DHL Supply Chain, part of the EUR 56.6bn DPDHL Group, is the world’s leading contract logistics provider. They've also built one of the world's leading Account Experience programs.
The business transformed its global survey and closed-loop feedback process to be more speedy and efficient for both company and its customers.
DHL increased satisfaction through transparency and implemented workflows for customer experience (CX) reps to ensure an effective response for each customer group within the appropriate time frame.
The result was impressive.
Since its 2016 program rollout, DHL increased its Net Promoter Score (NPS) by 10+ points in several countries and doubled its customer response rate!
They also monetize their program effectively by integrating sentiment and NPS scores into their sales process and have correlated promoters with increased conversions amongst other major breakthroughs.
Let's dive into their journey.
Achieving a 60% Response Rate
DHL has almost unbelievable numbers when it comes to NPS survey response rates (60%) and closed-loop rates (100%).
And before you ask, this is not a survey that goes to a small group, or even a transactional survey — this is a quarterly relational survey that is sent to thousands of contacts.
Choosing the Right Contacts to Survey
A response rate of 60% is not an easy task for any company, but the size and scope of DHL Supply Chain’s customer base make this an even more incredible feat.
Survey fatigue is real, so how does the team at DHL Supply Chain get a 60% response rate sending out your relational surveys per year?
Markus Engel, VP of Sales Performance Management, and his team make sure the same people don’t get surveyed quarter after quarter.
They are constantly adding new contacts within each account into their mix to get the best possible account coverage. With each new relational survey that goes out, new contacts within the accounts are nominated by the customer experience management (CXM) team to receive them.
Approximately 200-300 new contacts are brought into the survey program each quarter using this approach.
Using a Bottom-Up Approach
For most companies, this many responses would destroy closed-loop rates. But DHL still manages to close the loop with 100% of detractors in 48 hours and everyone else within 7 days.
However, it didn’t come easy.
As the feedback comes in it is immediately routed to the team that needs to follow up. And believe it or not, the people closing the loop can go as high up as the C-Suite.
Senior managers, as well as the C-Suite get daily reports sent directly to them from CustomerGauge. Customers that are deemed “low-scoring detractors”, are immediately followed up with by senior management. And if the revenue tied to the account deems it necessary, C-level executives, including the CEO, have been known to pick up the phone and close the loop.
Two of the primary challenges to creating a great customer experience program in a company as large as DHL Supply Chain are adoption and implementation. In order to keep people invested in the program, they use a bottom-up approach, says Markus.
“We take special care with our low-scoring customers,” says Markus. “And when we involve senior managers in the follow-up. We get very positive feedback.”
The end goal of any survey is to connect with customers and DHL Supply Chain has an impressive 50% comment rate on their surveys.
“Direct feedback is emotional,” says Engel. “Emotion is a scary word, but the comments are often where you can find the gold. That’s where you can find a hook to start a conversation with the customer.”
At the end of the day, that direct feedback, good or bad, is what drives DHL Supply Chain to continue providing amazing experiences.
DHL Supply Chain at Monetize!
Markus Engel spoke in 2019 at Europe's leading voice of the customer conference, Monetize! presented by CustomerGauge.
He touched on using CX and NPS data to promote growth for every employee, every day, at every level.
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