We managed to raise the NPS figure by leaps and bounds
The NPS score tells a company how easily customers will recommend it to others. It is a simple measure of customer satisfaction. NPS averages vary across industries, and it is particularly challenging to achieve a high NPS score in the construction and renovation sector. Despite this, the 24 Centre for Building Services managed to increase its NPS figure dramatically over the past year. The rise is mainly due to communication and communication-related issues, say 24 Center employees.
The 24 Center, a nationwide emergency centre for building services, is a new player in the construction industry. It consolidates the management of building services issues behind a single telephone number from which professional help is dispatched to customers around the clock. The company's service concept is unique in Finland. It is a modern innovation in an industry with a long tradition, and initially it did not go without problems.
One year after the company was set up, the popularity index, which can be considered a good indicator of customer satisfaction, was low at only 15 (2018). This was the start of a long and rigorous development process, which resulted in a significant percentage increase in the NPS. In 2019 it was 28, and in October this year it was 43.
Joose Pinomaa, Managing Director of 24 Center, is pleased with this.
"The rise in the NPS figure shows that we are doing things right now," he says. "We are on the right track, but at the same time we have to be aware that there is always room for improvement. The high level of NPS is important in many ways. It creates customer loyalty and has been proven to contribute to the organic growth of the company."
According to Pinomaa, the rise in the NPS figure can be explained in particular by customer focus and more effective communication.
"Since the beginning, we have collected customer satisfaction surveys. Our absolute goal is to always provide the best customer experience," he says. "It's important to polish it to a diamond. Our focus on the sales process and the quality of our partners have also contributed to the rise in NPS."
Partners are the cornerstone of 24 Center's work. The client gets what they need from the 24 Center network, with the partner's employee representing not only their own workplace, but also the 24 Center. Poor customer service therefore also affects the 24 Center and its NPS score.
Pinomaa says that bad days happen to all of us and that it's human nature. But repeated bad feedback from a particular partner is something that needs to be addressed.
"We have had to put some partners out of the network because of repeated complaints," he says. "We want to be absolutely rigorous about these. The best customer experience is always our mission."
Eero Väänänen, Head of Technology at 24 Center, and Henrik Jyränoja, Service Manager, agree that the NPS figure is rising. It is driven by issues related to communication and communications. Jyränoja cites the company's desire to help people, while Väänänen points to freedom of choice.
"We have tried to give the customer more options for ordering," says Väänänen. "A new thing has been the ordering of non-urgent work. The customer gets the unhurried service at a lower price and can also place the order directly on the website. In the case of non-urgent needs, we also have the option of sending the customer options of available contractors to compare, thus increasing the customer's freedom of choice."
Making the whole process fully transparent has also contributed to accelerating the rise of the NPS figure. The customer is kept informed at all times of what is happening and is provided with all the information. As a result, nothing comes as a surprise.
"The call will clearly inform the customer about the content and price of the service and other information required by the Consumer Protection Act," Väänänen says. "After placing an order, the customer always receives an order confirmation."
All these things together have contributed to the high NPS of 24 Center. Investment in communication, transparency, customer service and the quality of partners have improved customer satisfaction. They have helped to create loyal customers who recommend the company's services to others, thus creating a positive environment around the company.
