Handles for Forks - By Gavin Neate, welcoMe.

How happy are we when someone in customer services remembers our name and something important that we have shared with them last time we met?

The best examples I have are in top-end hospitality:

“Fantastic to see you again! Mr. Neate, you'll be happy to hear we have provided your favourite Egyptian cotton towels, and your Châteauneuf-du-Pape is already breathing. It is the 2007 I know you prefer."

..or perhaps less pleasing, online, where just thinking about buying a new electric toothbrush seems to initiate a series of adverts on all our social media feeds. 

However, I'm finding it difficult to come up with other practical examples of superb customer  service.

Well, I'm sort of struggling. As you know, I’m going to mention WelcoMe here… but I won't be mentioning it just yet. 

I want to start by discussing the importance of personalisation. 

I've been reading a lot of posts and articles from my favourite retail gurus recently about personalisation, and it's pretty much universally accepted that when a person feels they mean something to a retailer beyond a commercial transaction, they are more likely to spend money, return to shop, and ultimately recommend the business to their friends. 

It's not a new concept; although, it did seem to matter a bit more in the past, when there was less automation and before the advent of digital technology. 

Back in the day, personalisation came in the form of a simple doorbell. Remember the doorbell from Ike Godsey's hardware store in The Waltons, or the one above the door in Monty Python's Dead Parrot or The Two Ronnies, Four Candles sketch (yes, I looked them up again on YouTube). The sound of the bell would bring the store owner, ready to serve, out of a back office and onto the counter. “Hello, John Boy, yes, that door hinges you ordered came in.” Ok, perhaps personalisation is a bit of a stretch, but hey, it’s all we had, and because of it, the customer felt that little bit more special. 

We could argue that we have regressed, given the extent of our progress over the past 200 years. However, not only has the need grown, but many retailers now recognise it as the pinnacle of service delivery. Do you recall the introduction of Bluetooth low energy, which prompted shops to push adverts to us as we walked past, or the swift abandonment of Tesco's facial recognition technology at the door? They were an effort to bring our online personas into the real world, and as such, most felt they were invading more than assisting. 

It’s now 2024, and you would think there are a whole raft of solutions, but no, it’s still pretty much the doorbell, if that even exists at all. 

Except there’s welcoMe of course. WelcoMe is the first proximity-based staff training tool in the world. 

Now, I could talk about the success of this service, but if you know me, you know about it already, so I’m going to stick to broad brushstrokes and talk about the importance of concept and the reason it was developed at all, i.e., “knowing who is about to arrive before they arrive.” 

I assume that you are carrying a mobile phone and are most likely reading this on it right now. Let's imagine you are thinking of buying a new kettle or electric toothbrush (go with me on this). You tap a few buttons, and you’ve told the shop you’re on your way. You've expressed your desire for a kettle (or toothbrush), specified your desired price, desired features, and preferred colour, and then you arrive. Mark greets you at the door, introducing himself as Mark. "I have a kettle that I think you'll like, and I've set aside some pretty impressive toothbrushes for you, Gavin." 

Result. Not only do I feel cared for but I’m more likely to make a purchase. I’m also happy to say that an increasing number of venues, including Currys plc, Levi Strauss, and several of the UK's top shopping centres, are already using personalised sales.  

Now comes the rub; sorry. Currently, this service is exclusively available to individuals with disabilities. By simply clicking a button, they can access not only information about their goals but also receive specific and generalised training on how to effectively meet their communication and accessibility needs upon arrival.  I'm referring to things like being aware of their name, having a seat, glass, or water readily available, adjusting the music, providing a quiet area away from other customers, or even dedicating time to research specific product information beforehand. 

Innovation has the potential to personalise and enhance a customer's experience, potentially motivating those who have previously only shopped online to venture out onto the high street. Who knows, this innovation might mean that we’ll know it was Fork Handles and not Four Candles before our customer arrives.

Gavin Neate - Founder of WelcoMe - a World First

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