre caters forcustomers’ food and drinkrequirements

Does the range and quality of food and drink available meet customerexpectations?

Are customer service and hygiene levels audited to check they meet orexceed customer expectations?

Do you monitor customer satisfaction with the availability, quality, accuracyof order and value-for-money of the food and drink at the centre?

BEST PRACTICE

PART 3: FACILITIES (CONTINUED)CHECKLIST

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All staff (whether front orback of house) understand andshare the responsibility forcustomer service

Are all centre staff actively made aware of the need to behave in afriendly and courteous manner at all times?

The shopping centreenvironment is activelymanaged to enhance theshopper experience

Is the retail strategy regularly updated having regard to the changingneeds of consumers and other stakeholders?

If an enclosed centre, is the mall at a comfortable temperature insummer and winter?

If an enclosed centre, is the mall well lit and pleasantly bright throughout?

Are all aspects of the centre well-maintained?

Are there notices where there is an equipment failure or maintenancerequirement which apologise, explain the problem and advise where analternative can be found?

Are there sufficient litter bins and recycling facilities for shoppers?

Is the area around all bins clean and free from overflowing litter?

Are there enough cleaners in the centre at all times?

Are there enough seats throughout the mall?

If the centre is on multiple floors, are there sufficient lifts andescalators in operation?

There is a secureenvironment for customers

Do shoppers feel safe and secure?

Are security guards easy to find?

Does security staff wear a distinctive and appropriate uniform?

Is technology well used to support the security operation? e.g. CCTV,mobile radio networks, etc.

BEST PRACTICE

PART 4: EXPERIENCECHECKLIST

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Chapter 5Stakeholder relationships

Do unto others…

We now explore the other stakeholders with whomdeveloping relationships is vital as these play a vitalrole in shaping and delivering the customerexperience. These include:

1. retailers and leisure operators

2. suppliers e.g. cleaning, security and maintenancecontractors, and

3. the wider community and special interest groups.

In previous chapters we have looked at how the customers who visitregularly, spend money and make positive recommendations are vitalto the success of your shopping centre and also the importance ofmanagement and staff as stakeholders.

“The shopping centre needs to deliver an improvedcustomer experience and an experience which

includes the total ‘customer journey’.”

5.1 RETAILER RELATIONSHIPS“Difficult trading conditions and the boom inonline shopping have heightened the need forcontinuous, open dialogue between retailers andshopping centre management teams and ownersto ensure operational efficiencies and mutualprosperity,” says John Gray of the PMA.

Retail competition continues to increase, withretailers facing an increasing choice of retailspace at the same time as intense competitionfor their share of the consumer’s purse. Theshopping environment is also changing, withconsumers demanding more and spending less.Therefore, in order to compete, the shoppingcentre needs to consider a broader and morecomprehensive product/service offer.

To support the retailer, the shopping centreneeds to deliver an improved customerexperience and an experience which includesthe total ‘customer journey’. In order to workwith retailers in this highly competitiveenvironment, communication skills and an in-depth understanding of the retailer and theconsumer are increasingly important.

This section looks at the relationship betweenretail store managers and the shopping centre aswell as that of the retail property manager andproperty developer/owner. The role of theshopping centre in galvanising retailers to work tothe common goal of serving the consumer cannotbe understated. Similarly the shopping centre’sability to understand demand at a local level is animportant facility to be shared with retailers.

This guide recognises but does not explore bestpractice in the critical area of shopping centremarketing and promotion. This is covered bythe BCSC Purple Apple Awards case studies.http://purpleapple.bcsc.org.uk/

RETAILER LIAISONThe role of Retail Liaison Manager as part ofthe shopping centre management team hasdeveloped since the first edition of the guide.

A specific person in the shopping centremanagement team should take responsibility forliaising with retailers in order to understand theirdrivers and KPIs and to develop empathy andunderstanding of their business needs.

For example, describing her role, Jemma Fern,Retail Liaison Manager at Land Securities’Gunwharf Quays, says: “I form part of the seniormanagement team, overseeing more than 130occupiers, working with managers, area managersand head offices to drive sales and awareness ofindividual units. The role involves weekly analysisof occupier sales data, communicating areas ofgrowth and risk and implementation of anyassistance packages to those areas of risk. I alsodevelop training programmes for occupiers toensure they support the growth of the businessand the development of the individual.”

In a parallel move, a number of shopping centreowners, including PRUPIM in the following casestudy and British Land in Chapter 1, operate akey retailer relationship managementprogramme. They appoint account holders withintheir head office team to develop relationshipswith key retail property directors to understandtheir issues and identify opportunities.

RETAILER FORUMSRegular retailer forums provide retailers with anopportunity to air their views, wants and needsand to find out vital centre communications.These meetings are a good time to share localmarket knowledge collected by the shoppingcentre and to disclose footfall and sales figures.


Stakeholderrelationships


RETAILER SERVICESThe shopping centre management shouldprovide an induction course for retailers, whichincludes customer care. There should be spaceset aside for retail staff to sit and eat duringbreaks with sufficient and convenient carparking made available.

RETAILER PERCEPTIONS –SHOPPING CENTRE LEVELIndependent annual retailer satisfaction studiesare an opportunity to find out what your retailersreally think about the way the centre is run,what matters most to them, where they thinkyou should be putting your effort and what theywould be willing to pay for. Retailers really valuethe chance to give their views with participationrates in studies typically high.

Results from such studies and proposed actionsshould be fed back to the retailers, which theyalso value. The results enable centre managersto operate with their eyes wide open becausethey have knowledge and information withwhich to operate more efficiently andeffectively. Retailer surveys empower centremanagers; they keep them challenged and stopthem becoming complacent.

For example, Capital Shopping Centres (CSC) hasconducted an annual survey of its shoppingcentres since 2008, enabling it to identify whetherservice is being provided to retailers in aconsistent way across the portfolio, and to spothigh achievers and to share best practicethroughout the organisation. Centre managementteams use the results to produce customisedaction plans to improve their service to retailers,the success of which are measured in the followingyear’s survey. (See full case study in Chapter 6.)

RETAILER PERCEPTIONS –RETAIL PROPERTY DIRECTOR LEVELA number of leading owners also conduct regularindependent retail property director studies togain a measure of customer satisfaction at amore strategic level. British Land, for example,has used the results of its retail property directorstudies to implement a programme of culturalchange, focusing on initiatives that matter mostto retailers including a dramatic reduction inservice charge costs.

KEY EVENTSInvaluable insights into retailer satisfaction canbe gained by surveying retailers at ‘key events’including post occupation, post refurbishment,lease review, lease break and lease expiry. Forexample, Hammerson conducts independent postoccupation surveys with occupiers covering theirperceptions of the performance of Hammersonincluding its lawyers and building contractors,from first inquiry through the negotiation andlegal process and onto the move-in and postmove-in stage. The information is used todrive improvements.



CASE STUDY

PRUPIM – Strengthening ties New life has been breathed into PRUPIM’s KeyOccupier Relationship Management (KORM)programme after an independent retailersatisfaction study confirmed how much occupiersvalued the opportunity to have a directrelationship with their landlord.

PRUPIM, a top 20 global real estate fund managerand part of the M&G Group, has over 51% of itsinterests in retail. In 2011, the companyoutsourced its property management, promptingconcern among some retailers that theappointment might lead to a loss of direct contact.

Rather than cut ties with retailers, PRUPIMstrengthened them by widening the reach of itsKORM programme. Each of the retailers on theprogramme has been assigned their ownrelationship manager with meetings scheduledthroughout the year. Minutes are shared andfeedback is used to create specific businessactions, which can be viewed and tracked via ashared portal.

“We now have a structured programme ratherthan just a series of meetings,” explains DavidWoodman, PRUPIM Customer RelationshipManager. “The most important aspect is that weare taking retailers’ feedback and turning theseinto business actions. When we say we are goingto do something, there’s a process in place toensure it is actively followed through.”

Woodman adds: “The KORM programme is aboutmaintaining a proactive, positive dialogue withretailers. Before the programme was launched,engagement focused heavily on areas such aslease and rent review negotiation or disputes overservice charge and other occupational costs. Withsome retailers the dialogue was often negative.”

PRUPIM is in the throes of adding a newdimension to the KORM programme, which willinvolve another layer of meetings with the likesof PMA representatives and estates surveyors todiscuss operational issues. “In the future, theKORM programme is going to be split in two,”explains Woodman. “The existing programme willfocus on asset management, leasing and strategy,while the new programme will focus onoperational issues including service charges andoperational delivery. These new KORM meetingswill be delivered in partnership with our propertymanagement service partner and will enable usto drill down and talk about ground level issueswhich retailers have raised.”

PRUPIM’s 2011 Retail Directors’ Study showedthat 70% of retailers rated the level of quality ofcommunication with the company as ‘good’ or‘excellent’. A key contributor to these resultswas the KORM programme, which was describedas “a good initiative” that made tenants feelthat PRUPIM regarded them as “a valuedcustomer and tenant rather than someone whojust pays the rent”.



5.2 SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPSAlthough staff such as cleaners, security officersand maintenance staff are increasingly not beingemployed in-house, they do play a critical role indelivering customer service within the shoppingcentre. In fact, they are often the first person ashopper comes into contact with when enteringthe centre and it is vital that they are able toengage, provide assistance and represent thecentre in accordance with your culture and values.

Turnover among cleaners and security officers isa problem at some centres but can be minimisedif contracted staff are treated well and shownrespect. For example, staff turnover is not anissue at Jackson Square, Bishops Stortford, whereGeneral Manager Grace Bagster treats hersecurity team as she would employees. She instilsin them that they are her ‘eyes and ears’ andplay a vital role in the smooth running of thecentre. Please see the following case study.

Lance Stanbury, ACE Awards judge and mallmanagement consultant agrees with thisapproach, saying: “You should spend time withyour security staff and on their pay – the qualityof customer service can never exceed the qualityof those who provide it. You should also

incentivise performance through a rewardstructure, including promotion.”

It is important to set aside a budget for customerservice training and any other relevant trainingfor your contracted staff to enable them toperform in their roles and feel that they aredeveloping and progressing. Stanbury adds: “Withregard to security, you need to budget for regularcustomer service training over and above whatthey receive in their Security Industry Authoritytraining. It’s also important that they are trainedas facility supervisors – it’s their daily job.”

For example, the security team and cleaners atThe Oracle, Reading (see case study in Chapter4), receive NVQ training in recognition thateveryone who works at the centre has animportant role to play in delivering greatcustomer service. “We aim to instil a one teampolicy where everyone is equal and treated thesame,” says General Manager, Steve Belam.

“The quality of customer service can never exceedthe quality of those who provide it.”



CASE STUDY

Jackson Square – Keeping your security team secure A lot of shopping centres have difficulty retainingsecurity guards but not at Jackson Square inBishops Stortford where the current seven-strongteam have been in place for between 5 and 17years. “New recruits arrive with a poorimpression of security, thinking they will only stayfor a year or so - but they never go!” says generalmanager, Grace Bagster.

The reason for such dedication and loyalty has agood deal to do with treatment and expectationsof the team. Bagster treats her security team likemembers of her in-house staff to avoid an ‘us andthem’ situation. “I’ve known shopping centreswhere you have security people in a room at oneend of the centre and the management team atthe other – it’s so fractured,” says Bagster.

Bagster adds: “New security staff come here withthe attitude ‘it’s not my job’ but are then amazedby what their role actually entails. There’s amultitude of things they do on site from assistingtenants to health and safety inspections,recycling and directing shoppers. I also instil inthem that they are my eyes and ears and thatthey play a vital role in the smooth running of thecentre. Once they have grasped this, they arehappy people.”

Bagster is a big believer in giving her securitystaff extra responsibility and investing in training.As well as undertaking day-to-day duties, everymember of the security team is given a particulararea of responsibility for which they receive time

off work for special training. “One person isresponsible for hot water testing, another’s areais fire risk assessments while someone else is incharge of sprinkler pumps,” explains Bagster.“Everyone has something that is their ‘baby’,which makes their jobs more interesting andmakes them feel more valued.”

Security staff is also given the opportunity toundertake basic computer training at the localadult education college despite the fact thatthey rarely use a computer in the course of theirdaily work. “It doesn’t matter that they do notuse a computer at work,” says Bagster. “If ithelps them at home and in life generally, it fillsthem with confidence, which they bring to theworkplace.”

She speaks of one security guard, who joined theteam ten years ago, “thinking he could donothing”. He reluctantly went on a computercourse after which there was no stopping him.He now holds dozens of computer certificates aswell as a health and safety qualification, whichhas led to him to become a volunteer CommunityFirst Responder for the Ambulance Service.“He is a new man, full of confidence,” saysBagster proudly.

Bagster insists that one or all of the securityteam attend meetings as appropriate to ensureinformation is best used. She has also hadinstalled a dry wiper board, to keep everyone inthe loop about day to day issues.




CASE STUDY

The Mall Pavilions – Cleaners are key staffWhen Andrew Davy, General Manager at The MallPavilions, Uxbridge, is looking to recruit cleanersand team leaders, it’s “simples!” He worksalongside his cleaning supplier to find what hecalls ‘meerkats’ – people who won’t hide behinda cleaning trolley but will instead hold theirheads up, make eye contact and interact withcustomers.

Davy says: “Interpersonal skills and high personalstandards are vital because cleaners are dealingwith the public all the time. When a person comesinto a shopping centre, the only person they maysee is a cleaner and so that first impression reallymatters.” People with a good knowledge of thelocal environment – where the bus station is, forexample – is also important, says Davy, adding:“Once the right people are recruited, it’s vitalthat they are treated properly.”

New cleaners at Davy’s centre attend a one-dayWorldHost customer service training coursealongside other suppliers including security, malland maintenance staff. Davy adds: “The coursecovers basics like creating a good first impressionand techniques for overcoming barriers. Forexample, if a customer is asking for directionsand you don’t speak their language it’s temptingjust to speak louder whereas a more sensiblesolution would be to draw a diagram or even totake them there yourself!”

Cleaners’ performance is constantly monitoredand appraised in a positive way with managementcontinually looking for good examples of customer

service and ensuring that when this occurs it isrewarded. “It is important that we recognise theirgood work and good customer service,” says Davy.“It’s about management looking and listening allthe time and leading by example. It’s also aboutshowing respect. We strive to treat everybody thesame. If you treat people with respect by forexample acknowledging them – saying ‘goodmorning’ – they will respect you and the workthey do for you.”

Every quarter, all the supplier staff – cleaners,maintenance, mall and security – are invited to ameeting when financial information about thecentre is shared including footfall and retailercomings and goings. Davy says: “This is so thatthey feel part of the centre and understand whattheir part in its success is.”

Another purpose of these meetings is to explainwhy they are asked to perform certain tasks. Forexample, cleaners are helped to understand whythey have to clean up spillages without delay andthe possible legal and financial implications forthe centre if anyone slips and hurts themselves.

Suppliers’ performance is constantly monitoredusing a monthly scorecard. Davy says: “Oursuppliers have to understand our philosophy thattheir role is not just about cleaning or security butthere is a customer care element to what they do,which is an important part of their monthly score.They all have KPIs for customer interaction, whichis constantly high on our agenda.”

5.3 COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPSA shopping centre does not sit in isolation. It lieswithin a community and there are importantsynergies to be understood and gained by anactive involvement in community life.

Community involvement through specific eventsgenerates footfall, interest and loyalty. Eventscan be tailored for specific groups including,for example, students, families, older anddisabled people.

For example, Land Securities’ owned St David’s,Cardiff, regularly plays host to a Student Lock-Inevent, the likes of which are held at shoppingcentres across the country. Billed as ‘the UK’sBiggest Student Shopping Event’, students aregiven exclusive evening entry to the shoppingcentre where they benefit from the likes ofdouble student discounts, giveaways andpromotions. There’s also entertainment,refreshments and goody bags on offer to addto the experience.

Another example is Westfield Derby, where everymonth the centre runs a ‘Crafty Kids’ session,which attracts 40-60 children plus their parentsand grandparents for a few hours of creative fun.Sessions are often run in association withretailers, helping to drive footfall back to theretailers. (See the case study in Chapter 4.)

Broader community involvement with localorganisations including council, town centre,police, business and arts groups and educationalinstitutions can also provide enormous mutualbenefits. For example, Capital Shopping Centres’owned Chapelfield, Norwich, aims to play anactive and responsible role in its communitywhile making a significant economiccontribution. Nearby is HMP Norwich, a prisonmade up largely of offenders from Norfolk,meaning that those who re-offend on releaseare likely to do so in Chapelfield’s community.

Rather than dealing with the symptoms of crime,Chapelfield decided to use its skills, experienceand resources to help break the cycle ofre-offending by providing work experience andemployment for offenders to the benefit ofoffenders, Chapelfield businesses and customersas well as the wider community.

After 30 months, 99 serving prisoners hadcompleted the programme with 79% havinggained employment in 32 separate businesses.Only two reoffended on release – dramaticallylower than typical reoffending rates.

Chapelfield's Custody & Community Project was awinner in the Community Relations category ofthe BCSC Purple Apple Awards 2012.2

The Kingdom Shopping Centre at Glenrothes isa good example of a shopping centre that isfully integrated into community life – see thefollowing case study. The centre pays the salaryof an additional police officer, which has resultedin a dramatic reduction in crime at the centre.It also gives mall space to the local CrimePrevention Panel every month for crimeprevention and public safety promotions anddemonstrations.

The centre also hosts a monthly forum for localcouncillors, MPs and business leaders to discussthe centre’s involvement in the community andopportunities for growth and improvementthroughout the area. It is represented on Takea Pride in Glenrothes group that has beensuccessfully involved in many environmental andcommunity projects in and around the area overthe years. Many of the centre’s events raisemoney for charity including a catwalk show inaid of Help Fife Animals and the 2012 GreatGlenrothes Hippo Parade for Children's HospiceAssociation Scotland (CHAS).



2 http://purpleapple.bcsc.org.uk/winners/2012/details.asp?type=3&category=0&seq=0

http://purpleapple.bcsc.org.uk/winners/2012/details.asp?type=3&category=0&seq=0



CASE STUDY

The Kingdom Shopping Centre – Inspiring the community The Kingdom Shopping Centre lies at the heartof Glenrothes, one of Scotland’s official ‘newtowns’ that was built in the 1960’s. As there is nohigh street, the Kingdom Shopping Centre servesas the town centre and is the prime retailinglocation for the area. Having strong communitylinks is key not only because of the centre’scentral position but also because of the emphasisplaced by its owners, Co-operative InsuranceSociety (CIS), on corporate social responsibilityinitiatives.

One of the shopping centre’s most impressivecommunity projects in recent times has been‘The Great Glenrothes Hippo Parade’. Thisunusual yet enormously successful communityarts project was inspired by one of the town’smost loved and iconic artworks – a series ofconcrete hippos. Eighteen life-size hippos madefrom fibreglass were created and decorated byeach of the town’s local primary schools anddisplayed throughout the centre during thesummer of 2011 with the public voting fortheir favourite.

‘Hippopotamania’ swept through Glenrothes andacross the land. It even went as far afield asGermany with the project used to celebrate the40th anniversary of Glenrothes’ twinning withBoblingen, which was presented with a specialcommemorative hippo, decorated by local collegestudents. Strategic partnerships were establishedwith Fife Council and Glenrothes Twin TownAssociation. As a result of these alliances locallinks were strengthened further, making theproject eligible for grant funding, minimisingimpact on service charge costs to retailers.

At the end of the competition Glenrothes MSPand Presiding Officer (Speaker) of the ScottishParliament, Tricia Marwick, was invited by theKingdom Shopping Centre to announce CollydeanPrimary's win. The Great Glenrothes HippoParade helped to put the Kingdom ShoppingCentre firmly on the map and in people’sconsciousness with a total of 8,000 votes cast,£52,000 of media coverage achieved and 236%increase in Facebook ‘likes’ attained.

Anna Bluman, Associate director of RetailMarketing at Capita Symonds, says: “The GreatGlenrothes Hippo Parade is an excellent exampleof a highly relevant local community arts projectthat had a real impact.”

The 2011 hippos were stripped back ready foruse in future competitions, but were not to beforgotten; they were immortalised in a calendarshowing them all in a variety of seasonal poses.The calendar was on sale at the centre and locallibraries with profits helping fund future hippoprojects. In 2012, the original hippos were givenanother makeover before being back on paradewith the accompaniment of 16 baby hipposdecorated by local nurseries. A charity link wasalso added to raise funds for the Children'sHospice Association Scotland (CHAS).

Such was the success of the Great GlenrothesHippo Parade that it was a winner in the BCSCPurple Apple Marketing Awards 2012 forcommunity relations.

Stakeholder relationships – Scorecard


There is effective two-waycommunication with retailers

Do you have a retailer communication strategy?

Do you have a member of staff responsible for retailer liaison?

Do you have a retailers’ forum?

Do you take account of each retailer’s preferred means of communication?

Do you share information on footfall and trading performance?

The centre helps retailers tomanage their costs

Have you taken active steps to reduce operating costs for retailers?

Do you involve retailers in decision-making when setting servicecharge budgets?

Do you help retailers with environmental initiatives (such as recycling)and minimising consumption of resources?

The organisation complieswith the RICS Code of Practicefor Service Charges inCommercial Properties

Are service charge budgets and accounts clear, concise and transparent?

Do the accounts show the contribution of the retailer towards marketingand promotional expenditure?

Is there a clear statement of policy on how and where costs/incomegenerated from commercialisation services and activities in the centreare allocated?

Is income derived from the provision of a service or activity, the cost ofwhich is included in the service charge, treated as a service charge credit?

Is income derived from promotional activity credited to the marketingexpenditure budget?

Retailers feel secure atthe centre

Do retailers say they are satisfied with the level of security providedby the centre?

Are all retailers aware of the procedures for summoning assistance inan emergency?

Retailers’ service requests aredealt with promptly andeffectively

Do you have well-defined procedures for dealing efficiently with requestsfrom retailers?

Do retailers know who to contact when they have a request?

Do you have targets for response times?

Property managementprocesses are straightforward,timely and cost-effective

Is the process for approving shop fit-outs simple and efficient?

Do you have a policy for dealing with retailers in financial difficulty?

Is the lease documentation clear and concise?

Are any fees charged to retailers fair and proportionate (e.g. shop fit licences)?

The centre gives top priorityto risk management andhealth and safety

Are risk management procedures regularly reviewed, tested and updated?

Are disaster-recovery procedures in place, and periodically tested?

Do you provide an induction course for retailers which include health andsafety, security and customer care?

Do you have procedures to ensure all retailers are aware of the health andsafety procedures and their own responsibility?

Facilities for retailer staffare appropriate to the typeof centre

Is sufficient provision made for public and private transport for retail staff?

Is there somewhere for retail staff to sit and eat during breaks?

Do you provide a job vacancy board/website or employment service?

Do you provide training courses and facilities to assist retailers to induct,train and retain store staff?

BEST PRACTICE

5.1 RETAILER RELATIONSHIPSCHECKLIST

FULLY2pts

SCOREPARTIAL1pt

NONE0pts

Total points score

Total score


Stakeholder relationships – Scorecard

The centre selects and retainssuppliers for compatibilitywith its service ethos

Are prospective suppliers screened to ensure they share the centre’scustomer service ethos?

Is the performance of suppliers monitored using strict criteria includingcustomer service delivery?

The centre works inpartnership with suppliers

Do you ensure you pay suppliers on time?

Are supplier contracts structured to encourage staff retention, loyalty andinvestment in the contract?

Do you encourage a ‘one-team approach’? For example, by encouragingstaff to feel they work for the centre (as well as their employer).

Do you involve the contractor supervisor(s) in your regular weeklyoperational management meetings?

There is effective two-waycommunication with suppliers

Do you have a member of staff in charge of liaison with suppliers?

Do you check whether suppliers are clear about who to speak with ifthey have a query?

Do you keep contract partner staff informed by cascading all relevantinformation to ensure they understand what you require from them?

The centre gives supplierstraining and information tohelp them do their job andmake them feel part of theshopping centre

Do you give cleaners, security guards and maintenance staff training incustomer service?

Does the uniform worn by security staff and other contract partners conveythe appropriate image and branding?

Do you give information cards to staff to help them answer customers’queries, such as contact details, trading hours, directions, and details offorthcoming events promotions?

Do you give staff the tools and the authority to offer more than expectedto shoppers and retailers?

The centre targets theperformance of supplierseffectively and rewards itappropriately

Have you agreed well-defined service performance targets (service levelagreements) with suppliers?

Do you incentivise performance through a reward structure?

Do you have a system for managing under-performance?

Do you recognise and celebrate exemplary service performance bysuppliers and their staff?

BEST PRACTICE

5.2 SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPSCHECKLIST

FULLY2pts

SCOREPARTIAL1pt

NONE0pts

Total points score

Total score


BEST PRACTICE

5.3 COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPSCHECKLIST

FULLY2pts

SCOREPARTIAL1pt

NONE0pts

Total points score

Total score

Stakeholder total

The centre is part of thelocal community

Does the shopping centre management team take an active role within thelocal community?

Are clear links fostered between the shopping centre and the town centre(high street)?

Is the shopping centre an active member of a town centre partnership orTown Team?

Is there collaboration between the local police and centre security?

Is there clear signage between the shopping centre and the rest of the town?

Do you advertise and participate in local events and community activities?

The centre takes part incharitable initiatives

Do you support local charities and allow fund-raising within the centre?

Do you permit local charities to use space in the centre for meetingsor activities?

The centre supportslocal education

Do you get involved with local schools?

Do you encourage older children and students to carry out educationaland research projects in the centre?


Chapter 6Performance measurement

What gets measured gets improved

The answer is simple: without regular measurementand analysis performance cannot be maximised andcould drift down. Using performance measurement isas important in the world of customer experience asit is in the world of sport.

Traditionally the focus of the real estate industry hasbeen on financial metrics like rental growth, incomereturns and vacancy rates but increasingly, forwardthinking owners and managers, are adopting serviceperformance measures alongside.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONThe ability of a shopping centre and shopping centreowners to track changes in customer satisfaction –which includes shoppers, retailers, staff and otherstakeholders – is an essential part of any managementprogramme to improve business relationships, servicestandards and business performance.

Organisations that introduce and run annualprogrammes to measure customer satisfaction are ableto drive their business performance, keep focused andmotivate their staff. Those that do not have accurateservice performance measures are ‘flying blind’ andwithout accurate feedback they cannot track progressand drive improvement. For example, when LandSecurities conducted a second independent retailproperty directors’ study three years after the first,it found that the action it had taken was having ameasurable impact on retailer satisfaction.

This was evidenced by increasing levels of satisfaction inthe important areas of communication, understandingretailers’ needs and overall performance as a landlord.This gave them confidence that the methods adopteddelivered results. A third study in April 2011 showed thatLand Securities had established a market-leading positionin terms of satisfaction among retail property directors.

In 2011 British Land conducted its fourth independentUK retailer survey3 resulting in detailed plans forimprovement based on the retailer feedback given.An overview of the survey results is shown below:

3 www.britishland.com/files/pdf/bl_retail_survey_2011.pdf

Have you ever thought why top performing athletes and their coachesare so obsessed with measuring performance?

OVER

VIEW

SERVIC

E CH

AR

GES C

OM

MU

NIC

ATION

PR

OP

ERTY M

AN

AGEM

ENT LE

ASE C

OD

E CU

TTING EN

ERG

Y CO

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britishland.com/retailsurvey | 2

RETAIL SURVEY 2011

In 2011, we carried out our fourth independent UK retailer survey. We aim to be the partner of choice for retailers, understanding and anticipating their needs and helping them to achieve their objectives by providing modern accommodation in prime locations, adaptable to changing formats.

RETAILER FEEDBACK

RealService carried out 236 telephone interviews with property directors, store managers and estate surveyors. The ‘overall satisfaction as a retailer’ question was new in 2011 and so does not feature in the above chart.

“I think that British Land is a model landlord, as you can go and talk to them and they will listen. It seems that other landlords are seeing the benefit of this and are starting to copy them.” Estates Surveyor, fashion retailer

WHAT WE’LL DO NEXT

OVERVIEW85% OF OUR RETAIL OCCUPIERS RATE THEIR OVERALL SATISFACTION AS A RETAILER AS GOOD OR EXCELLENT, AND WE CONSISTENTLY OUTPERFORM INDUSTRY AVERAGES.

85%

“BRITISH LAND IS A VERY FLEXIBLE COMPANY THAT UNDERSTANDS RETAIL. THEY PROVIDE A SERVICE TO HELP US MAXIMISE OUR BUSINESS.” Home and garden retailer

RETAIL OCCUPIER OVERALL SATISFACTION AS A RETAILER

Based on retailer feedback, we will:- Reinvigorate our key account programme

to understand and support our retailers in a difficult economic climate.

- Develop a new Retailer Charter to drive service excellence throughout our supply chain.

- Enhance the transparency of our mid-year reviews and forecasts, year-end statements and insurance renewal reports.

- Continue to actively manage costs whilst maintaining high standards, through smart procurement, efficient management and creative thinking.

Retail occupiers rating as good or excellent (%)

SATISFACTION WITH BRITISH LAND

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0VALUE FOR MONEY(SERVICE CHARGE)

UNDERSTANDINGNEEDS

SATISFACTION WITH MANAGING AGENTS

RESPONSIVENESS

71

80 78

16

37

63

1815

33

59

35

21

66

88

7467

64

3131

Industry average (Occupier Satisfaction Survey 2011 where comparable and otherwise Occupier Satisfaction Index 2009)

2007 2009 2011

RETAILER CHARTERWE PLAN TO DEVELOP A RETAILER CHARTER TO DRIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE WITHIN OUR SUPPLY CHAIN


CASE STUDY

Capital Shopping Centres –Improvement by measurement On arrival at CSC, Commercial Director TrevorPereira reviewed the way the company’sexisting approach to customer feedback andidentified the opportunity to introduce a moreobjective measure.

In 2008, CSC commissioned a pilot independentsurvey of retailer satisfaction at one shoppingcentre, which proved the effectiveness of themethodology chosen and reporting required. Theprogramme was rolled out during autumn 2008across the portfolio which includes MetroCentre,Gateshead and Lakeside, West Thurrock.

Over the years, the annual survey programme hasenabled CSC to identify whether service is beingprovided to retailers in a consistent way acrossthe portfolio, to spot high achievers and to sharebest practice throughout the organisation.

Centre management teams use the results toproduce customised action plans to improve theirservice to retailers, the success of which aremeasured in the following year’s survey.

Pereira says: “The annual retailer satisfactionsurvey has helped us to drive our customerservice agenda and ensure our activities aretargeted towards the changes that our customersmost value. We look forward to re-measuring ourperformance every year and seeing how ourprogramme to raise service standards is working.”

Paul Francis, General Manager at The Potteries,Stoke on Trent, adds: “We really appreciate thetangible measured feedback the study gives us.It tells us where we are doing well and where weneed to work harder. The report is a massive toolfor the management team to use to improveperformance. It’s also helpful that we can makeyear on year comparisons.”

Capital Shopping Centres (CSC) has beenmeasuring retailer satisfaction across itsshopping centre portfolio since 2008.Commercial Director Trevor Pereira says:“The annual retailer satisfaction survey hashelped us to drive our customer service agendaand ensure our activities are targeted towardsthe changes that our customers most value.We look forward to re-measuring ourperformance every year and seeing how ourprogramme to raise service standards isworking.” (See the following case study.)

CSC, British Land and Land Securities use theresults of their retailer satisfaction studies tobenchmark their service performance atshopping centre and portfolio level.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPI’s)KPI’s are a small number of agreed-uponmeasurements that reflect your organisation’scritical goals for success. They are measurable,objective, and actionable. You can measureanything your shopping centre cares about.For example, percentage of staff ideas thatare turned into actions; number of communityevents the centre is involved in, number ofcustomer email addresses collected monthlyfor marketing purposes, etc.

However, the real value is in the discussion ofresults with your team, not the numbersthemselves. Remember: “Everything that can becounted does not necessarily count; everythingthat counts cannot necessarily be counted” –Albert Einstein.

Performancemeasurement


Performance measurement – Scorecard

Monitor and report on corporateresponsibility (CR) activities

Do you set clear corporate responsibility targets and report your progressto your stakeholders?

Monitor and reports on itsenvironmental performance

Do you set clear environmental targets and report your progress to yourstakeholders? (e.g. carbon footprint)

Do you monitor consumption of utilities and recycling rates and set targetsfor waste-reduction?

The organisation measurescustomer satisfaction

Do you measure retailer and shopper satisfaction in a systematic way?

Do you publish your customer service performance to staff, suppliers,retailers and shoppers?

Good customer service isrewarded

Do you have a reward system which encourages the achievement ofcustomer satisfaction targets?

The organisation analyses,shares and uses statistics todrive improvements

Do you analyse footfall into the centre and into key stores?

Do you share footfall and sales figures with store managers?

External recognition is activelysought e.g. through enteringaward schemes

Have you entered the BCSC ACE Awards or other programmes thatrecognise customer service excellence?

The organisation demonstratesthat it understands the needsof its customers

Do you usemystery shoppers to independentlymonitor the customer experience?

Do you set targets for improvements in mystery shopper feedback?

Do youmonitor customer satisfaction with the availability, quality and accuracyof order and value-for-money of the food and drink offer at the centre?

The centre measuresretailer satisfaction

Do you check retailers’ satisfaction with communication and set targetsfor improvement?

Do you monitor how well requests for service are handled?

Do you check retailers’ satisfaction with the centre’s responsiveness totheir requests?

Do you measure retailers’ satisfaction with the centre management team?

Do you measure the overall satisfaction level of retailers, and set targetsfor improvement?

The centre uses benchmarkingto improve service

Do you benchmark customer satisfaction with other shopping centres, andset targets for improvement?

Do you benchmark retailer satisfaction levels with other shopping centres?

Do you compare footfall data and sales performance with othershopping centres?

The organisation providesregular and transparentreporting on customer service

Do you publish your service performance to internal and external stakeholders?

Does the clarity of information published improve each year?

BEST PRACTICE CHECKLIST

SCORECARD SECTION SCORECARD SECTION

FULLY2pts

SCOREPARTIAL1pt

NONE0pts

Total points score

Total score

Service culture 38Understanding customers 30People and management 26

Customer experience:- Communication 28- Journey 38- Facilities 66- Experience 30Total customer experience 162

Stakeholder relationships:- Retailer relationships 60- Supplier relationships 34- Community relationships 20Total stakeholder relationships 114

Performance measurement 44

Total score 414

WHAT IS YOUR TOTAL SCORE?YOURSCORE

MAX.SCORE

YOURSCORE

MAX.SCORE

Chapter 7Social media and technology

Watch the birdie

Shopping centre managers have for a long time alsoused a multichannel approach to communicating withcustomers. The last five years has however seen aradical change in the way that shoppers and otherstakeholders want to receive information and tocommunicate. This presents both a challenge andopportunity for shopping centre managers.

Customers, retailers and shopping centres are nowusing a variety of social media platforms tocommunicate, promote and share their shoppingexperiences, including for example:

• tweeting• blogging• posting reviews on websites• posting videos on YouTube• liking and sharing things on Facebook

Shopping centres and retailers are embracing rapidadvancements in technological innovation to enhancethe customer experience including, for example:

• mobile phone apps• offers sent directly to customers’ phones• interactive shop windows• digital signage customised to each shopper• interactive touch screens• mobile phone enabled websites. (See the CrownGatecase study that follows.)

Although social media platforms and the use of mobilephone and digital technologies are relatively recentforms of marketing and communication and there isstill a lot to learn about their best use, there is aclear opportunity for shopping centres to engagewith customers using these methods with a viewto creating another positive dimension to thecustomer experience.

A clear strategy is crucial in determining how, when andwhat methods are best used. Your shopping centre canbe greatly enhanced or irrefutably damaged by pleasingor offending your customers – and it is not difficult tooffend and alienate your customers through anunstructured, poorly thought-through communicationscampaign. For example, if you are using social mediaprimarily as a sales tool, bombarding them withinformation that is not relevant or helpful will justannoy. However, shopping centres should also see thisis as a customer services tool, which can provideassistance when shoppers have queries.

Social media in particular is a great way to find outwhat is on your customers’ minds, to invite responses,listen to their opinions and put your own thoughtsforwards to enhance your business’s reputationand brand. If there is an element of fun in thecommunications it also helps to create a positiveand memorable experience.

Shoppers are embracing technology and social media and changing theway they shop. They are researching, reserving and making purchases online in ever increasing numbers alongside the traditional shopping trip.Retailers are responding with a multichannel approach.



This section draws on research undertaken onbehalf of BCSC about the role of social media inshopping centres. Social Media: Do We ReallyKnow What We Are Doing?4 explores the benefitsfor shopping centres in engaging through socialmedia and how its value can be measured. It looksat whether those centres that are engaging insocial media activity are doing it well andpositioning themselves as brands in their ownright, creating bespoke platforms for dialoguewith consumers and the wider community,rather than simply supporting their occupiers’product promotions.

Our aim in this section is to set out the thinkingrequired to develop a social media andtechnology strategy that will enhance thecustomer experience.

STRATEGYYour social media and technology strategy shouldtie in with your strategies for marketing andcustomer service. For example, CrownGate QR(short for Quick Response) is a bespoke codebased offers system that enables retailers toupload offers themselves in real-time and indirect response to trading conditions throughCrownGate’s website. It was introduced as partof a marketing review that involved movingcentre communications online in light ofdiminished effectiveness and fragmentation oftraditional medial channels. (See the followingcase study.)

Your strategy should have clear objectives andsystems in place for monitoring and measurementand provide answers to the following questions:

• What do you want to use social media andtechnology for?

• What will be the impact and outcomes from itsuse at each stage of the customer journey?

• How exactly will the experience of thecustomer be improved?

• How will social media and technologicalactivities help improve the centre’srelationship and role within the community?

• How will suppliers be involved?

• What will be the role of consultants andother experts?

Shoppers like to receive information that isrelevant to their lives and interests, and toreceive news quickly, for example, details aboutnew offers at their favourite shops and eventssuch as fashion shows, kids’ entertainment andmusic performances.

Customers should be segmented so that theyreceive targeted and relevant information.

It is important to be aware that social media hascreated the expectation of a personal, almostinstant response. How shopping centres provideone-to-one customer service via social media tohundreds or even thousands of people each weekremains a challenge.

BUDGETING AND OPERATIONSBudgets: There are costs involved in developingand implementing a social media and technologystrategy including:

• In-house staff

• Technology – hardware and software

• Suppliers

• Specialist consultants

These need to be clearly set out in the strategyalong with clarification about financing andwhere the budget sits.

4 Social Media: Do WeReally Know What WeAre Doing?, 2011,www.bcsc.org.uk/publication.asp?pub_id=450

Social media and technology

http://www.bcsc.org.uk/publication.asp?pub_id=450

Operations: You should be clear about who isresponsible for what areas in your use of socialmedia and technology. There should be:

• a clear line of management responsibility forapproving activities and documents

• clear guidelines on application, which sets outprocesses such as how to deal with customercomments and complaints

• a formal agreement with retailer partners onredistributing their social media and digitalcontent – duplicate information being sent outshould be avoided, and

• control of content in line with culture and corevalues, and when and where the contentappears such as a media map.

PEOPLE AND RESOURCE Social media and technological activities shouldbe properly managed and controlled by thoseinvolved who are technically competent and upto speed. The likely cross-over betweenmarketing and customer service activity meansthat thought needs to be given as to where themanagement responsibility for social media andtechnology should sit.

A resource plan should be made which considershow many people and how much time needs tobe allocated to deliver the objectives for socialmedia and technological activity, includingwhether any expert partners are required to helpimplement the strategy.

The skills required for the management roles anddelivery roles need to be identified beforeindividuals are appointed. Where individuals donot possess the skills to the levels required, atraining plan should be set out and implemented.Other people who are not directly involved mayalso need to be trained so that they know how todeal with issues that may arise as a result ofsocial media and technological activities.

EVALUATION AND MONITORING The outcomes of any social media andtechnological activity should be evaluated bysetting and measuring objectives, which shouldinclude service performance and financialmeasures.

You should ask:

• Is the activity adding value to the customer?If so, how?

• What are people saying on each platform(e.g. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) about theshopping centre?

• What information has been gathered that youcan use to enhance the customer experiencefurther? (e.g. by monitoring redemption ofvouchers you can determine which offers areof most value to customers).

• Can new social media applications beidentified which are interesting customers?(e.g. Pinterest, a photo sharing website).





CASE STUDY

The Brewery – The Facebook revolution Three years ago the management team at TheBrewery, Romford, was looking for a quick, simpleand cost-effective way to provide its customerswith information. Crucially, it needed to bedelivered in a way that customers wished toreceive it.

The solution was to develop the centre’s socialmedia activity, starting with Facebook. Sincethen Facebook and other forms of social mediaincluding Twitter and Pinterest (a pinboard-stylesocial photo sharing website that allows usersto create and manage theme-based imagecollections such as events, interests, hobbies,and more) have become a key element ofThe Brewery’s annual marketing strategy.

KPIs are set at the start of each year including,for example, the number of Facebook and Twitterfollowers they wish to achieve, and progress ismonitored throughout. Centre Director RubieCharalambous, says: “It needs to be reallyspecific right down to the last detail before I startthe programme. We set really SMART (Specific,Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timescales)objectives and KPIs for everything we do.”

To ensure clarity of message, one person atcommunications company Key Lime is dedicatedto managing The Brewery’s social media activity.Key Lime Director Karen Brooks explains: “Socialmedia management is a 24/7 role. Users don’trestrict their usage to office hours and so wecan’t restrict our management either. Timelyresponses, whatever day it is, are imperative.”

As part of the process, retailers are consulted onthe programme at dedicated meetings and haveopportunities to contribute to content. Forexample, many retailers contribute to the

centre’s so called After School Club, offeringdiscounts to families to boost trade during aquiet period of the day. Online mechanismsincluding, Twitter, Facebook and databasemarketing are used to engage parents.

Brooks says that social media should not beused to bombard people with sales messages.“It’s about engaging with customers, having aconversation with them and ensuring that anyinformation we do send out benefits them andimproves their experience of the scheme.”

The Brewery has been able to breakdown itsdigital database into different audiences,ensuring that its offers and messages arerelevant, targeted and valued. Linking withmatters of social interest such as TV programmeThe Only Way is Essex expands the audienceand encourages customer interaction.

Brooks adds: “Social media activity isn’t justabout the scheme – it’s a great way to find outwhat’s on customers’ minds – be it TV, theweather or the latest sporting achievement.When West Ham went back to the Premiershipthis year, we had some great interactionsthrough picking up on the local online buzz.”

It is also proving a useful tool in promoting eventsat The Brewery. For example, the annual talentsearch aimed at young musicians is marketed andexecuted predominately as a digital exercisewith potential entrants sought via a dedicatedpage on Facebook that links to the website wherethey can sign up. Links to blogs and fansites areused to develop the viral message.

Brooks concludes: “Social media provides aninstant, direct connection to your customers.We are always looking at how we can grow theconversation, increase our followers and deliverbenefits to our shoppers and our tenants.”


CASE STUDY

CrownGate – Quick Response – Discounting that engages retailers When The Crown Estate-owned CrownGateshopping centre, Worcester, recognised it neededto add value to the shopping experience while atthe same time engage better with retailers,‘CrownGate QR’ was the perfect solution.

CrownGate QR (short for Quick Response) is abespoke code based offers system that enablesretailers to upload offers themselves in real-timeand in direct response to trading conditionsthrough CrownGate’s website. Using the powerof rapidly-advancing mobile technologies,shoppers can scan codes to access the offersusing smartphones. Offers can also be printedfrom the website.

Believed to be the first such system used by anyshopping centre in the UK, CrownGate QR wasdeveloped with specialist marketing agency,Severn Communications. It was part of a processto move centre Communications online in light ofdiminished effectiveness and fragmentation oftraditional media channels. A major overhaul ofthe centre’s Facebook page, now a key focus ofcentre communications, was delivered in tandemwith the launch of CrownGate QR, to capitaliseon enhanced levels of shopper engagement.

A new interactive website akin to a mediachannel was also developed for the centre,enabling retailers to upload offers themselvesin real-time, as well as providing shoppers withenhanced fashion-led content and regular day-to-day shopping centre information. Free Wi-Fi wasinstalled across the centre so that shopperscould use their smartphones at every turn -quite a challenge at a two site centre!

A key part of the implementation strategy was apro-active engagement programme with retailersinvolving a series of regular one-to-one andtechnical help sessions, empowering them usethe system themselves. As a result retailers’imaginations were fired with attendance atretailer meetings up from half a dozen to 28,which had never happened before. Erica Burlace,General Manager of CrownGate, says:“Occupier education was critical to the successof CrownGate QR as it enabled them to takeresponsibility for their businesses and empowerthen to communicate with their customers.”

The mobile-enabled, style-focused websitebehind QR also delivered additional onlineengagement opportunities with website hits upby 50% and 14.3% Facebook virality – way abovethe worldwide median rate of 1.9%.

CrownGate QR was launched with great fanfareat the ‘Great Big Value Event’, featuringpromotions, music and live QR demonstrations.Almost half of the centre’s 70 retailersparticipated from the start, generating more than100 offers in just eight weeks – reinvigorating thecustomer experience and increasing football by13% in the process. Burlace says: “The growth ofsmartphone use and apps meant that CrownGateQR was something we had to do. Most satisfying isthat we are now communicating with the rightaudience at the right level.”

Sue Bown, Director at Severn Communications,concludes: “CrownGate QR allows all retailers –from major multiples to small independents –to compete more effectively in a growing cultureof aggressive discounting. In addition, the levelof retailer engagement that we now have acrossall aspects of the marketing mix followingCrownGate QR is outstanding. It has removedany barriers that existed before.”


“The level of retailer engagement that we now havefollowing CrownGate QR is outstanding. It has

removed any barriers that existed before.”


Chapter 8The future

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”– Mahatma Gandhi

Items are delivered to their home or place of work thevery next day or people simply ‘click-and-collect’ ifthey live life on the move.

One of the ways that shopping centres can rival onlineshopping is to exploit the basic human need for socialinteraction by ensuring that every time a personventures to a shopping centre they enjoy a truly greatcustomer experience.

To give people good reason to switch their computersand phones off and physically take themselves to ashopping centre, requires a highly strategic andcohesive approach to customer service and the overallcustomer experience. It requires commitment fromeveryone involved in the future prosperity of ourshopping centres including centre management teams,retailers, owners, developers, politicians, town centremanagers, shoppers and community leaders.

A holistic approach to customer care is required,embracing everything from the quality of publictransport and ease of parking to signage, entertainmentand cleanliness to the delivery of great, personalisedcustomer service in centres and individual stores.

The centres and organisations featured as case studiesin this guide are already creating a point of differencefor their businesses around customer experience,recognising the huge financial and reputationalbenefits it can bring. Ultimately this will bring benefitsfor the society in which we live – more choice, morejobs and improved wellbeing.

We hope you will be inspired by the case studies andother materials in this guide to make your mark onsociety by improving the service that you deliver toyour customers and stakeholders.

Consumers no longer have to go to the trouble of shopping at a shoppingcentre or on the high street because they can purchase what they want –often for less money and considerably less effort – whenever they wantfrom their desktop, iPad or smartphone.

Foreword

When the guide was first written in 2005,it focused attention on the role that customerservice has to play in our shopping centres,high streets and retail parks. It was aprecursor to the BCSC Achieving CustomerExcellence Award programme (ACE), whichhas proven to be an important catalyst forimprovement within our industry.

The world has changed enormously sincethe first edition of this guide. The worsteconomic recession since the 1920s, anexplosion in online shopping and rapid risein the use of social media and newtechnology, has had a profound impacton retailing businesses.

Customer expectations have also moved onduring this period. The success of the ACEAwards is proof that shopping centres haveembraced the power of customer serviceand the benefits it can bring.

With the Mary Portas Review into the futureof our high streets still fresh in our minds,there has never been a better time to re-examine the role that customer service hasto play in shaping our towns and cities andperhaps more crucially, contributing totheir economic survival and to thewellbeing of their residents.

This new edition brings to life through aseries of current, best practice case studiesand revised checklists, how the highest

standards in customer care in shoppingcentres and retail destinations look andfeel. The case studies show what steps canand are being taken by the best in theindustry to ensure that they deliver afantastic customer experience. Ultimatelythis is about giving the public safe, secureand enjoyable places to work, shop andtake their leisure.

This guide also challenges us to think aheadabout the way service will evolve as ourindustry responds to the fast-movingeconomic, social and technological changestaking place. It is a crucial read for everyoneworking in our field.

I would like to thank members of the BCSC’sCustomer Experience Committee, ACEAwards judges and BCSC members fromacross our industry for their time andexpertise in assisting RealService in puttingthis invaluable guide together.

Peter DrummondBCSC PresidentBDP, Chief Executive

Creating outstanding customerexperience in shopping centres is BCSC’sthought-leadership document on howretail property delivers customerexperience and care to its customerswhether these are shoppers, retailers or other stakeholders.

We would like to thank the following for their participationand support in this study:

Grace Bagster Jackson SquareSteve Belam The OracleAnna Bluman Capita SymondsSue Bown Severn CommunicationsKaren Brooks Key Lime PR & MarketingAlison Burdis Westfield DerbyErica Burlace CrownGateRubie Charalambous The BreweryAndrew Davy The Mall PavilionsJohn Gray John Gray Service Charges LtdPerminder Dhillon Kingfisher Shopping CentreJemma Fern Gunwharf QuaysLouise Freethy RealService Best Practice GroupRose Hobson KazooSean Kelly pr4propertyElisa Linley Gunwharf QuaysAndrew McMillan Engaging ServiceTom Nathan Brent Cross Shopping CentreDeborah Owen-Ellis Clark The Bee GroupSandra Parr GBM Support ServicesTrevor Pereira Capital Shopping CentresNigel Sarbutts Brand Alert Justin Snoxall British LandLance Stanbury Mall Management SolutionsDavid Tudor Morgan British LandDavid Woodman PRUPIM

Acknowledgements

Creating outstanding customer experience in shopping centres

BCSC Educational Trust, 1 Queen Anne’s Gate, Westminster, London, SW1H 9BTt: 0207 222 1122 e: [email protected] w: www.bcsc.org.uk

RealService, Kingsbridge House, 130 Marsh Road, Pinner, Middlesex, HA5 5LXt: 020 3393 9603 w: www.real-service.co.uk

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