Shaun Smith – Customer Care Expert, Author and Keynote Business Speaker.
Shaun Smith has been a key catalyst in expanding management focus from the tactical issues of customer service to the much wider and strategic issue of customer experience for over a decade. He has developed some of the latest thinking and practice around this subject, helping organisations world-wide to create a compelling customer experience that achieves brand differentiation and long-term customer loyalty.
Shaun is co-author of three critically-acclaimed business books. His first book ‘Uncommon Practice’, researched and written in partnership with Interbrand, examines those companies that create exceptional customer experiences. His second book ‘Managing the Customer Experience’, reveals how leaders can build this kind of competitive advantage for their own organisations. Shaun’s latest book ‘See, Feel, Think, Do – the power of instinct in business’ co-authored with Andy Milligan of Interbrand, explores how highly successful business leaders and entrepreneurs use the power of instinct to achieve results.
Shaun is also contributing author to The Economist’s Brands and Branding and author of the Organisational Alignment Survey (OAS™) and the Customer Experience Management+™ survey (CEM+™) – research tools that enable organisations to evaluate and improve their customer experience and align their people with company values and strategy.
Shaun Smith began his career in the airline industry working with British Airways in a number of senior customer service and operations roles. He became Head of Customer Service, Sales and Marketing Training worldwide for British Airways at the time the airline was becoming privatised in the mid-1980’s and was one of four senior managers on the Steering Group that managed the highly regarded ‘Putting People First’ initiative. He later moved to Hong Kong as Managing Director of Cathay Performa Consulting (a subsidiary of The Swire Group) where he led a team consulting with major organisations throughout Asia in the area of service strategy.
Shaun was then asked by Sir Charles Mackay, Chairman of Inchcape Group to become Group Advisor working with over 30 business units covering marketing services, retailing, shipping services and motor distribution to help them move from competing on price and product to competing on customer service. Over the next five years he was responsible for designing and leading deployment worldwide, working closely with the individual BU Managing Directors and their teams.
Shaun returned to the UK in the late 1990s as Senior Vice President of the Forum Corporation, a leading provider of workplace learning where he was instrumental in developing Forum’s consulting practice in the area of customer experience. During this time Shaun was asked to lead the faculty for EMC corporation’s Executive Development Programme. This was a two year initiative to develop high potential leaders and ready them for top roles within EMC.
Shaun now runs his own customer experience consultancy, which is firmly rooted in the ‘keep it simple’ ethos. He doesn’t talk paradigms, complex methodologies or seven magic bullets; instead his approach is refreshingly straightforward, always pragmatic and at times, controversial.
Over the last 25 years, he has built up a wealth of practical experience with organisations throughout Europe, Asia Pacific and the US, working with senior executive teams on key issues such as brand strategy and implementation, leadership, customer experience and organisational alignment. Shaun has worked within a diverse range of sectors, including both business-to-business and business-to-consumer organisations. These include retail, telecoms, travel, leisure, professional and financial services, technology, automotive, manufacturing and the public sector.
Shaun Smith has featured a number of times on the ‘Ask the Expert’ programme on CNBC and is sought after to speak internationally on key business issues such as Brand Leadership and differentiation; The Alignment of Marketing, Customer Service and HR to create customer-focused change; Motivating and Training Employees to Deliver the Brand.
Presentations include:
Uncommon Practice – Differentiating your Brand.
What are the ‘Uncommon Practices’ demonstrated by great brands? What is it that they do differently from less successful organisations? Learn the secrets of Virgin, Carphone Warehouse, Harley-Davidson, The Banyan Tree, Amazon.com and many others.
This presentation is based on Shaun’s book ‘Uncommon Practice – People who deliver a great brand experience’ co-authored with Andy Milligan of Interbrand (published by FTPrentice Hall 2002).
See, Feel, Think, Do – The Power of Instinct in Business.
How do entrepreneurs and leaders of highly successful companies use the power of instinct to develop new opportunities and avoid downturns? This presentation explores the methods used by Tim Waterstone, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Gordon Ramsay, Steve Jobs, Charles Dunstone and many others.
This presentation is based on Shaun’s book ‘See, Feel, Think, Do – the power of instinct in business’ co-authored with Andy Milligan.
Managing your Customer Experience – Turning Your Customers into Advocates
Customer service is in crisis – not because it’s bad, but because it’s undifferentiated. How do you create customer experiences that define your brand? How do you create a level of customer satisfaction that is so strong that customers become your best advocates? How do you avoid becoming one of the 55% of companies that drive customers away through their CRM systems?
This highly practical workshop is based on Shaun’s book ‘Managing the Customer Experience – Turning customers into advocates’
Living the Brand – The Move Towards Holistic Marketing
Many people are talking about ‘living the brand’; few know how to do it. How do you turn brand promises and values into brand behaviours? What are the ten most common ways to screw up your brand – and how do you avoid them? How do Marketing, Operations and HR need to work together to truly deliver the brand?
Aligning your Organisation – Harnessing the Power of your People.
Implementing strategy is much harder than creating it. Many organisations merge with others or consolidate their brands; some are successful in achieving cost-efficiencies, very few are successful in aligning their people or creating shareholder value. What are the key ingredients in doing so? How do you energise the people in your organisation to deliver the potential value in your company?
