Passion in Service

At AQ, we ask the right questions so that we can provide meaningful solutions. Knowledge is power; yet we need to ensure that this knowledge reaches the right people in the right way and at the right time, to improve your business performance both operationally and financially.”

Jeroen de Koning, Managing Director, Asia

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Performance. Growth. Profitability.

These key words appear regularly in strategic plans and annual reports, at staff training

events and meetings. Then there are words like Passion, Creativity and Innovation

– often spotted in mission statements and on motivational posters around the office.

So what do these terms mean to you, your managers and your service staff? And how do

the terms translate into service delivery at your frontline? This is what your customers – the

people who ultimately have the biggest hand in your business success – really care about.

Your customers are mainly concerned with how they will be treated by your frontline staff

– your ultimate brand ambassadors who have the power to strengthen or destroy your

brand image, to delight or disappoint your customers and to determine whether or not they

will come through your doors again.

As the expression goes, the frontline makes the bottom line. And while skills and product

training may equip your frontline staff to hit sales targets, it takes passion, creativity and

dedication to transform practical knowledge into exceptional service that befits your brand

as well as your future growth.

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It may begin with a smile that’s so genuine it lights up the eyes,

followed by a sincere, “How are you today?” or “Nice bag you’ve

got there!” Soon, staff and customer are chatting away like old

friends, and the conversation continues long after the sale has

been made.

What’s right with this picture? Both customer and staff are happy

and satisfied with this interaction. No forced and awkward sales

pitch here, just good old-fashioned personal connection.

Between your brand and the consumer, it’s all personal. All

customers feel that. And they are able to discern the difference

between a good sale – which may only happen once – and a great

service experience – which guarantees multiple sales.

After all, a product is just a product – but when complemented

with personalised service that’s fuelled by passion, the

customer is in for a unique experience that’s worth telling

many more potential customers about.

We at AQ believe that each and every one of your frontline

staff is able to make that crucial personal connection.

That they, in fact, want to build long-term relationships with

your customers. To help unlock the full potential of your staff,

we’ve created programs with a structured approach and

with tactical tools to ensure a continuous pulse of service

improvement. Like a heartbeat – strong and sure – guiding

your frontline ambassadors to tap into their passion, deliver

their very best constantly and consistently, and create magic

in the process.

Because it’s Personal

Whether it’s a simple cup of coffee or a luxury car with a 6-figure price tag, the frontline ambassador should focus on you and not the product.”

Hans Wevers, Director, The Netherlands

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Rhythm fills the gaps between your brand promise and the actual service performance, establishing a process of constant feedback and improvement to make your brand promise measurable and actionable. Ultimately, frontline ambassadors just want to know what to do, how to do it and to be recognised for doing it well.”Shereen Hooi, Business Manager, Malaysia

“Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what

you repeatedly do.” This paraphrased quote by Aristotle reveals

how a rhythm of constant development and improvement

leads to distinction … and delighted customers.

Rhythm is what AQ brings to your organisation in a structured

and creative way, so no one gets left out on this journey to

excellence.

Getting a good rhythm going starts with asking the right

questions. For example, what are the challenges that your

frontline staff are facing and how are they being addressed and

measured? How are your business initiatives being aligned

throughout your organisation? And how do you turn these

challenges and initiatives into frontline success?

At a tactical level, the key question is what standard operating

procedures need to be put in place to ultimately serve as an

ongoing reminder of what is expected from each member of

your frontline staff? Such standards provide your staff with

tangible direction on how to connect with your customers,

how to discover and fulfil their needs, and even how to bid

them farewell. Essentially, it’s about transforming your desired

branding messages into actionable steps that can easily be

measured, evaluated and optimised.

Interspersed within this constant rhythm of communication

are motivational pulses in the form of coaching sessions,

master class sessions as well as incentive programs that reward

both personal and team achievements and create fun inspiration

along the way.

Once your frontline ambassadors are engaged in the right way,

with the right tools in place to manage their performance, they

can in turn engage meaningfully with your customers and keep

them coming back to you.

Rhythm in Action

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With the right mix of tools, customised to your brand and continuously adjusted to your brand’s situation, we prove return on investment.” Atsuko Honda, Senior Business Manager, Japan

At AQ, we believe in magic. It takes skill and experience to

develop and execute research programs – AQ has over 10

years’ worth under our belt – and the end results speak for

themselves. We take pride in the fact that our clients report

an uptrend in sales figures, improving and more consistent

frontline performances, lower staff turnover and simply

more delighted customers.

For us, magic is in the littlest details. It’s in the way we phrase

and score questions in the surveys and reports that we

customise for you, it’s in the action plans that we implement

strategically at corporate and store levels, and it’s how our

business manager assigned to your program responds to

your requests or needs – sometimes, even before you’ve

thought of them.

As a multicultural company with global reach and local roots,

we have the right mix of expertise and tools to customise any

performance solution for your business. But you will find –

from our very first meeting with you – that we are much more

than just a service provider.

In us you’ll find willing partners who will be with you at

every step of the way in achieving your business and service

performance goals. We love and believe in our work, and

practise what we advocate. We believe in building strong

personal relationships with everyone we work with in your

company – from your CEO to your cashier. That’s because we

are as deeply passionate about your business, products and

services, and your customers, as you are. And that’s magic.

Magic in the Mix

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Our Solutions

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Measurement & Analysis

Getting the right data starts with asking the right questions. We measure the pulse of your organisation

and brands with the aid of these tools:

Mystery shopping and focus visits provide insight into how you are performing against your own set

standards and reveal potential growth areas. Our locally based mystery shoppers are specially trained to

show you what’s really happening at your frontline in an objective and actionable way.

Satisfaction surveys and exit interviews show exactly how your employees and customers feel about your

brand, your company and your offerings, and reveal their needs and expectations so you can take action to

build stronger relationships with these key stakeholders.

Audits provide important feedback on the efficacy of your POS materials, store layout and product

presentation, and whether they are compliant with your set standards.

Coaching

Frequent coaching of your store and area managers on their daily performance is a powerful way to affect

change. Our coaches assist them in leading their teams and managing their progress, using our collected

data to create focused action plans in order to ensure continual encouragement and improvement.

Master classes take place in your store environment and are brief yet powerful sessions that are especially

useful in addressing up-selling or cross-selling tactics, identifying and acting on buying signals and

providing pointers on approaching customers. Extensive use of role-play provides your frontline staff with

the skills and confidence they need to be able to engage your customers.

Communication & Change

To engage your customers, your employees must first be engaged. In order to affect change, create magic

and nurture passion, we reach out to all your stakeholders through frontline communication: using email,

the Internet, text and print messaging, or face-to-face sessions. Our specially created online motivational

platforms allow us to share data and conduct e-learning to guide and motivate your staff.

Incentive and reward programs are effectively used to recognise top performers and top improvers. Our

programs don’t just focus on extrinsic motivators, but take a close look at intrinsic impulses as well.

Individual and team performance will excel once we know what drives them.

For more information, visit www.aq-services.com