Mary Queen of Frocks episode two review: A customer-centric approach to service

Tweet

 

Mary Portas continued her assault on Oxford Street this week as she moved into her new House of Fraser premises. Gone were the former stalwarts of department store concessions and in was Portas’ new vision for the forty-somethings she feels are so ready for change.

 

This week saw Portas move beyond the groundwork laid through a rigorous recruitment process to the next level, with her energy focused on thorough staff training. Portas practiced what she preaches and puts the customer front of mind, talking about the customer being the DNA of the business, she declares “no matter how difficult they are, customers have to come first which is why I want my staff to have real expertise”.

 

Ruling with her so perfectly manicured iron fist, Portas fought the good fight against troublesome bosses bent on securing profits and prime advertising space for Portas’ face on the back of London’s buses.

 

Of course, ‘the suits’ as Portas so dryly put it are ultimately focused on selling a product. Customers know this, and are largely happy with the concept but, as I said last week, customer experience is the point of differentiation for retailers.

Portas seems to understand this and insists that sales staff are ‘stylists’, dispensing fashion advice and an expert knowledge of the product, as well as driving sales. This will ultimately help to secure those all-important profits by creating trust in the brand and giving customers that little bit extra.

 

A comprehensive approach will be worth it in the end, as frontline customer service staff are the face of the retailer in the minds of customers. As in the recruitment process, Portas continued to empower staff and ensure best practice through her top-down leadership and personal commitment to individual members of staff. She also used role-play and training to prepare her ‘stylists’ and ‘bellboys’ for every eventuality.

But it was not just staff that Portas set in her sights. The forty-somethings she was so keen to impress were brought into the decision-making at each stage through focus groups and product testing to decide on clothing and brand image.

 

Feedback was harsh and direct, Portas’ reaction to being described as ‘in her 60s’ was particularly memorable. Despite a confrontational exchange with one of the more vocal members of her focus group, and against her own instincts, Portas implemented changes rather than plowing ahead with her much-talked about ‘vision’.

 

Listening to customers, rather than presuming to understand them, is crucial particularly when the retailer has such a strong idea of what they think a customer wants. Embedding this customer-centric approach at an early stage is key, as ultimately it will be consumers who can make Portas’ dream a reality.

 

By focusing on customers and investing in staff training, Portas has put herself in the best possible position for success in the run up to opening. But next week will be the real test...