Customer excellence & a new model
Background
HIPPO arrived as a disruptor in the waste clearance sector in the UK, with flexible yellow bags replacing traditional cumbersome skips. Facing increasing costs from competing with skip companies and large distances between collections Ben was tasked to help find another way. He evaluated how to gain premium appeal for the business, build additional revenue streams & re-engage the internal culture to maximise customer-centredness.
Overall Impact
The focus on premium enabled the business to reduce the cost of sale by 20% and increase group sales by 16%, in a declining market. A further focus on consumer education and thought leadership grew engagement by 35% resulting in over 15000 5* reviews on Trustpilot.
A collaborative culture grew internally with staff widely involved in owning customer issues, developing innovative content and innovating new value-adding processes.
The More than Waste Campaign delivered over 250 press articles and placed senior team members as thought innovators in the waste sector.
So what was done:
Reviewing issues & opportunities
The first step was to understand the business – its costs, customer perception, areas of dependency and untapped potential.
The next step was to propose a new way of building a wider offer to more discerning and broader customers.
Proposing a new way
Working with staff and leadership Ben developed a series of ideas voted on by all to take the company forward. The chosen model was to empower customers to undertake projects at home, which generated waste. We also moved into the Trade sector developing a new offer to tradespeople found on sustainability and traceability to further grow Net revenue.
To gain press coverage Ben developed a campaign called More than Waste outlawing fly tipping – enabling people to report fly-tipping across the UK.
Early signs of success
The internal re-focus visibly grew morale which then supported the rollout of Trust Pilot endorsing our high levels of customer service and responsiveness.
Conclusion
The change in culture and customer focus enabled the business to not only target a more premium clientele but also enhance efficiency with the additional orders from the Trade sector.
A focus on thought leadership re-framed the business as highly professional, ethical and responsible, which enabled further investment and long-term business growth.