Customers are an essential part of any business. A Harvard Business Review report states that “customer satisfaction leads to long-term loyalty, which leads to increased market share, higher profits, and a more positive public image.” A positive customer experience will help you retain existing customers and generate new business. It has become an integral part of any business that a study by Forrester notes that customer service is becoming a differentiator rather than a cost centre.

At VisiLean we know that customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of a business and to stand out in a competitive marketplace, companies must find ways to differentiate themselves. At VisiLean, we believe in building bonds that last. Our customer support begins even before you sign on the dotted line and it goes well beyond the completion of your project, carrying forward to your next ones!

Allow us to throw in some numbers as usual

• 83% of customers cite good customer service as their most important criterion for deciding what to buy – ‘Getting to know your customers’ report, Forrester

• 73% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations – ‘State of the Connected Customer, 5th Edition, Salesforce

• 61% of customers would switch to a new brand after one bad experience – ‘CX Trends 2022’, Zendesk

These figures tell us how important it is to get to know our customers better. At VisiLean, we go the extra mile to ensure that the customers take the centre stage. So what are the steps we take?

1) Getting to know our customers

We build bonds that last. And during our association, we have gone beyond the boardroom to know our clients and what motivates them. For example, during a brief yet insightful interaction with Rama Pachipulusu, Planning Manager at Mace. we came to know that he had yearned to build bridges, highways, and buildings since he was a child. With over 20 years of experience, Rama Pachipulusu is not a stranger to changes the construction industry has witnessed during his career, he says the future is digital. ‘Engaging in digital platforms to find more efficient ways of communicating, such as VisiLean, is key to the successful delivery of current/future projects, especially in an industry which is continuously evolving.’ And that is not all, a passionate advocate of Lean, he says performance improvement is something he aims for in his line of work, every single day.

This sentiment was something that Jon Hurdle who works as a Planning Manager at Mace spoke about too. He said he enjoys the fact that every day is different and relishes the challenge of building in London-based projects where space is limited, and logistics can make or break a project. He says that engaging in digital platforms like VisiLean to find more efficient ways of communicating is key to the successful delivery of projects, especially in an industry that is continuously evolving.

Samir Khan, Lead Planner at Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure was enthralled by the various opportunities in different industries within the sector that were available in Project Management. Samir enjoys the constant changes and challenges the construction industry throws at him. Each day, he says, brings its own challenges and learnings from them and that has been his biggest takeaway from nearly two decades of experience.

Ramakrishnan Ravi, Planning Engineer at Implenia Norge AS is someone who loved megastructures in National Geographic when he was a child, it was just normal for Ramakrishnan Ravi to pursue Civil Engineering. His dream of building something monumental led him to the construction industry, where he enjoys working and learning every single day. What drives this planning engineer is the joy he gets when he sees his plans being converted into real-life structures. He says, “It is when the whole project comes together during the milestone days, that you learn from experience and can plan when a similar project comes up.”

Performance Improvement is a cause that Warren Hodgett, Head of Performance (Operational Excellence) at Galliford Try holds close to his heart. In part five of our ongoing series, Warren Hodget opens up about his time in the industry. In his experience, construction has been the most challenging, but also the most rewarding of all the industries he has worked in. Construction, he says, is time critical, complex, and varied. Working with multiple parties as part of an integrated project team comes with its own set of challenges.

2) Listen to customer feedback

Ever since our inception, we have depended on feedback. We have, over the years come up with various strategies for measuring and improving customer satisfaction, such as customer surveys, focus groups, and complaint resolution procedures. Feedback, we believe is one of the main means by which we grow.

Dr Bhargav Dave, our CEO, and co-founder says ‘feedback is something that drives us. From the word go, feedback has been important. Coming to think about it, feedback began before we thought about the product. It was to solve a set of problems that VisiLean came to be. It was our observations that were used to develop VisiLean. I used a method called design science for my Ph.D. It uses feedback extensively. Again, when the Finnish Government gave us the funding, we had to form a steering committee that would review the development periodically. We accepted critical and creative feedback and refined the product. We collect feedback and work on it meticulously even now. Now our sprint lasts for four weeks, and we try to include as much feedback as possible to improve VisiLean.

Joshua Rudolph, Senior Planning and Scheduling Manager, Mortenson, says VisiLean’s focus on the customer has helped throughout the process. Their focus on improving through collaboration with their primary customers has been a breath of relief.

3) Respond to customer queries

When customers have queries, it is important for companies to respond quickly and effectively. By addressing customer queries and complaints in a timely and professional manner, companies can demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction and improve their reputation.

Our support team comprises of trained professionals from both architectural and engineering backgrounds who have in-depth knowledge of construction workflows. We make sure that the product implementation aligns with your design and construction processes. Be it the initial project set-up, the training, to addressing every query, you might have throughout your use of the system, we are your active partners. And our client testimonials speak volumes.

Stephen Adams, Associate Director – Planning at Mace says VisiLean is extremely responsive and adaptive to our changing needs. Provide well thought out solutions to problems very rapidly.

Maurice Fitzgerald, AD, Mace says proactive, they are there when you need them, and friendly! I come across stacks of companies selling their wares but do not have the backup when you need it. Visilean goes above and beyond.

And that is what makes us happy and more ambitious to serve our clients to their satisfaction.