In this issue read about: - James Revell on becoming our first Director of Contact Solutions - Yoto Player: How Whistl managed their peak in 2022 - Snapshot of what our customers had to say in our Customer Satisfaction survey - Consumer insights from our ecommerce research report - Parcelhub’s 20th anniversary - Leafletdrop pass the 200 million mark - And more!
Whistl
Summer 2023
magazine
Revelling in it! James Revell on becoming
our first Director of Contact Solutions
WHISTL FULFILMENT SOLUTIONS LISTENING TO YOTO
PLUS… PARCELHUB TURNS TWENTY LEAFLETDROP PASSES 200 MILLION MARK
We can’t say thank you enough! Revellations! Thanks to all of you who completed our 2023 Customer Satisfaction survey. As ever, we are analysing the results and will concentrate on improving those areas where things could and should be better. But the number of customers who declared themselves satisfied or very satisfied climbed to 84%, slightly up on last year. Here’s a snapshot of what you had to say. James Revell joined us as our first Director of Contact Solutions earlier this year, after long experience heading up the International Contact Centres of Air France-KLM. Here he reflects on his first three months at Whistl.
Wells Said
It’s pretty challenging out there right now. Despite the welcome recent announcement of reduced inflation to 7.9%, the consumer landscape including spending is tough and that impacts most businesses as well as our people of course. From my experience in business, through the good times and the not-so-good, I’ve learnt that the companies who come through relatively unscathed are those whose products or services are valued. Value and worth run deeper than price and cost: they are what we at Whistl look for from a supplier, and they are what we always strive to provide to our customers. In a service industry like ours, it’s our people and the strength of the working relationships they form that create that value. From that people platform, we can devise and sustain solutions that enable our customers to thrive, not just survive. Given the current economic headwinds, there’s real value in that. Parts of our business are over- performing and other parts are finding it more challenging, but that is the benefit of the portfolio of services we offer. Cheers for now, and enjoy the rest of the summer.
James Revell Director of Contact Solutions
What attracted you to Whistl after such a lengthy stint in the airline industry? The ambition of the company, and the diverse service proposition it offers the market. The Contact Solutions division has an excellent culture that has translated into teams full of long-standing colleagues with years of customer service experience under their belts. These seasoned customer service professionals offer a wealth of opportunity to new and existing customers alike. As a customer service outsourcing company, we are unique in our culture and in the high tenure of our agents and colleagues. High staff turnover is the enemy of great customer service, and since Covid it has been rife within the industry. Attracting, retaining and nurturing great talent is our key to further success, enabling us to create a team of true brand ambassadors who deliver an authentic customer service experience. What’s different about Whistl Contact Solutions? How would you define great customer service? It’s neither bland nor transactional. It’s conversational, colourful, multi- faceted, responsive and even emotional – a uniquely human experience, augmented by automation
And how does Whistl achieve that? The golden thread that runs through our offer is our customer service language that is tangible, measurable and meaningful. Living the language enables us to deliver consistency, ensuring we have a symmetry between the colleague and customer experience, which is paramount. We commit to delivering great customer service internally as colleagues, so we can recognise and replicate this to our clients and their customers. This is contact with character! What about the future? Where are we headed in customer service? We must evolve. We must continue to innovate for clients. AI is advancing rapidly, offering almost limitless possibilities to minimise customer and colleague effort, helping us refine our experience and be even more efficient. We cannot be complacent, and need to ensure we attract and retain the best talent needed to deliver on our promise, creating a team who can truly represent our diverse customers.
‘We’ve been a very happy customer since day one. Excellent communication, resolve any problems that arise, always cheerful and friendly’. FULFILMENT CUSTOMER
‘Team go out of their way to understand our complexities and ensure that we don’t only keep up with our competitors, but exceed them…’ MAIL CUSTOMER
‘Always get a quick response to any request’. CONTACT CENTRE CUSTOMER
‘I have been dealing with Whistl for about 15 years…I have only ever been pleased with the consistently good service provided’. DOORDROP MEDIA CUSTOMER
84% Satisfied or very satisfied
‘Our Account Manager has been consistently helpful and responsive… my experience with your company has been very positive’. INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMER
‘The variety of booking options enables us to choose the best service for every delivery’. PARCELHUB CUSTOMER
‘Communication is very good, you can always contact someone… explanations are thorough and the
team are very patient’. POSTHUB CUSTOMER
‘Very happy with the ease and efficiency of the service – always very happy and confident in the process’. LEAFLETDROP CUSTOMER
‘Really helpful Account Manager, always quick to respond… overall pick-up service
and AI certainly, but above all recognising the customer as an individual.
is reliable and on time’. PARCELS CUSTOMER
Nick Wells, Executive Chairman
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2023
FOCUS ON eCOMMERCE
eCommerce report reveals consumer insights A new eCommerce research report from Whistl contains revealing and valuable insights into current consumer attitudes and behaviours. Here’s a summary of some of the key findings from the survey of over 1000 UK online shoppers.
Saving money is top of mind.
Whilst UK online expenditure is expected to drop by 3% this year compared to 2022, the report profiles some groups expecting to up their spend.
Members of the Parcelhub team gather to celebrate the 20th anniversary
83% of consumers hunt around online to find bargains…
+2% increase in spend
Men overall
… and that probably explains why only 3% of consumers are loyal to particular online retailers. But there was greater unanimity about what’s important when it comes to delivery options. 54% ranked delivery cost to be #1 important delivery factor. ...whilst 24% said speed of delivery was #1. Surprisingly – or even shockingly – 40% of respondents ranked green/sustainable delivery as the least important delivery feature.
PAST AND PRESENT – THE PARCELHUB STORY Exactly 20 years ago, Mark Rosenberg and Steve Riley rented an office and warehouse in Nottingham, and Mail Workshop was born. three items at the same time and the parcel was bulking up. The second was that those In 2018, Whistl came knocking, attracted by the pioneering,
Household income of £70K+ +8% increase in spend Those with kids +2% increase in spend
whistl.co.uk/research/ecommerce -consumer-research
proprietary delivery management software and systems now under the Parcelhub umbrella, plus of course the people who had been party to its development. The rest, as they say, is history. As part of the Whistl Group, Parcelhub has doubled in size and expanded across locations outside its East Midlands stronghold, offering smaller eCommerce companies a level of personal service that bigger operators simply couldn’t provide. Meanwhile, systems developed by the Nottingham team have been adopted across the Whistl Group, reinforcing our position as industry leaders in the customer service experience. Happy Birthday Parcelhub!
retailers, and their customers, wanted to be kept updated with tracking and status updates for the delivery. A software development programme was initiated with an in-house Mail Workshop team and external contractors working in tandem, and in October 2008, ‘Parcelhub’ was launched. At this time, that was the name for the newly-developed labelling and tracking software that could be installed at customers’ premises to help them keep tabs on deliveries. As the business continued to grow, Mail Workshop concentrated on the pick & pack side of fulfilment, whilst the Parcelhub offer expanded to include carrier management as well as customer service and tracking.
Their belief was that they could handle post and parcels for mail order companies – and the nascent online retail trade – at better prices than the competition. It was all hands to the pump with family members helping to fulfil orders, but they were soon attracting high-profile East Midlands-based clients like Games Workshop. Their belief was proved right and their reading of the market continued to be unerring with two simultaneous realisations. The first was that mail order companies needed a more flexible and cost-efficient delivery service than the post, especially when customers were ordering two or
The research was launched as part of a special eCommerce event organised by Whistl Fulfilment. ‘Thrive, not just survive’ was the theme for the one-day event at the Aviva Tower in London, with guest speakers including leading eCommerce commentators and representatives from top UK online brands. The specially-invited audience was made up of delegates from a diverse range of UK retailers, from start-ups to high street brands with a significant online presence. Just days into her appointment as Commercial Director of Whistl Fulfilment, Fliss O’Hara boldly stepped up to unveil the research findings. True to the theme of the day, she didn’t just survive, she thrived!
Most telling, was the delivery threshold cost.
If the delivery cost is higher than £5.95, you can lose more than 50% of your customers.
If you’re looking to outsource fulfilment for your eCommerce brand visit whistl.co.uk/fulfilment/fulfilment-enquiry
We are planning a similar event next year – sign up to our newsletter so you don’t miss out www.whistl.co.uk/customer-portal/newsletter
whistl.co.uk/parcelhub
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2023
FOCUS ON LEAFLETDROP
PARCELS CASE STUDY
All you need for a beautiful and productive garden…
Leafletdrop passes the 200 million milestone
Sarah Raven launched her eponymous brand in 1999, and now provides a comprehensive range of seeds, bulbs, plants, and gardening and floristry kit. In June 2019, Sarah Raven won ‘Best Gardening Brand’ for the fourth time at the Direct Commerce Association awards. Whistl with Sarah Raven Whistl began working with Sarah Raven in 2022, initially handling a small amount of the inventory out of our Devon fulfilment site. Subsequently, Sarah Raven
consolidated their fulfilment alongside their nursery in Spalding, Lincolnshire and we now handle 100% of product despatch. What they say “We have a great experience with our Account Manager at Whistl. The attention to detail and customer service we receive from them is excellent. We have also found that everyone we deal with at Whistl provides consistent care and support.”
Only four years after launch, over 200 million leaflets have been produced and distributed using our self-serve web platform Leafletdrop. Introduced by our Doordrop Media division, Leafletdrop enables organisations to plan and implement targeted door drop campaigns direct from their desktop. Over 800 clients have signed up to the platform, ranging from political parties to local leisure attractions. Recent Leafletdroppers include What3Words with a highly successful campaign driving traffic to their website, and Oddbox who picked up a bronze Direct Marketing Association award in the Best Use of Unaddressed Print category. Originally conceived as a tool for SMEs to cost-effectively target their local market, Leafletdrop is increasingly chosen by national, digital-first brands to reach their target demographic throughout the UK. “We’re thrilled that Leafletdrop has hit the 200 million mark for delivered leaflets”, said Mark Davies, MD of Doordrop Media. “Leafletdrop has proven to be easy to use and once the target households have been identified, users can schedule distribution, organise print and pay online on a single platform, for a single fee. It’s that simple”.
Reliable leaflet distribution
Smart targeting tool
Excellent customer service
Easy leaflet printing
“Leafletdrop has proven to be easy
to use and once the target households have been identified, users can schedule distribution, organise print and pay online on a single platform,
Clare Fisher Operations Manager, Sarah Raven
Visit www.whistl.co.uk/parcels to find out about our parcel delivery services.
Mail’s the medium for Christmas It might still be Summer, but Christmas campaigns are being created and planned right now. Last year, in the weeks leading up to Christmas, JICMAIL data proved that the mail channel was a vital source of product/ service information, as the cost-of-living crisis began to bite. The Q4 open (66%), read (77%) and retained in the home (46%) rates for mail were the highest of the year, at a time when consumers were being bombarded by advertising messaging. If you’re gearing up for the crucial Q4 trading season, make sure mail is on your schedule. Get in touch at whistl.co.uk/enquiries and let us drive your business forward.
for a single fee. It’s that simple”. Mark Davies MD of Doordrop Media
LEAFLET ADVERTISING, MADE EASY, VISIT LEAFLETDROP.CO.UK
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2023
CUSTOMER PROFILE
Playing it by ear
It’s not just the kids who are listening and learning. Since taking over Yoto’s UK fulfilment in late 2022, Whistl has responded with a flexible, dynamic solution based on almost-daily improvement and innovation. Whistl Magazine recently caught up with Alex Lainé, Operations Director at Yoto. Q Yoto is all about the magic
as robust or didn’t have the scope of Whistl’s solution. Q How’s it going so far? AL So far, so good. Whistl got us through peak with an interim solution, then put in place a more permanent arrangement of racking/binning once they knew their way round our inventory and requirements. Their approach to any issues we may have is great, and we are now engaged in what I call ‘unheralded’ work to try and be even more efficient: more compact packaging to minimise cardboard, trying to improve picking times, switching to seafreight rather than air. They totally buy into the process of ‘establish, improve, evaluate’. Director of such a fast-growing, forward-thinking company switch off when time allows? AL I ride my bike, and that has involved the Trans Alba Race around Scotland – Google it! I also enjoy my allotment, and having just moved house, home improvements also seem to be on the agenda. Happy days! Thanks Alex for sharing your experiences with us. Q Finally, how does the Ops
part of a company that physically designs, makes and sells products that make a difference. It’s brilliant to have appreciative parents as customers.
of storytelling and the power of audio, but what’s the story behind Yoto itself? AL Yoto was formed in 2017 by two guys from the music industry, both with young families. Here’s the founding ideal, verbatim from CEO Ben: …that kids should be able to safely listen to audio on their own terms, without the distraction or dangers of using connected devices made for adults. Hence the development of screen-free audio players that let children explore content at their own pace. ‘Kids in control’ is central to our ethos, but equally it’s about helping families. Product development is guided by three questions: Does it make bedtime easier, is this new feature going to bring joy to parents too, and will it be easy enough for grandparents to use? Q And where’s the company at today? AL We’ve got offices in London and New York plus a team in France, sales are doubling year-on-year, and the Yoto Player was named one of Time Magazine’s Top 100 Inventions of 2020. Over and above all that, it feels great to be
Q You’re Operations Director at Yoto. What does that involve? AL Pretty much everything from
the factory door onwards – overseeing product to and
from the warehouse, through to customers. We do have stockists, but we are principally a direct- to-consumer brand. So, my role covers logistics, sales operations, systems operations such as Shopify and stock management, plus I support the Customer Happiness Team! Q And where does Whistl fit in? AL Like most tech start-ups, fulfilment was handled in-house until the volumes began to ramp up. We switched to Whistl at a particularly challenging time of year – October 2022, with the peak sales period nearly upon us – for the size and scope it could offer. We needed scale and innovation, access to post as well as carriers, and economies of scale. There were cheaper 3PL companies out there, but their offerings weren’t
Yoto in brief
Yoto’s screen-free audio players let kids listen, learn and play at their own pace. The Yoto Player was launched in 2020, and quickly found a home on the world’s play mats, bedside tables and kitchen counters. The third generation Yoto Player was introduced earlier this year. The Yoto Mini is a portable player launched in 2021, and accompanies kids on their journeys and travels. Both models use the same cards, with over 1000 titles available from the Yoto Card Store. As well as familiar children’s stories there are cards covering music, games and education.
2022 4.7 billion minutes of listening by 1 million children in 192 countries.
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2023
WHISTL NEWS
Whistl Fulfilment boosted by two new hires
Whistl announces strategy to achieve Net Zero by 2045 A pragmatic science-based approach to reduce emissions is being adopted, with the short-term aim of a 21% reduction by 2030 en route to zero emissions by 2045.
Boom in traffic to the USA
Not one, but two of our Contact Centre leaders were shortlisted for Outsourced Team Manager of the Year in the prestigious 2023 UK National Contact Centre Awards. Congratulations to James Moor and Matthew Scorer who enjoyed the glittering Awards Ceremony at Old Billingsgate in the City of London, hosted by Claudia Winkleman.
Our extensive decarbonisation programme covers our vehicle fleet , facilities and waste management with net zero training for our employees plus collaboration with our suppliers through a comprehensive Supplier Engagement initiative.
Michael Boulton MD, Whistl International
In 2023, Whistl has enjoyed significant growth in traffic to the USA, now the largest shipping destination for the UK export market. The uplift is across every stream into the USA, covering multiple products and services in Mail, eCommerce tracked parcels and Express parcels. Whilst growth is across-the-board, the launch early this year of our new fast, tracked UK-USA service has led to a surge in eCommerce volumes from UK SMEs. “The path to successfully growing cross-border volumes is to provide UK exporters with choice to cater for varying basket values”, commented Michael Boulton, MD of Whistl International. “We aim to provide best cost options whilst delivering world-class communication and approaching customers with absolute transparency. That accounts for out rapid
Fliss O’Hara Commercial Director
Michael Leeson Director of Operations – Fulfilment South
Whistl is now rated silver on the global EcoVadis platform , which evaluates companies on their environmental performance and corporate social responsibility. The platform is used by procurement
Whistl named a Business Superbrand
Whistl Fulfilment has strengthened its senior management team with the recent addition of two experienced industry professionals. Fliss O’Hara has joined us as Commercial Director to spearhead our drive into the mid-market eCommerce fulfillment sector. It’s a market she knows well, having spent 13 years at Clipper Logistics latterly as Director of Business Development. “Whistl’s move into eCommerce fulfilment in recent years has been very successful, working with brands and retailers and growing with them. Its ability to support a customer on every step of the journey from acquisition through to carrier delivery management is unique and I look forward to working with the team to drive forward its ongoing success”, commented Fliss. At the same time, Michael Leeson has been appointed Director of Operations – Fulfilment South for Whistl Fulfilment, overseeing operations at our Rushden, Northampton and Lutterworth sites. He joins after 15 years at Monsoon Accessorize, most recently as Logistics Director. “Michael brings first-class operational expertise which will enable us to drive forward our growth plans for Whistl Fulfilment. We’re investing in our capabilities and both Michael and Fliss will reinforce our presence in the eCommerce fulfilment sector”, said Nick Wells, Executive Chairman of Whistl.
professionals to compare suppliers, and Whistl is now in the top 20% of 85,000 companies rated worldwide. Our launch of new ESG initiatives such as our Supplier Charter contributed to a 10% rise in our EcoVadis sustainable procurement and ethics ratings. “Securing silver from EcoVadis reflects the hard work across the whole company as part of our ongoing strategy to operate as a sustainable business”, said Executive Chairman Nick Wells.
Whistl has been recognised as a Business Superbrand by the world’s largest independent authority on branding, Superbrand. Superbrand status cannot be applied for, only arrived at by an expert panel of marketing leaders in tandem with a survey of over 2500 UK business professionals. Brands are judged against three criteria. • Quality: does the brand provide quality products and services? • Reliability: can the brand be trusted to deliver consistently? • Distinction: is it well-known in its sector and suitably different from its rivals? “This is an incredible award for the Whistl team”, said Executive Chairman Nick Wells. “Everyone at Whistl is a brand ambassador focused on providing quality service and delivering consistently for our customers. This award is recognition of those efforts”.
acceleration into the US market, which has been gathering pace throughout 2023”.
Whistl Doordrop Media has been validated as a JICMAIL Platinum partner for a third year. Platinum status is only awarded to organisations who are exemplary in their use, application and advocacy of JICMAIL data. Their data is embedded in Doordrop Media’s methodology for planning, targeting, distributing and reporting on doordrop campaigns.
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2023
Simply store. Or so much more. We currently have medium to long-term storage capacity in our modern, secure warehousing. You can rely on our scalable end-to-end fulfilment solutions, tailored to your business’ specific needs.
Warehousing/Storage
Systems/Inventory Management
Pick & Pack
Despatch & Distribution
Returns Management
For more information call 01628 884 019 or visit www.whistl.co.uk/space
WHISTL MAGAZINE
To find out more about Whistl services and products featured in this issue:
Existing customers contact your account manager New customers call 01628 702 413 email whistl.magazine@whistl.co.uk visit www.whistl.co.uk
We hope you enjoy reading Whistl Magazine. If you have any news or views that you’d like us to feature in future editions, just get in touch! email whistl.magazine@whistl.co.uk write Rina Maisuria, Whistl UK Ltd, Network House, Third Avenue, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1EY
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