Net promotion

I haven’t written much about TQS validation and net promotion before.

Like lots of people, if I were asked to give a rating to a supplier on a scale of one to ten, unless I knew what the scores meant, I would never give a nine or a ten.

For me eight out of ten is as much as I can ever really see myself giving.

Quite a few people have been asking about net promotion and its background recently so it’s time to write a post about it.

Where does the concept of the Net Promoter® score come from?

Did it come from the LSC?
No, it didn’t.

Did it come from OFSTED?
No, it didn’t.

Did it come from government?
No, it didn’t.

In fact the concept is well established in the field of building customer loyalty and assisting business improvement. It’s also a registered mark so strictly one should always put ® after writing the term Net Promoter®.

There’s a book called: The Ultimate Question by Fred Reichheld which really started to popularise the concept. It has been taken up by lots of large companies hoping to build their business through building customer loyalty.

In fact, there is a whole industry linked to net promotion and using it to build business. One of the interesting statistics is that those who embrace the concept and use it to drive improvement in their business are likely to grow faster than other organisations in their industry by about 2.5 times.

Of course, there’s a lot more to net promotion than ringing up customers and asking them that question.

There’s a plenty of information to be found at:

www.netpromoter.com

Achieving the TQS, one year on - the view from Wakefield College

Liz McFarlane, Director Services to Business, Wakefield College, offers her view today on the benefits of holding the TQS.

Thank you, Liz, for your insights.

"Definitely not a time to sit back and bask in the euphoria of achievement!

It is a time for consolidation and embedding of all the good practice developed over the year.

It was not until I addressed the question of the effect on us at Wakefield College that I really understood the depth and breadth of the issue. It has had an effect not only on the Services to Business Department and its staff but also the whole college and its stakeholders. The continuous hard work and proactive approach to employer engagement has been recognised both internally and externally which gives us prestige and thus an edge over our competitors. It easily demonstrates the consistently high quality of our service and provision and our commitment to continual improvement. This has supported the development of the Services to Business brand and enabled us to present a quality image which promotes recognition from employers.

The last year has been one of increased enthusiasm to continue the work that started with TQS.

Staff have developed an immense pride in their work thus providing job satisfaction and promoting excellent team work. There is a feeling that employers trust our quality and products and are happy to work with us not just for the first time but on a regular basis thereafter. New partnerships have been developed in a focussed way and existing ones cemented by the enhanced business approach that has been embedded over the last year.

Preparing for, and achieving, TQS was very hard work but it has had lasting benefits in terms of giving momentum for positive change and providing a framework for improvement that has led to enhanced reputation and increased business. It has demonstrated the quality of our employed engagement through Framework for Excellence to Ofsted and other important stakeholders.

The seamless quality improvement process had led some to say there is nothing different in college but there has in fact been an enormous step change that was born out of the work done in preparation for TQS. Activities are clearly planned to meet the needs of our clients and align with the college mission and objectives, processes and practices have been developed refined and streamlined giving a smooth consistent service and raised the expectations of all concerned. The confidence of teams has been enhanced and the pride in our work has led to a strong ethos of continuous quality improvement that in turn generates the confidence of employers.

Employers however do not overtly treat us differently because of TQS but they do have the confidence in our quality products that brings them back again and again.

New relationships have been developed and long standing ones enhanced. Stakeholder confidence in the college to provide a quality service is high and the TQS kite mark is held in high esteem by the Sector Skills Councils who are an excellent source of support. Communications are greatly improved which makes the employer journey smooth and seamless. These are all benefits that we have enjoyed because of the work we did in preparation for TQS that is now embedded in our practice.

Most employers however do not understand the rigours of TQS or even what it means when they are choosing a training supplier. A higher national profile would greatly assist in the recognition of TQS.

So what are the benefits?

• Employers have confidence in us because we have achieved an externally assessed quality framework.
• It has moved us significantly towards being the training provider of choice in the local and regional area.
• An enhanced reputation among other colleges and providers
• We are continuously challenged to improve and develop our quality service and assess its impact on our customers’ businesses.
• Enhanced ability to win tenders and bids where TQS holds significant influence."