Sandfox Consulting is a company that likes to help business do business. As customer service consultancy, they work with every size and type of company building strategies to help managers understand how the business is performing and improve customer services.
The company is owned and run by Stephanie Ekins-Parnell, who has made the most of her wealth of experience in the customer service industry to build a company that provides a much more individualistic and targeted approach.
At Sandfox, their range of services providing analysis, training and support gives businesses the tools they need to improve their customer service and build a wider, longer list of satisfied customers.
To get in touch with Stephanie and find out more about how Sandfox can help you help improve your customers’ experiences, give them, a call on 01704 831103, or visit their website www.sandfoxconsulting.com
What does your company do?
In a nutshell, we help businesses design and deliver great customer experiences based on the foundation of robust, customer focused strategy, policy and process.
Process Development
We help businesses with all things customer. From the initial identification and documentation of values, mission and vision statements to full and detailed customer charters, we’re there to hand hold and support every step of the way.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
“What gets measured gets managed”. Although this is embraced by most of us without question, many businesses don’t always understand how important KPIs are when it comes to effective and sustainable business. By creating a set of bespoke KPIs we provide the tools a business needs to be able to understand performance without the trauma of manually ‘crunching the numbers’ every month or quarter.
Stephanie Ekins-Parnell of Sandfox Consulting
Targeted Satisfaction Surveys
We can design targeted customer satisfaction survey strategy and deliver a satisfaction survey to representatives from your customer base. The results of the survey are analysed and form the basis of an action plan to develop and improve Customer Experience program, increasing customer satisfaction.
Training and Coaching
Our training and coaching can be delivered in real-time on the ‘shop-floor’ as well as in the classroom. This affords an opportunity for our customers to try out new skills in a controlled live environment and reap the benefits of a great customer experience immediately. Armed with new tools and ideas that deliver customer satisfaction, employees develop a new passion to understand customer expectations and deliver first class customer experience.
What makes your business different?
Often, customer service consultancies provide an ‘outside looking in’ viewpoint, which isn’t always appropriate when it comes to this aspect of business. I like to think we have the skills to provide and inside looking out viewpoint with the bonus of years of outside experience.
What inspired you to start this business?
I started Sandfox Consulting to enable me to work with other companies who shared my vision – ‘in pursuit of excellence’ – via superb, focused customer service.
Have you previously run any other businesses? Could you tell us a little bit about them?
This is my first business venture as owner and Managing Director, but I’ve held senior positions in various companies over the last two decades, so I have a wealth of experience in my field.
Do you have any staff or partners in your business?
No, I’m a sole trader.
Where do you see your business in 3 years?
I’d like to think it would be a strong and viable business before then but I’d hope that Sandfox was finding work through a great reputation as well as the ‘usual’ channels.
The Sandfox Consulting Mission Statement
What characteristics do you have that will help you make your business a success?
I think my core strengths are my great customer service skills and that I’m a strong communicator. I believe in what we do, and that what we do is a good thing for any business to embrace. Who doesn’t want the best for their business?
What are you most keen to learn that will help you grow your business?
I need to learn more about VAT, Income and Corporation Tax – blegh!
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your company?
As the economy slowly recovers, most businesses are still, quite rightly, controlling their funds very carefully and not buying consultancy time unless it’s essential to their business. This in turn makes it difficult at times for businesses like mine to secure contracts with small to medium enterprises.
Is being a business owner how you expected it to be, or have you had any surprises along the way?
I think it’s what you make it. As you shape a young business in to what you envisage, you have to make some changes to help make it work efficiently, but on the whole, it’s exactly what I wanted it to be at this stage.
Do you have any advice for people thinking of starting their own business?
In the immortal words of that well known sports brand – just do it! Check out whether your product is something people want and don’t let specific aspects like finance or legal issues overwhelm you. There’s plenty of great help around and most of it’s free. Use the Business Link service and network, network, network!