The latest instalment of Hanson Cement’s regular customer satisfaction surveys, which was undertaken by MRA Research, the specialist research division of MRA Marketing, has shown that satisfaction among Hanson’s bulk cement customer base has increased substantially.
Hanson has a strong commitment to customer satisfaction and has been undertaking regular tracking surveys of both packed and bulk cement every six months for the last five years. The results of the Spring 2019 Bulk Cement survey showed that overall satisfaction improved markedly, with 78% of all customers ‘very satisfied’ – the highest level since the research programme started in 2014.
But the most impressive result was Hanson’s net promoter score (NPS) for bulk cement, which was up from an already good +20 to +55 in the Spring, which is exceptional by any standards. Overall service levels have also improved, with over 98% of independent ReadyMix companies surveyed saying they are likely or extremely likely to continue to use Hanson.
The survey also highlighted some areas for improvement, which were reviewed in detail with the heads of each department involved, such as sales, customer services or distribution, and an action plan developed to overcome the issues raised. Progress is followed up on a regular basis to maintain focus on continual improvement.
Actions taken in the past in response to results and recommendations from the research programme have included consolidating Hanson’s customer service teams into one contact centre and increasing the size of the fleet to improve the service level to its customers. Hanson also reports on the resulting NPS scores to its executive team as well as to the wider Heidelberg Group.
In addition to finding out how satisfied customers are with what the company already provides, Hanson asks customers what they think Hanson could do to exceed expectations and add value to their own businesses. This insight is crucial for informing Hanson’s strategy and helps shape the future direction of the company.
Mark Hickingbottom, National Commercial Director for Bulk Cement at Hanson UK, comments: “I am beyond pleased with the excellent results from the recent customer satisfaction survey, which demonstrate that improvements we’ve made based on the outcome of previous surveys have made a real difference to our customers. However, there’s always room to improve, which is why we’re committed to track customer satisfaction on a regular basis.”
“MRA is passionate about fact-based marketing,” says Laura Pardoe, Research & Insight Manager of MRA Research. “Properly conducted research is the foundation of good marketing and effective strategic planning. Regular surveys give Hanson the ability to follow through from understanding what needs improving and taking action, to being able to monitor the outcome”.