Eris Strategy

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As the Expert team Lead for Research, I manage the insights research for ING Australia.  ING is an international bank and Australia’s largest digital consumer bank.  ING offers banking products to consumers, businesses and corporate banking.   

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eris Strategy?

As a large bank with multiple and an ever-evolving customer journey experience with new products, we needed a customer experience monitor that was scalable and able to deliver results directly to the different teams.

What were your goals for this project?

The primary goal of the monitor is to provide a reliable source of insight into the moments of truth (MOT) of what customer’s experience and how that experience drives their overall impression of how easy it is to bank with ING.  We needed an approach that moved beyond opinions and provided us with specific feedback that we could use.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had worked with Seán and Eris Strategy in other parts of the business, so we asked him to submit a proposal for how we could evolve and revolutionise our existing tracking. 

His approach provided significant changes to how we measured customer experience and provided a reporting approach that delivered live and customised reporting, as well as analysis that delved deeper in what really drives our results.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Our customer tracking runs every week across 15 different product and service areas.  Each different product and service area has its own survey design that also reflects an overall study design, giving us flexibility, comparability and the ability to reflect the different customer journey experiences. 

Because the insights need to be delivered across a wide range of different stakeholders, their reporting approach was a mix of live reports, monthly reporting, and providing automated customised reports to the relevant teams.

Eris Strategy’s approach included an automated ‘red flag’ reporting for customers who needed follow-up contact from ING.  

What was the team composition?

We work directly with Seán, the Managing Director.  As a smaller agency, we had the benefit of having the person who designs the approach also analyse and provide the insights back to our business.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

ING is regularly ranked as the leading Australian bank for customer service.  Helping us to deliver that result are the timely, insightful and practical results that we get back from Eris Strategy. 

These results have helped us identify how changes in our business have impacted customers, and where we needed to invest in making a real difference.  Some areas where we have improved based on the research are our customer validation, cards delivery, speed of problem resolution, and accessibility of representatives at critical moments of truth. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Seán engages with different teams from the design stage to ongoing management, to reporting, and to strategic oversight.  These contacts range from day-to-day matters with the customer service team to monthly reporting and quarterly meetings on how the monitor can address changes in our business.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

From the design phase to his insights, Seán takes time to know the business and marry that with his knowledge of how consumers think, feel and behave.  Their approach gives us insights and recommendations that go beyond the data.  When working with Seán, he is always accessible to everyone on the project. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

You can always improve!  However, within the scope of the project, they reliably delivered what our business needed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the GM of an international manufacturer, and one of the largest manufacturers of air-conditioning and ducted-gas heating systems.  We have offices in Australia, the USA, UK, Italy, France, and South Africa that service clients in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Middle-East, Africa, and Europe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eris Strategy?

We partnered with Eris Strategy for their research and consulting to determine what the true reasons were for buying different solutions and brands in our category, and how through communication we could better position our brands and convert consumers to customers. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our primary goal was to develop communication that was distinctive and could increase sales of some of our product lines.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had a competitive tender process, and chose Eris Strategy based on their project design, budget efficiency, and based on our previous experience with working with Eris Strategy, we knew that would deliver.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Eris Strategy undertook designed and implemented research to uncover decision-making criteria, brand positioning, communication and evaluate both our and our competitor’s communication. 

As part of the project, they reviewed past research and collected category related information through their desk-research. They also undertook a large national online survey that focussed on the key markets.  Key deliverables from the project were recommendations on what positioning to take, claims to use, and how to optimize our communication based on the market insights. 

What was the team composition?

Our day-to-day dealings were done directly with Seán, the lead consultant and Managing Director. Seán had both a hands-on in designing and implementing the project, that included managing his own suppliers.  Since the project’s completion, Seán has been readily available to help with follow-up questions and assistance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

So far, the results from the project have been widely accepted by the business and have feed directly into our current campaign and strategy planning.  Building a positioning takes, but so far, the insights and recommendations we got from the project are heading us in the right direction.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Eris Strategy’s head office is in Sydney, so meetings were by phone and continuous email communication.  Meetings were set around key stages of the project and top-line findings were provided while the project was being undertaken.  The process was transparent and efficient. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am impressed with the breadth of knowledge and commitment their team brings to the project.  You know you are dealing with a professional researcher that delves into the details, and gives you clear and well thought out answers.  His approach is to go beyond the superficial and deliver recommendations that you can directly implement into the business.  

From a project management perspective, Seán makes running the project easy.  You always know what will happen, when it happened and what to expect next.  No sudden surprises.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Time will tell; hard to think of anything I want them to change.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Marketing and Customer Experience at a not for profit offering education and care for children, children's therapies and family support programs

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Eris Strategy?

We have used Eris for a number of market research projects from 2016 to 2021.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had experience the quality of the work this company did in a previous role

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Sean has undertaken many market research projects for us. All have provided a wide ranging insight into our customers and stakeholders.

What was the team composition?

The projects were led through our marketing and customer experience team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We've been able to provide a deeper understanding of our customers and stakeholders to internal stakeholders across the business. This has allowed the to make better business decisions.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. We found the Eris quickly developed a good understanding of our business and so was able to work independently, other than scheduled check ins and reporting sessions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with their ability to synthesize complex research into key, actionable recommendations and understand our business.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

No