Whistl Magazine Winter Issue 2018

Whistl magazine Winter 2018

Get

stock savvy Why savvy stock management keeps customers coming back for more.

NINEWAYS GDPRWILL BENEFIT DIRECTMAIL SNACK HAPPY JICMAIL HAS ARRIVED

Customer Satisfaction Survey How you rated us

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS DELIVERYMANAGER

It’s always good to knowwhether we’re doing a good job and helpful to knowwherewe could do better. So we were delighted to see that the results of our 2017 Customer Satisfaction survey show themajority of you (83%) are happy with the service we’re providing. In fact some of our longest-standing major customers said that they would highly recommend us, giving us a Net Promoter Score of 67, which is fantastic. Thanks to everyone for the feedback. Here’s howyou ratedus. A big thumbs up!

Wells Said

I’mdelighted to say that the year ahead looks full of exciting opportunities. We’re all set to see a real boost in our mail volumes in 2018 thanks to somemajor account wins including John Lewis, Age UK Ltd and Adare at the end of 2017. Our focus this year is firmly fixed on driving the business forward. We continue to invest in our infrastructure, parcel sorting technology andmarket expertisewith acquisitions like our recent takeover of fulfilment business PrismDM (now rebranded toWhistl fulfilment) which is already seeing steady growth. Operationally, we’re as busy as ever. Our Rugby depot processed its 1 billionth item during the last week of 2017. Of course our business is not all about volumes. Customer satisfaction is hugely important to us and it’s good to know that 83% of you said that youwere happy with the servicewe’re providing. We’re always striving to do better andwe can’t do that without your honest feedback so thanks for taking part in the survey. I hope you enjoy this issue ofWhistl Magazine, as always we’ll keep you postedwith all the latest news@whistluknews.

83%were satisfied with the timings of collections

81%were satisfied with the quality of their main account manager

80%were satisfied with sustained quality of service

80%were satisfied with sustained quality of customer services

83%were satisfied with ease of use

NickWells Chief Executive Whistl

76%were satisfied with our value for money

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News

Living up to our Promises Everything we do here at Whistl is underpinned by our five promises so it’s good to see we’re doing a pretty good job of living up to them. *

OUR PROMISE

Quality first 72% of customers agreed we provide a reliable, dependable quality service.

Easy to work with 76% of customers agreed it’s easy to use and reach us when they need to.

Thinking of you 66% of customers agreed we see things from their perspective and do the right thing for them and their business. The human touch 77% of customers believe that Whistl staff are friendly, helpful and have a can-do attitude. The right thing 72% of customers believe that Whistl is straightforward, open and honest.

*Scores weremeasured on a complete agreement basis on a scale of 8 -10 with 10 being ‘completely agree’.

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Whistl Magazine • Winter 2018

News

NINEWAYS GDPRWILL BENEFIT DIRECT MAIL Marketersmay be embarking on the biggest regulatory change they have seen in a lifetime, but rest assureddirectmail canbenefit from the newGeneral Data ProtectionRegulations. 1. Consent may not be necessary Youwon’t necessarily needconsent for directmail as youmaybe able to rely on legitimate interest, but youwill needconsent for somecalls, texts andemails under thePrivacy andElectronicCommunications Regulations (PECR). Thatmeans youmay onlybe able to reach somecustomers bymail because it’s subject to fewer regulations thanelectronic communications. 2. Fewer regulatory unknowns You have fewer regulatory unknowns using mail unlike electronic channels. Mail is not impacted by the proposed ePrivacy Regulation, whereas electronicmedia are. 3. Getting consent Direct Mail offers the ideal opportunity to get consent fromcustomers. This type of mail is regarded asmarketing activity, so you’ll be able to qualify for admail discounts. 4. Higher response rates People respond tomail because it’s valued, unlike email marketing which is generally regarded asmore impersonal, less relevant and often annoying. 5. Fewer penalties So far, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has not fined anyone for promotional mail, however seventeen penalties were issued in 2017 for other media including text, phone calls and email. 6. Easy to stay in touch Whilepeople aremore likely tohavemultipleemail addresses, they generally only haveone residential postal address. 7. Don’t forget the power of doordrops Doordrops enable you to engage with households without using personal data. Highly targeted and delivered with addressedmail, research shows doordrops stay in the home for an average of 38 days and are frequently referred to. 8. Mail works with othermedia Studies show that mail works effectively with other media. For instance it’s likely you’ll benefit frombetter brand recall if the recipient has been mailed a week or two before. 9. Mail has evolved Ground-breaking new reach and frequency metrics are now available to agencies and advertisers thanks to the recent launch of JICMAIL. Find out more at www.jicmail.org.uk

Source: Royal Mail GDPR Guide

Formore information about General Data Protection Regulation visit www.whistl.co.uk/gdpr

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Customer focus

Snack

happy! NatureDelivered (graze), thehealthydesk-snack company, has goneonan impressive journey from initiallymailingout grazeboxes tosubscribers toselling itsproductsonlineand nowatmajor retailerson theHighStreet across theUKand USA. Herewe talk to theirWhistl AccountDirector JudySeldon tofindout howWhistl has formedpart of their journey.

Howdid the contract with graze come about?

you’re to gain loyal customers. I’mpleased to say that we’ve consistently delivered on that and played our part in helping graze build a positive brand image. What challenges have you faced? Throughout the year there are peaks and troughs in demand so it’s essential to have an agile distribution network that can cope with fluctuating volumes. For instance when graze run an advertising campaign we always find there’s a spike in demand so you need to be able to respond quickly if you’re to keep customers satisfied. Thanks to our teamof committed account managers, planning and forecasting we’vemanaged to achieve that.

Graze was looking for a delivery partner that had the expertise to distribute high- volume packages across a complex supply chain. Crucially it needed to savemoney on postage without compromising the quality of its service. Prompt, reliable delivery is central to their success so graze wanted a company they felt sure they could depend on. Needless to sayWhistl fitted the bill perfectly! What services do you provide? There’sanumberofservicesweprovidebased ongraze’sproductrangeanddeliveryoptions itofferstocustomers.Grazebenefitsfrom greatsavingsontheirpre-sortedpackages withourPremierLargeLetterservice,plusfor heavier itemsweprovideanunsortedservice throughourAllSortPacketservice.Allcome witheconomyandpremiumdeliveryoptions, sothatwhateverthecustomerchoosesat thecheckout,wecanbesuretomeettheir requirements. Howhas the graze brand benefited fromworking withWhistl? We’ve really added value to the overall brand experience and helped improve the company’s reputation. For an online subscription service to succeed you need to be able to provide prompt on-time delivery if

Great accountmanagement, well preparedminutedmeetings, issues resolved speedily andgood understandingof our business and commercial requirements. Since the start of our contract theWhistl team havegot closer tous as abusiness, developingagoodunderstandingof

thedynamics of our category. TomCarroll, Graze Chief Operating Officer

...and the results? ...amuchmore efficient, agile operation that’s seen a reduction in the number of suppliers andmore streamlined communications. In short, a better-performing supply chain.

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Whistl Magazine • Winter 2018

Industry research

Savvy stockmanagement keeps shoppers shopping Why savvy stock management is key to keeping customers coming back for more.

INDUSTRIES THAT EXPERIENCE THE

One guaranteedway to irritate your online customers is for them to find a product they really want to buy fromyour website, only to find that it’s out of stock. According to our recent survey of online shoppers, 42%of Brits said they feel frustrated and almost a third feel annoyed when an itemthey want to buy is out of stock. In fact over 50%of UK shoppers said they would go elsewhere if their item isn’t in stock. Residents in Newcastle are themost likely to be deterred from going back to a brand’s online shop if lack of stock had been an issue, whereas Londoners are prepared to give a retailer three strikes before actively stopping any repeat custom. However when customers are notified that only a few of their potential purchases are left in stock, 78% said they aremore willing to buy online the same day for fear of their desired product selling out. MelanieDarvall, Director ofMarketing and Communications atWhistl said: “Our research shows that efficient stockmanagement is not just aback-end, internal process for keeping track of inventory, it has adirect effect on the relationshipwith your customers andwhether they shopwith youagain. “Even themost loyal customers are put off by out-of-stock messages, andmany will turn to competitors instead of waiting for

you to reorder from your supplier. That’s why it’s so important for big e-tailers and multi-channel operators to have a highly efficient real-time inventory management system in place. Lieneke Happel, Managing Director of Whistl Fulfilment said “Here at Whistl we offer a range of fully customisable, integrated IT solutions that give you visibility of your stock fromfirst click to final delivery. Not only does this leave you in total control of your inventory throughout the product journey, it enables you to get fresh stock in at the right time and alert customers when there are only a few products left. “It’s all about getting the balance right between keeping your customers happy and keeping enough in-demand products in stock without spending toomuch on surplus inventory and overseas shipping. Above all, it’s about keeping your supply chain agile and responsive to customer demand, and that’s where our teamhere at Whistl Fulfilment can really add value.” Whistl offers a range of fulfilment solutions for online retailers including integrated IT, storage, pick and pack, despatch, returns and call centremanagement. To find out more visit www.whistl.co.uk /fulfilment or email moreinfo@whistl.co.uk

MOST OUT OF STOCK ISSUES Fashion

43%

16% 15%

Food and drink

Technology

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Stock stats

51% of Brits shop elsewhere if an item is out of stock

42% of shoppers feel frustrated if an item is out of stock

78% of shoppers feel a sense of urgency if an item is low in stock

It’s all about getting the balance right between keeping your customers happy and keeping enough in-demand products in stock without spending too much on surplus inventory and overseas shipping.

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Whistl Magazine • Winter 2018

JICMAIL HAS NOWBEEN LAUNCHED

The official launch party to celebrate the arrival of JICMAIL, the new Joint Industry Committee for mail, was hosted at the brand new Postal Museum in Farringdon in January. Attended by senior figures fromboth agency and client side, the event saw leading industry speakers explain how JICMAILmetrics are set to revolutionise the way agencies and advertisers evaluate, plan and buy mail. JICMAIL’S data will helpmail compete on a level playing field whenmedia is being planned, with recognisable reach and frequency measurements enabling meaningful analysis alongside channels such as TV, outdoor and radio. Traditionally, direct mail has been measured on ‘after-the-event’ impacts like ROI, which is all well and good – and some would argue is the best measure of all. The newmetrics, however, will provide a big boost for mail at the all-important planning stage, enabling it to go head-to-head with other media when budgets are being allocated. To find out more visit www.whistl.co.uk/jicmail

Who’s behind JICMAIL? Here at Whistl we’re proud to be a part of JICMAIL, an industry-wide initiative run on non-profit making lines. It is owned by the industry, with a Board of Directors drawn from organisations that represent the buyers and sellers of the medium – advertisers, agencies and the channel owners/providers.

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Whistl Magazine • Winter 2018

Amailzing! THREE SURPRISING STATS ABOUT ADDRESSED ADVERTISING MAIL

REACH

FREQUENCY

LONGEVITY

OF MAIL IS STILL LIVE IN THE HOME AFTER FOUR WEEKS. 27 %

FOR EVERY 100 MAILINGS SENT, 110 PEOPLE ARE REACHED.

NO ONE-HIT WONDERS HERE. PACKS ARE REVISITED OVER FOUR TIMES.

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Whistl Magazine • Winter 2018

Aday in the life...

RICHARDBROADHURST SENIOR CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS DELIVERYMANAGER

Every week, Senior Customer Solutions Delivery Manager Richard Broadhurst is travelling the length and breadth of the UK tomake sure our customers are happy. Here we catch up with him to find out how he’s helping customers savemoney by working smarter and getting new customers up to speed.

In a typical day… I’m usually out on the road bright and early travelling to see my first customer having checked our trading list to coordinate appointments in the same area. On average I travel up to 25,000miles a year anywhere between Scotland and Bristol, somost days are pretty long. When I’m not with customers I’m answering queries from the sales team and helping them with any issues, preparing monthly reports and status updates. Then, when I return home to Manchester I catch up on my emails. I develop solutions… ranging fromon-boarding new customers with all the support that entails such as configuring equipment and training staff, to finding new cost-efficiencies and smarter ways of working, be it operational or customising IT software. A good example is... one leading supermarket that wanted to cut costs on a high-value, high-volume Christmas campaign that involvedmailing out advent goodie boxes. To help the supermarket increase savings I developed a way to identify customers who had opted out of receiving its mail by screening them against Royal Mail’s Preference Service, removing them fromboth the data file and its magnums and postbags before they reached Royal Mail. This not only qualified the supermarket for an adMail discount, it also saved the company 5p per itemon production and unnecessary processing costs. It resulted in saving the supermarket

thousands of pounds through best practice data management and ensured none of its customers received unwantedmail. We’ve also applied this solution to other major supermarkets for their customer loyalty card mailings helping them tomake significant cost savings. You need to be... a great communicator and collaborator, an expert on Royal Mail’s regulations and have a good technical understanding so that you can give IT developers a clear brief. Thanks tomy 17 years’ working at mailing houses, I’ve got lots of operational experience within the postal industry fromdeveloping new sort software to processing printed bag labels. The one thing I love about my job is... seeing satisfied customers. I love looking at ways to save customers money and thanks to the support of my teamwe help themdeliver quicker, more cost-efficient ways of working. I love a challenge... so when one of our customers needed to get up and running in the fastest possible time to roll out an important campaign – a process that usually takes up to 6 weeks – we set to work and got them up and running within a week. Out of hours… I’m a self-confessed petrol-head and enjoy repairing cars at the weekend. However, when I’m not tinkering with cars, I love to take my touring caravan down to Devon and spend the summer glamping with the family.

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Can we do more for you?

Offering UK organisations an innovative range of economic and efficient mail delivery services.

• Pre-sorted mail • Unsorted mail

• International mail • Hybrid mail

National delivery services for UK organisations sending parcels with a range of delivery options.

• Tracked • International parcels

• Pre-sorted • Unsorted

Outsource your complete fulfilment requirements to us or we can build a bespoke solution from our portfolio.

• Fulfilment & warehousing • Logistics management

• IT Solutions • Customer support

TO FIND OUT MORE Existing customers contact your account manager New customers call us on 01628 861503 e-mail whistl.magazine@whistl.co.uk visit www.whistl.co.uk

A range of services for sending mail and parcels overseas.

• Pre-sorted • Registered

• Unsorted • Tracked parcel services

We hope you enjoy readingWhistl Magazine. If you’d like us to feature anything in particular in future issues, or would like to feature as a case study please get in touch using the following contact details.

End-to-end management of doordrop campaigns using analytical insights to target the households you most want to reach, helping your media spend go further.

email whistl.magazine@whistl.co.uk write NatalieWalker, Whistl UK Ltd, Meridian House,

Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1TB

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Whistl Magazine • Winter 2018

Returnaddress:Whistl UK Ltd, Meridian House, Fieldhouse Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 1TB

The friendly face of fulfilment

If you’re looking to grow your online retail business with the support of professional people who understand your business, our friendly fulfilment team can help. From storage to pick, pack and despatch plus customer service, you can outsource as much or as little as you need. We’ll tailor a solution that suits you. Naturally you can expect great service from a team committed to giving you and your customers the best possible experience.

Call 01628 861503 e-mail whistl.magazine@whistl.co.uk visit www.whistl.co.uk/fulfilment

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