Aligning BT with its new customer promise
Synopsis
BT is a global service provider helping multi-site corporate customers master the complexity of business communication.
The Problem
BT was launching a new business vision, brand, customer promise and corporate values. This new strategy represented a fundamental shift for the business into Information and Communication Technology (ICT) rather than involvement solely in traditional telecommunications. TMI were charged with the challenge of embedding the new values and behaviours across the BT world and creating a consistent customer experience.
The Solution
A five layered approach was agreed:
- Leadership - to ensure leaders role modeled the values
- Engagement - to help people understand what the values mean in terms of behaviours & actions
- Reinforcement - embedding the values into recruitment, induction, performance and reward systems
- Communication - communicating through stories, case studies, competitions etc
- Measurement - to quantify the success of the program in changing behaviours through clear output metrics
Examples of some specific activities
Approximately 200 'Agents of Change' were identified across the business. These agents delivered team based 'Making it Personal' workshops to all 21,000 employees to introduce the values, understand the benefits and inspire them with the new company vision. TMI facilitated the design of this workshop and ran 'Train the Trainer' events, equipping agents with the skills and competencies they needed to deliver the workshop.
Driving the new values into the performance management approach ensured people were measured not only on what employees were doing, but also how they were doing it, thereby making a sustainable behaviour shift. It ensured people were measured and rewarded on 'Living The BT Values' as well as achievement of operational targets.
TMI also designed a 'Maximising Performance' program to be cascaded down from senior management. The top three management levels delivered the workshop to their direct reports: These people in turn used the new performance management system with their direct reports, who again cascaded it to the next level. This approach ensured credibility, since managers rather than outside consultants owned the new system. Managers also experienced the new approach from above before being expected to implement it themselves.
In addition TMI developed and delivered a 1 day 'Making Customer Connections' workshop for all staff across 14 countries to inspire individuals and teams to adopt the attitudes and behaviours that drive customer loyalty. This was complemented by an extensive programme of culture change team activities which put the learning into action.
The Outcomes
- BT Global Services won three Telemark Gold Awards for achieving high standards of customer satisfaction in 2005.
- These awards recognise satisfaction scores rated at more than 20% above the benchmark standard
- The company's three outstanding ratings were in: secure data transfer; long term relationship; and understanding customer requirements.
- This is the first time BT has achieved multiple customer service Telemark gold awards.