Are you being served?

We decided a few months ago that the family car was due for a change. After three years loyal service we decided that our Golf should be changed for something more family bus like (environmentally friendly of course!). Recognising the current financial climate we headed into the market place expecting to see car dealers scramble over each other for our business. How wrong were we?

I don't often name and shame but I have been so thoroughly disgusted with the level of customer service over the last two months that I have created my own top three of shamed companies (in reverse order):

Number Three - Arnold Clark Stockport

After narrowing our choice to either an MPV or Estate we headed off to our local Honda dealership in Stockport to look at the new Honda CR-V. After finally attracting the attention of a sales person I was asked what ideal vehicle I had in mind. After disappearing for 15 minutes the guy returned telling me that we couldn't afford one for our budget, making no attempt whatsoever to give me alternatives (lower spec, nearly new, etc). He seemed quite surprised when I made this suggestion and reluctantly showed me a used model outside, but again told me this was not affordable. Feeling somewhat disappointed with the whole experience I didn't further our discussions and left him to carry on with the laughing and joking he had been enjoying with the other sales guys throughout our visit.

Number Two - Autobytel

After failing at our local dealership I turned to the Internet to find some offers. Although not ideal I found an amazing deal on the Autobytel website for a new VW Passat. Eagerly I phoned the call centre, spent ten minutes giving them my personal details and p/x. The person thanked me for the call and promised a call from the relevant dealership within 10 minutes. 

6 hours later with no call, I again contacted the call centre. Unable to get through by phone and anxious not to lose out on this exceptional offer I sent them an email again detailing my requirements. By 4pm the following day I had still not received a call so again I phoned, again gave a ten minute briefing on my requirements and again receiving a call back promise in 10 minutes. 

Eventually an hour later I finally got the call from the dealership. 'Oh that's a shame Mr Owens, unfortunately that car was sold yesterday, it's a pity you didn't contact us earlier'!!!! To put it politely I explained my disappointment and received a promise that I would be contacted within the hour with another similar deal. I have never heard from Autobytel or the dealership again except for a week later a got a courtesy call from the call centre asking me for feedback on their service!

Number One - David Holmes BMW

Again after trawling the Internet I found a fantastic offer for a new BMW 3 series. I contacted the dealership and great news they had two left. I enthusiastically gave them my details, got a call back with some good finance figures and raced home to tell Claire the good news. The following day we both agreed to take time off work to visit the dealership to sign the papers. 

On the big day Claire organised for the Golf to be valeted and at lunchtime we excitedly arrived at the dealership. Greeted with a coffee we were ushered to a sales desk and met by the sales guy. All great so far...

At that point the sales guy said 'hmm, I can't seem to find your paperwork', so off he disappeared for 20 minutes, finally returning to say he had finally found some of it. After going through our details yet again he went on the system to check the new car, 'hmm (he said again!) that's strange, your car seems to have disappeared'. After waiting another 15 minutes he finally returned to tell us the car had been sold to someone else and there was not another one like it in the country. Unbelievable.

These three dealerships who must be keen for business should be ashamed of themselves.

Fortunately my saviour came from Lookers Honda Derby. After spotting a nearly new Honda CR-V (you know, the one that wasn't affordable) on the Internet I made contact with the dealership. Within 15 minutes I had a call back with a good finance quote and three days later we collected the car along with a bunch of flowers, a £25 M&S voucher and a petrol credit for making the journey.

The moral of the story for recession hit retailers, whilst you have to compete harder than ever with competitors, surely customer service is paramount to winning business and not just price.

Am I from another planet?

I have been hot on the digital trail this week. As well as attending a host of client meetings I've been making a conscious effort to attend networking events to see how other organisations are managing the digital evolution. With a spare night in London I chose to visit a 'Mash Up' event to discuss how digital innovation could be used to make better use of Government data. 

How sad am I?

Surprisingly I found this more interesting than I first thought. Firstly, I was amazed at what data could now be made available using the the 'power of information', then secondly I progressed to who really cares, then finally I sat trying to understand how our public sector clients could actually make use of this information and could there be benefits for the private sector. Furthermore the word 'innovation' kept being used. This is a word that has previously been somewhat of a struggle to apply to campaigns in the public sector, but just maybe this strategy may provide a glimmer of hope.

Yesterday I attended the second Manchester Digital networking event. I wouldn't say there's active collaboration between the digital agencies in Manchester, but it was nice to see everyone at least in the same room discussing new technologies and it was great to see most companies doing well.

The highlight of my week came in debriefing members of Photolink, some of whom have limited digital knowledge from other parts of the Group. As I re-played my weeks client meetings and networking events they clearly felt I had visited Mars instead of London, as I proposed my intent to run a webinar by creating a site using API's, Flex and Web 2.0, using Twitter to communicate with members who may tune into the meeting using Skype!

As I'm writing this blog I have just learned I have become an uncle again. Welcome to the world Matthew Owens. As I struggle to keep translating the current technical evolution into benefits for our clients, I dread to think what the digital landscape will look like when my nephew is old enough to care but I hope it's as exciting as this one!

Batting for the other side

After 15 years and a great deal of peer pressure I've final changed sides. No not my sexuality or my football team (how could I now they are the richest team in the world!), no I have finally changed from PC to Mac, something I vowed never to do. Two weeks in I have been suffering withdrawal symptoms as I have had to learn a new textbook of shortcuts, but I've been through the pain and am now starting to see the upside.

It was great last week when I visited India (yet again) to Skype my family using webcams, firstly in Dubai waiting for a flight transfer, then again each night from my hotel room. This has to personally be the greatest benefit I have seen from digital to date, I think my children would certainly agree.

The digital side at Photolink has been understated for the last few years. Although in it's own right the department has a turnover that would rival some of the regions largest digital agencies, we have chosen to keep it fully integrated into our design team and not shout about it as a separate department. We remain convinced that our USP is to offer clients fully integrated solutions for their businesses, where we can consistently communicate their brand values and marketing campaigns across multiple channels - print, digital, pr and events.

 

However, exciting things are afoot at Photolink as we have further expanded our digital focus. Firstly, we have recently added to the team by recruiting three new digital creatives and have also recruited a dedicated team for digital marketing so that Photolink can effectively manage on-line campaigns through SEO, PPC and email. Finally, as we view digital to be far more than just web we have licensed a mobile platform so that we can now deliver eCommerce through your phone. This channel really excites me as there will definitely be significant growth over the next 12 months.

The photographic offer at Photolink has also evolved to recognise digital as we have now invested further in our rich media offer. We are now using video to deliver 360 product views and fashion catwalks. As our clients continue to shift sales to online we believe this investment will allow us to continue to offer a premium creative service.

As I don't seem to be able to write a blog without mentioning India I am pleased to announce that we have now opened our own creative studios in Mumbai. Initially we have 11,000 sq ft of photographic studio space, but a mezzanine is also being added so that we can provide design services to our Indian clients. Have a look at www.photolink.co.in for more information.

Tighten your belts

With the re-structure at Photolink complete we have been hard on the new business trail selling mainly for 2009 and I'm pleased to say that our efforts are starting to prove fruitful. As a business that has typically grown through networking and word of mouth it has been a little strange to focus on attracting new clients, but then hey, our role is to attract new customers for the majority of our own clients on a daily basis. What's also great is that we have recently finished a number of projects where our creative talents speak for themselves, so it makes the sales process that little bit easier.

For example, we have now starting shooting some great fashion photography for John Lewis, we have completed a series of global events for Astra Zeneca, we have produced for Simon Jersey both their new catalogue and a fantastic new eCommerce website http://www.simonjersey.com/ and although not an instantly recognisable brand we have developed a new website for http://www.sportinglodgeinns.co.uk/ which I think looks fantastic. Sporting Lodge is currently a small hotel group but they clearly have ambitious plans and needed a scalable website to reflect their aspirations. As we are also responsible for driving traffic to the website I would be interested in your views if you get a second to take a look. I'm also pleased to say that this week we have commenced a social media strategy for a new company that retails quality nursery and kids bedroom furniture. So for those of you who do revolve around the world of social media sites keep an eye out for http://www.scribbletree.co.uk/ and give it some support when you do.

This hunt for new business has resulted in travelling significant distances over the last few weeks, resulting in lots of journeys to the petrol pump. Whilst the credit crunch has been a much discussed topic over the last few months I can't say I had been directly affected to date, but five trips to the petrol pumps in a week have left my wallet feeling violated. I simply cannot believe the increase in prices this year and without question we will feel the knock on effect, in addition to the increases we are all already experiencing in household bills and food. So why when we are all really starting to feel the pinch do Manchester want to commence consultation on a daily congestion charge for travelling into the city? In a normal climate I think it would be difficult to generate support, but when we are all feeling aggrevated with the current rate of inflation they must be bonkers to present us with another weekly bill to contemplate. I find this absolutely ridiculous.

I must finally keep you updated with my new love affair with reading. After being captivated with the Kite Runner I purchased a Thousand Splendid Suns as soon as it hit the shelves. For me it's simply not as good as the Kite Runner but I thoroughly enjoyed it never the less. I've then just had a week of Spanish sunshine to re-charge the batteries and managed to digest the entire Jeremy Clarkson series of books. I like Clarkson a lot but after the publications I've read this year they simply didn't hit the mark. However, it has primed me for the new series of Top Gear that starts on Sunday, I just hope they will review a sports car that uses less fuel than mine.

My Arse!

Last week was a painful week at Photolink. Over the last three years we have seen a dramatic change in the photographic side of our business. With the evolution of digital cameras (everyone now thinks they can take a professional shot) and reduced margins for retailers we have seen our rates dramatically slashed, with our larger clients using their weight to drive down costs. This has been so dramatic that unfortunately some of our major competitors have been forced into liquidation. Whilst we have maintained healthy profits right across the Group, our still life department has struggled to trade with significant profitability. After much deliberation we agreed to completely re-structure the department to ensure we maintain our competitive lead, this resulted in the departure of a few employees. Not an easy decision but it now future proofs this department and allows us to compete with even the smallest agencies for business. I wish the guys who have departed all the best as they worked extremely hard for the cause and were part of the Photolink family.

Across the rest of the business we are producing some of the best creative I have seen since my arrival at Photolink five years ago. This was echoed in our digital team being awarded a special commendation in the Northwest's Best Digital Agency category at the recent How Do awards. As you might guess Code won the overall award and thoroughly deserved it was. As a dedicated online agency they are the one of the leading agencies outside of London. Their proposition differs greatly to our multi-channel approach which suits our group structure, so our paths don't often cross. More than anything it's nice to see agencies in the north taking on the south and winning. We have also been shortlisted in the Big Chip awards for Best Public Sector Website for www.manchesterconferences.com Fingers crossed.

I have just finished reading yet another book, the autobiography of Ricky Tomlinson. This was a gift to my wife a few years ago but surfaced again during the move. With nothing new to read after Holy Cow I thought I would give it a go. What an amazing life 'Hobo Rick' has led including prison, failed businesses and of course, the Royal family. It's well worth a read and gives you hope that all good things do come to those who wait.

I'm Back!

It feels like an eternity since my last blog. A combination of moving house and being extremely busy have meant that unfortunately my blog has not been a priority. However, an email the other day from an old work colleague who had read my blog with positive effects has re-ignited my passion to pick up the baton and continue my exploration into social media.

In the last two months my focus has ranged from consulting on a new intranet, to managing the delivery of a conference in Budapest, to visiting India again too see some of our new clients, look at the new studio we have acquired and visit some prospects.

I won't ponder too long on another trip to India but it continues to stimulate me on each visit. For the first time we had half a day to explore. This resulted in a visit to both a Hare Krishna and a Hindu temple. It took a while but I think I get the concept now, I don't think I will be converting to either but at least I don't feel quite so culturally naive now! We also managed a walk off the beaten track and into shanty territory, it puts your own life into total perspective. Live to eat, not eat to live - it says it all really.

My trip to Budapest was part of a contract we have recently been awarded to deliver a series of global clinical investigator meetings for Astra Zeneca. Photolink have successfully created an 'event in a box' that will be transported to many different countries to consistently deliver a brand and supporting messages, starting in Budapest. As with all sectors, pharmaceutical is tightening it's belt and although Astra Zeneca are one of the world's leading organisations they too must follow suit, mainly to keep the shareholders happy. I am glad that our solution has allowed us to demonstrate how costs can be saved but quality can be retained.

As our creative and events team reach maximum capacity for the coming months my focus will now turn to photography. Having been the core of Photolink's offer for 30 years the age of digital is dramatically changing processes and most importantly costs. Still life images that were taken for £70 two years ago are now being forced down to £15. We even went to one meeting in India where there was a requirement for a significant number of shots, but they were prepared to pay £1 per shot. I hope with our current portfolio and enviable infrastructure we will be able to secure additional business from some of the UK's leading retailers.

Finally, I am pleased that my wife has launched her own business as a beauty therapist. I've launched an initial internet page but there's lots to do. It's a good chance to personally test everything I have learned in the world of social media and website optimisation, without relying on the teams at Photolink to support me. So visit www.thebeautysanctuary.com and book in to make yourself beautiful on the outside as well as the inside.

Budgets

After a tiring few days we have successfully moved into our new house. I am sure the stresses of the last few months in the build up to the move will be soon forgotten when I get a chance to stage my first BBQ and sip a glass of Chardonnay on the patio.

I have started to write this blog from a cold but beautiful Scotland after a successful visit to Harper Collins. We are starting to build a great relationship where I think we can really help them to define their digital proposition. I'm tempted to start finding the most obscure locations to share my life experiences through my blog, from my laptop. I'm off to Wigan this afternoon, maybe not the most picturesque location, but it's a start.

My challenge of the last few days has been budgeting for new projects. For agencies it's the age old problem, if you cost every project based on the actual hours that are spent then budgets would be extortionate and we would never win any work. If however, you provide an up front estimate it is then a really struggle to maximise margin. Our preferred method of working is to identify a budget for scoping with a view to presenting a final project cost once the requirements are agreed. This is a more difficult sell as decision makers want budget numbers but I think it's the most realistic route of progression.