Whistl
Summer 2022
magazine
Chatting
with Relish
CATCHING UP WITH KARTINI SUTOTO FROM RECENT ACQUISITION RELISH
RETURNS ON THE RISE GETTING THE RETURNS STRATEGY RIGHT
PLUS… ELECTRIC VANS TAKE TO THE ROADS PREPARING FOR PEAK – 10 TOP TIPS
Wells Said
GOING DOWN THE ELECTRIC AVENUE
And the survey says… The results from our Customer Satisfaction Survey are in, confirming that our people are our strength. We’ll be using the findings to help keep up the good work, whilst striving to do better where there’s room for improvement. 83 % of customers are satisfied or very satisfied
I hope you’re enjoying the Summer, and your holiday plans haven’t been disrupted too much. Here at Whistl, we’ve been taking stock and preparing the business for peak e-commerce season and beyond. We’ve refreshed our Parcelhub brand in readiness for opening up new sites outside its East Midlands heartland. Parcelhub has been part of the group for four years now, and its service-led multi-carrier proposition really chimes with e-commerce SMEs. We’ve also invested in automatic bagging machines at our Rushden site, speeding up throughput and offering the reliable, versatile packaging options that give competitive advantage to our e-commerce clients. Consumer buying habits are changing with the current economic climate, and we are flexing and adapting to ensure we continue to perform strongly against that backdrop. That positive approach is reflected in the news and articles in this packed issue of Whistl Magazine. Enjoy!
26 NPS
2019
32 NPS
2022
NPS up 6 points since last survey
SATISFACTION ACROSS THE BOARD
MAIL 88 % were satisfied/ very satisfied with the quality of their Account Manager
CONTACT CENTRES 77 % were satisfied/ very satisfied with the quality of communications with their Account Manager INTERNATIONAL 97 % were satisfied/ very satisfied with the quality of their Account Manager
At Whistl, we’re well on our way on our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) journey, and soon we’ll be asking customers what matters most to them. The aim is to ensure we make a positive impact on the environment and societies we operate in, and to help us make ethical and transparent decisions. Together with feedback from our employees and suppliers, the customer survey findings will help us formulate an ESG strategy that reflects our ambitions, aims and targets. Look out for the survey in September. ESG survey this Autumn Customers to be sent
The roll-out of electric vehicles at Whistl is now underway following a strategic review of our future transport needs. Work is well advanced on building an EV charging infrastructure across our 22 sites nationwide, for both the company fleet and staff cars. As part of a £12m fleet expansion and renewal programme, we have also taken delivery of our first electric vans. Four MAXUS eDeliver9 vehicles are operating out of our Bristol depot, whilst a further five are covering the East Midlands for our Parcelhub brand. MAXUS eDeliver9 won Clean Fleet Van of the Year in the 2021 Motor Transport Awards. In addition we have 17 Peugeot Boxer vans on a flexible lease that allows them to be swapped for electric replacements when they become available. “We want to transition our fleet as quickly as possible to non-ICE, and are actively exploring ways to overcome the size and weight constraints of current electric vehicles against our operational requirements” commented Alistair Cochrane, CEO of Whistl. “It’s great to see our new Whistl and Parcelhub electric vans on the streets, making a contribution to lowering our overall emissions.”
PARCELS 93 % were satisfied/ very satisfied with the ease-of-use
FULFILMENT 93 % were satisfied/ very satisfied with the communication from their Account Manager
DOORDROP MEDIA 97 % were satisfied/ very satisfied with the friendliness of staff
100 % were satisfied/ very satisfied with the quality of their Account Manager
93 % were satisfied/ very satisfied with the service provided by collection drivers
Look out for our electric vans with Whistl livery in Bristol, and with the Parcelhub brand around the East Midlands.
Nick Wells Executive Chairman Whistl
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLETED THE SURVEY, AND ARE HELPING US TO HELP THEM.
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2022
FOCUS ON MAIL
Customer Mail The value of the physical connection
The personal touch of mail is appreciated by all age groups, including Gen Z and millennials:
40 % 85 % 65 % 49 %
OPEN CUSTOMER MAIL
STORE IT FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
READ THEIR EMAIL 76 %
When businesses send physical mail to their customers, it’s both valued and trusted. New research* reveals that Customer Mail can help transform the customer experience with a personal touch that digital communication often lacks. Defined as mail sent to anyone a business has an existing relationship with, Customer Mail is proven in building customer relationships.
SHOW IT TO OTHERS IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD
PUT IT SOMEWHERE TO ACTION LATER
Physical mail is particularly effective when:
READ THEIR TEXTS 58 %
• The communication needs to be read thoroughly • The recipient needs to act on it • The information is important or complex • It needs to be kept for reference • When security/privacy are a concern Read the full report here www.marketreach.co.uk/resource/customer-mail
83 %
88 %
44
%
* Customer Mail, The physical connection that transforms Customer Experience Marketreach & Accenture, May 2022
OF PEOPLE READ ALL OR MOST OF THEIR CUSTOMER MAIL
OF CONSUMERS WANT CHOICE ABOUT WHETHER TO RECEIVE COMMUNICATIONS BY MAIL OR EMAIL
READ APP NOTIFICATIONS
Whistl provides a range of postal solutions for transactional and business mail items: www.whistl.co.uk/mail
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2022
Whistl Magazine • Summer 2022
RELISH Q&A
Case Study Client Clinique Product Moisture Surge
Chatting with
Clinique wanted to raise awareness of their new skincare product Moisture Surge, and to encourage purchasing on the ASOS site.
Relish
Partner ASOS
Leading product sampling agency Relish became part of the Whistl Group late last year. We caught up with Kartini Sutoto , Client Engagement Manager at Relish, to get a taste of the business.
Q What does Relish do? KS We work mainly with FMCG and Beauty brands who are looking to really get their product out there. We do this by placing a sample of their product into the hands of their perfect target audience. Q So how do you do that? KS We have a range of online retail partners – ASOS and Hello Fresh, for example – and our clients’ samples are placed in orders they send out. So, to our clients, our pitch is that we can get your product into the hands of consumers most likely to love it, through the online retailers they already buy from. Marriages made in heaven!
Q What’s your role at Relish? KS As Client Engagement Manager, my job is to engage with our online retail partners. ‘What’s the catch?’ is a frequent question when we explain they’re going to get paid for including free samples their customers will love in their deliveries, quickly followed by worries about the logistics of it all. ‘There isn’t one’, is our response, and you can leave the nitty-gritty to us – we project manage the entire campaign including supply of samples to partner fulfilment sites. Once those two hurdles are overcome, it’s all about ‘surprise and delight’ – what their customers will feel when they open their delivery to find a perfectly matched free sample. Our pitch is that we can get your product into the hands of consumers most likely to love it, through the online retailers they already buy from.
Q How did the pandemic affect Relish? KS We grew very substantially. Through lockdowns, there could be no in-store or experiential sampling, so our model of reaching consumers in-home via their online shopping deliveries proved highly effective. Our client profile broadened too – joining the major household brands who traditionally run sampling campaigns, were several start-ups with artisanal products. It’s great to see how sampling has helped to bring scale to many of those new ventures. Q Finally, what’s changed since Relish became part of Whistl in November 2021? KS We’ve moved from a nice office in Bath to a nicer office in Bristol! The Relish culture and energy have been preserved and promoted, and the Whistl customer base contains lots of potential partners and clients that we’re looking to pursue. Exciting times!
loved their sample!
50,000 samples were placed in ASOS online orders, and the post-sample survey revealed:
of recipients said they were very likely/likely to purchase the product.
said their opinion of the brand changed as a result of the sampling.
said their opinion of Clinique didn’t change, however type-in responses indicated this is because they already held the brand in high regard.
To find out more visit www.relishagency.com
SAMPLE
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2022
Whistl Magazine • Summer 2022
FOCUS ON E-COMMERCE
Preparing for peak 10 top tips
Many happy returns Returns are a major part of everyday e-commerce life. It’s how they’re managed that makes all the difference for consumer and retailer alike. Here’s a snapshot of the current landscape, plus suggestions for putting in place the right returns strategy.
SHOP NOW
2021 16.6 %
2020 10.6 %
Returns are on the rise 1 Average retail returns
But get it right… Get returns right, and you’ll reap the rewards.
E-commerce peak is fast approaching, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday leading into Christmas and the January sales.
92 %
90 %
92 %
Fashion retail is particularly affected by the new British habit: Buy, try, return 2
of consumers will shop with you again after a good returns experience 7
are more likely to order from a retailer that makes returns easy 8
say the range of return options is important when deciding where to shop 9
Black Friday 25 November
Reasons for returning 3 The top three
Cyber Monday 28 November
70 %
65 %
49 %
Size: Item does not fit
Arrived damaged/ defective
Didn’t match description
Putting a strategy in place
WHILST PEAK DOES REPRESENT A STRESS-TEST FOR SOME ONLINE RETAILERS, IT ALSO PROVIDES A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY. Don’t just cope with it, capitalise on it! We’ve prepared ten top tips to help e-commerce clients make the most of seasonal demand, and you can see them in full at www.whistl.co.uk/peak
Retailers feel the pain Returns can have a big impact on sales and profitability for online retailers.
With expertise across fulfilment, delivery management and contact centres, Whistl is uniquely placed to help you implement a successful returns strategy. Here’s a simple outline of how that strategy might shape up. 1. Understand the reasons for your returns e.g. add better size guides on your website 2. Identify the weak links in your supply chain 3. Implement a returns management process Something along these lines, perhaps: Record, Refund, Repair/Refurb, Re-pack, Re-sell 4. Don’t write off, re-sell! 5. Revisit your returns instructions
Online returns alone cost UK retailers £5.2 billion a year 4 Nearly 50% of online 5 clothes spend ends up being refunded Costs for returning can be twice as much 6 as delivering in the first place At least 30% of e-commerce orders are returned, compared to 8.9% of bricks & mortar 7 purchases
RETURN REFUND RETURN REFUND RETURN REFUND RETURN REFUND RETURN REFUND RETURN REFUND RETURN REFUND RETURN REFUND RETURN
Understand your audience Review your supply chain and monitor industry trends Avoid understocking with effective inventory management Optimise your technical infrastructure Prepare your marketing campaigns for peak season offers
Accelerate your order processing Deploy a multi-carrier shipping strategy to minimise risk Outsource e-commerce fulfilment for extra capacity Get your contact centre ready for peaks and troughs in demand Leverage proactive and reactive technology to minimise delivery failures
Here’s a taster with the headline hints.
Visit www.whistl.co.uk/research/ecommerce-returns for the full report Sources
1. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/25/retailers-average-return-rate-jumps-to-16point6percent-as-online-sales-grow-.html 2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-56103106#:~:text=Mintel’s%20study%20also%20found%20that,for%20those%20aged%2016%2D34 3. https://www.powerreviews.com/insights/consumer-survey-retail-returns-2021/
4. https://www.klarna.com/uk/blog/the-state-of-returns-in-2021/# 5. https://home.barclaycard/press-releases/2018/06/return-to-sender/ 6. https://www.retail-week.com/supply-chain/how-can-retailers-mitigate-the-5bn-returns-headache/7036396.article?authent=1#:~:text=For%20a%20retailer%2C%20the%20process,a%20study%20published%20in%20May. 7. https://www.invespcro.com/blog/ecommerce-product-return-rate-statistics/ 8. https://www.yotpo.com/reducing-ecommerce-returns-report/ 9. https://www.reboundreturns.com/why-rebound/logistics#:~:text=92%25%20of%20shoppers%20say%20the,when%20deciding%20where%20to%20shop.&text=60%25%20of%20shoppers%20find%20returns,3%2B%20 return%20options%20are%20available.&text=89%25%20of%20consumers%20have%20returned,in%20the%20last%203%20years.
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE FULL VERSION – AND REMEMBER, WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU PROFIT FROM PEAK.
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2022
Whistl Magazine • Summer 2022
WHISTL NEWS
Contact Centre CASE STUDY
Whistl Group company Posthub celebrated a fantastic first year in which it accrued over 150 customers including WWF, Crew Clothing, Harrods, NSPCC and Barnardo’s. Bristol-based Posthub specialises in offering next-level service to high-profile brands using mail as a key pillar of their marketing strategy.
New MD at Parcels...
From Whistl UK to Ukraine… Staff across our sites have responded magnificently to an appeal for humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian people. Pallet loads of clothing, bedding, toys, food and toiletries have been arriving and consolidated at our Bedford and Marlow sites for onward delivery by recognised aid agencies to Ukraine. One of our customers joined in too, with Rainham-based Reliance Worldwide boosting our appeal with a very generous donation of PPE and healthcare essentials – thank you so much, Reza.
Sustained growth at Whistl Parcels has led to the appointment of the division’s first Managing Director. Andy Underwood takes on the role, and to many of our customers he will need no introduction having been with Whistl for 16 years. On his promotion, Andy is succeeded as Director of Sales North by Laura Sanjurgo. “With the sustained growth in online shopping, we need a dedicated approach to maximise parcel potential, and Andy’s appointment as MD to drive this initiative will help achieve this” commented Alistair Cochrane Whistl CEO.
Meanwhile, our other ‘hub’ company Parcelhub is rolling out electric vans with a new-look
We’re delighted to welcome Mark Lawrenson as our new Head of Operations. …and a new Head of Ops
livery for cleaner collections across the East Midlands. The refreshed logo means the ‘hubs’ are now a great matching pair with Nottingham- based Parcelhub offering personalised service and unrivalled carrier management to the retail and e-commerce sectors, amongst others. In its second year of assessment on the international EcoVadis platform, Whistl has achieved a silver ranking for its environmental performance and CSR . That means we’re now in the top 25% of companies assessed globally, showing significant year-on-year improvement. The platform is used by procurement professionals to compare suppliers in terms of sustainability, environmental impact and wider CSR measures. In 2021, Whistl instigated a group-wide Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Charter, and our EDI champions have recently introduced the Be You initiative – encouraging employees to be yourself at work. This initiative aims to enable our people to make the most of their talents, whilst also helping to develop a strong team ethic. It’s already working – in our latest employee survey, 85% of responders said they could ‘be themselves’ at work. In the prestigious UK National Contact Centre Awards 2022, Whistl employee Matthew Lindsley was a finalist in the Rising Star in a Large Contact Centre category. Matthew thoroughly enjoyed the Awards ceremony at Old Billingsgate, and was pipped on the night by a competitor from Vodafone. Congratulations to Matthew for making it to the final.
Designing and maintaining a smooth Guest contact experience TOCA Social is the world’s first interactive football and dining experience, combining immersive gaming and world-class food and drink. Eat, drink and score at their flagship 30,000 sq ft venue at the O2 in London. Whistl with TOCA Social Whistl has worked with TOCA Social since early 2021, helping to design their customer processes and the customer journey through contact centre communication channels. Our involvement today includes handling calls, e-mails and Live Chat, adding up to over 850 Guest interactions a week. What they say… “As a new business, we couldn’t thank Whistl enough for the support and care they’ve given us at TOCA Social. They give us great advice and have helped us build a smooth Guest contact experience. Most importantly, the Whistl team feels like an extension of our team, and our Guests have no idea they are dealing with a third-party provider, which says everything about how great a job they do!” Scott Moren-Brown Director of Operations TOCA Social Learn about our tailored contact centre solutions www.whistl.co.uk/contact-centre
Mark has spent the last 12 years in senior operational roles at Royal Mail, latterly as Service Delivery Leader for the West Midlands responsible for 7,000 employees and a £380m budget. His wide-ranging experience will be invaluable across our Mail and Parcel operations. Outside of work, Mark enjoys mountaineering, coasteering (Google it!), cycling and rowing. Doordrop Media wins gold for RNLI campaign Our Doordrop Media team was delighted to win Gold at the recent COGS Awards, run by the Institute of Promotional Marketing. The team came out on top in the Best Service Provided in Response to Covid-19 category, for a campaign for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI). With face-to-face fundraising halted by the pandemic, the RNLI came to Whistl to help drive donations via doordrops to enable them to continue their mission of saving lives at sea. The subsequent campaign reached eight million households, and raised just short of £1m with a 45% increase in new donors. “The RNLI and Whistl worked collaboratively as one crew to quickly pivot and adapt the RNLI’s fundraising plan to include this new doodrop activity,” said Becs Phillips, RNLI Marketing Manager. “Whistl gave everything to make this a fundraising success and help the RNLI lifesavers.”
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Whistl Magazine • Summer 2022
Whistl Magazine • Summer 2022
Your fulfilment challenge. It’s solvable.
Fulfilment needs to fit around your business model and product range.
B2B, B2C, direct-to-consumer and dropshipping. 1000s of SKUs or a small, curated collection. As the UK’s leading e-commerce fulfilment company, we have solutions for the most complex challenges.
Talk to your Account Manager today.
Call us on 01628 884019 Visit us whistl.co.uk/fulfilment-fits
Fulfilment that fits
Existing customers contact your account manager New customers call 01628 702 413 email whistl.magazine@whistl.co.uk visit www.whistl.co.uk TO FIND OUT MORE
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, Meridian House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1TB
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