HARDWARE&SECURITY
SPONSORED BY EURO ARCHITECTURAL HARDWARE
A TRAINING-CENTRED APPROACH
TO CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
In September, grouphomesafe opened
the doors to its new purpose built
Training Centre at the ERA site in
Willenhall, West Midlands, alongside
the company’s UKAS-accredited test
facility. Eager to take a peak, The
Locksmith Journal was lucky enough
to be the first publication to be invited
to visit the new facility and meet with
Group Technical Director, Ben Penson,
and Head of Technical Product Training,
Graham Loakes, to understand how
this new development marks a real
turning point in the cohesion of
the grouphomesafe brands, while
maintaining the individual strengths
and expertise of each, and how this
offers added value to its customers.
THE DRIVING FORCE
“grouphomesafe is a significant supplier
in terms of volume but, until now, has
been somewhat of a ‘sleeping giant’
that hasn’t particularly shouted about
our progress,” explains Ben. “’We have,
however, begun to change this, with
product development being the main
driver. So it has become necessary to
introduce the Training Centre in order to
help our customers to sell more effectively
the enhanced product offering and its
benefits.
“During the various training sessions,
Graham Loakes demonstrates the
advantages of particular product
enhancements, such as security and
improved durability, to locksmiths and
merchants. We also equip them with the
tools to sell effectively and realise the true
value of the products through price and
customer perception.
64
THE SEP/OCT 2013 ISSUE
SPONSORED BY ADVANCED KEYS
the added value of our products, through
ease of fitting, by taking them through the
technical setup and then give them the
opportunity to try the products out for
themselves, right there and then,” adds
Ben.
“The overall aim is the recognition of
an improved offer to customers on all
fronts,” continues Ben. “The key elements
of this are good value, in terms of product,
and good experience, in terms of the
interaction the customer has with us. It is
very important that they get exactly what
they wanted when make contact with
us.”
MULTIPURPOSE
The Training Centre is an example of
how grouphomesafe has successfully
integrated its various brands and is now
promoting a unified company culture
through education and empowerment, to
the direct benefit of its customer base.
“The Training Centre is not solely for
the use of our customers,” Ben says. “It
is also a place where staff can come and
brush up on their product knowledge.
This improves job ownership and
engagement and, in turn, improves overall
customer satisfaction through the product
information and technical advice they
receive from us.
“After all, grouphomesafe has the widest
range of products of any supplier, offering
solutions at all levels, Optim, Maxim and
Ultim. It’s essential that all our staff are
able to provide solutions to our customers
and be clear on the advantages offered.
“When customers and personnel come
to the Training Centre we demonstrate
TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION
“The interaction that takes place in
the training room provides a platform
for feedback that can be applied to the
product development process, giving us
a better understanding of the needs and
demands of the industry and enabling us
to find an appropriate solution.”
The Training Centre has its own
dedicated personnel headed up by Head
of Technical Product Training, Graham
Loakes, who explains, “The ultimate goal
is for the Centre to be booked up everyday.
A re-organisation of warehousing has
made way for a room that has been
designed especially for training, which
creates the right environment for freedom
of thought, where questions can be asked
and answered and where ideas can be
shared.
“This is all a culmination of a culture shift
that has taken place within the company,
which came as a result of an employee
survey where some disparity was evident.
The company-wide consolidation that has
now taken place builds on an ethos that
began years ago but one that is now really
gaining momentum, with great benefits to
both customers and the workforce.”
The Training Centre not only marks an
important stage of the transition but also
works to reinforce and emphasise the
grouphomesafe objectives and values
by creating a network of informed and
enthusiastic brand advocates.
A full staff training programme is
currently underway and a standard
training course pack for customers is
available. Bespoke training packages
to suit specific requirements are also
available on request.
Full details of the Grouphomesafe
Training Centre and the type of course
available can be found on www.
grouphomesafe.com.
To read more, visit www.locksmithjournal.co.uk