Video chat for customer services sees 89% growth in UK

Webhelp, a leading global customer experience and business solutions provider, has today released new research regarding consumer preferences towards video chat. The research conducted during the pandemic found that, whilst COVID-19 has resulted in an uptick in the use of video calls across both personal and professional lives, consumer preferences for the use of video calling in a customer service setting have dramatically increased at 89%. This data is underlined by the increased opportunities that Webhelp is seeing to support its clients and their customers effectively with video chat as a new channel.

The research, which polled over six thousand consumers across the UK, France and Germany, found that prior to the pandemic, only 19% of British consumers had used video-calling in a customer service setting; however, since COVID-19, that number has grown substantially. The research highlighted that 36% of consumers are now using video to interact with brands; either the same amount or more, since the pandemic started. And when asked whether they would use video calls to contact businesses after the pandemic had subsided, 34% of consumers revealed they would likely use it the same, if not more.

Vincent Tachet, Group CIO of Webhelp, comments on the findings:
“As we go into 2021, consumer behaviours are understandably continuing to change dramatically as a direct result of the pandemic. Alongside improvements in technology, this is making video chat more accessible for consumers and more successful for brands, if used in the right context. Video chat makes full use of the capabilities of the technology devices now available to consumers and agents. The interaction itself can take many forms. For example, customers can share their cameras to help identify technical issues, or agents can co-browse with the user to show product features or benefits. This can help reduce overall contact time and therefore cost-to-serve or increase the opportunity for sales conversion and additional revenue – whilst also helping take the experience to the next level for brands. Even if it is not going to be appropriate for every customer interaction, we are seeing great success in high value sales, insurance claims, and during complex or critical customer service conversations. Similarly, for our clients who are looking for new and innovative ways to market their services, video has provided some real added value and set them apart from their competitors.”

Other key findings from the Webhelp research, conducted by OnePoll, include:

• Social networking and speaking to family were the most commonly adopted use cases for video-calling, both pre and post COVID-19.
• Customers were more likely to want to use video when dealing with insurance claims, accessing hardware and technical support and when entering into high value sales and mortgage conversations.
• 25% of British consumers said they would switch to a different brand if that brand offered video chat as an additional channel for sales and customer service.
• Citizens between 25-34 years old, and people who have used video chat when contacting organizations, are more likely to express a preference for this channel.
• 24% of UK consumers expect they will keep using video as much as they do now, whilst 10% predict that they will actually use it more after the pandemic.

Helen Murray, Chief Client Solutions Officer, at Webhelp in the UK says:
“We are far from out of the danger zone when it comes to COVID-19, but given the roll out of the vaccine, we wanted to look at the impact of video calling in a post pandemic world. Our results are certainly a timely reminder that video chat is here to stay. We’re always looking at emerging channels here at Webhelp and video is fast becoming a way for our clients to differentiate themselves from their competitors. If done well and used in the right context, brands can not only improve their customer services, but also their sales too. Video calling could well give a brand a competitive advantage both now and in the future. This is certainly something we have been seeing across the brands we partner with who are already bringing this innovative channel into their customer experience journey armoury.”

MapsPeople partners with Uberall to bring even more value to Google Maps customers

19 January 2021 – MapsPeople, a leading Google Maps Premier Partner in the Nordics, has announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with the leading provider of the ‘Near Me’ Brand Experience (NMBX) marketing solutions, Uberall, to empower its Google Maps customers to improve and optimise the experience of their brand.

Not long ago, every business claimed that the key to winning customers was in the quality of the product or the service delivered. That has changed. Today, experience is the key brand differentiator with 86% of consumers willing to pay more for a better customer experience. This experience starts online as today’s customer journey begins ‘Near Me’ with an online search for products and services in the local area. The modern consumer relies on online business information to visit a store – but what happens when they find the opening hours are wrong and the doors are shut or the street address is out of date and the shop has moved? They go somewhere else and brands lose sales. But for brands with hundreds or thousands of locations, it is possible to manage and update thousands of listings across 125+ pertinent online platforms so that customers will always find the right information.

As the leading Google Maps Premier Partner in the Nordics, MapsPeople helps large retail brands maximise their business with the Google Maps Platform. With this new strategic partnership, MapsPeople will bring even more value to Google Maps clients by offering them Uberall’s platform.

“One in three customers will leave a brand they love after just one bad experience, while 92% would completely abandon a company after two or three negative interactions,” said Jannik Brouwers, CSO at MapsPeople. “Experience is the new battlefield and with Uberall’s platform we can offer our clients a solution that allows them to easily interact with their clients, to strengthen their online reputation, and to enhance customer experience. This is a really valuable tool for businesses with multiple locations and we are really happy to be able to offer Uberall’s platform to our clients.”

Uberall’s platform also enables businesses to maintain all their location data from one single source of truth. This means they can manage all of their listings’ details, including address, opening hours, special promotions, online reviews, and social media activity, in real time, all from one dashboard.

“It is in a brand’s best interest to provide the best ‘Near Me’ Brand Experience for their customers. The partnership between MapsPeople and Uberall enables exactly that: brands can deliver the most complete online-to-offline consumer experience and are able to stand out from their competitors. MapsPeople is a key Google Partner in the Nordics, and a valued partner for Uberall.” Said Florian Hübner, CEO and co-founder of Uberall.

The partnership will make it even easier for Nordic brands to effectively manage their online presence and create a stronger omnichannel experience.

About Uberall:

Uberall empowers some of the world’s biggest brands to deliver a memorable ‘Near Me’ Brand Experience (NMBX) — from online interactions to offline sales. Uberall’s solutions enable multi-location brands to easily manage search and discovery, engagement and conversion in real-time on all online platforms — mobile, voice and desktop — across websites, mobile apps, store locators, search engines, maps, social platforms and advertising networks. Uberall is headquartered in Berlin, with additional offices in San Francisco, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Detroit, and Montreal. Its clients include Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders from all over the world.

About MapsPeople:

MapsPeople is the world-leading provider of indoor navigation and the leading Google Maps Premier Partner in the Nordics. The company specializes in developing and implementing the indoor navigation platform ‘MapsIndoors’ that allows people to effortlessly navigate large and complex buildings. Additionally, the platform also allows venues to easily manage their spaces and visualize room occupancy, asset tracking, and more. MapsPeople has a presence in 40 different countries and works with industry leaders in a number of verticals.
For further information, please contact:

Five HR changes to watch out for in 2021, from caseflowhr

After a turbulent 2020, in which many HR professionals had to call upon new skills and completely transform their processes, the team behind disruptive HR tech platform caseflowhr has pulled together five changes to watch out for to support planning in 2021.

1. Mental health
2. IR35 legislation
3. Brexit and immigration
4. Coronavirus Job Retention System (furlough)
5. Pregnancy and maternity discrimination

With so many changes in the horizon, it is no wonder that many HR teams are looking for support. Indeed, getting employee relations (ER) wrong can have significant impact on morale, culture, productivity, and even the bottom line. The new caseflowhr platform has been designed on the back of transformation, bot-driven technology to provide guided pathways for HR teams through both simple and complex ER cases.

Greg Hartigan, Co-founder and Managing Director of caseflowhr, comments: “HR professionals are being called upon to support workforce’s which have been through unprecedented times. Already under pressure to do more with less, they will need to step up and provide unheard of levels of individual and team support, as well as managing significant cultural change. Getting out from under mountains of admin and engaging with the people in the business will be essential. Caseflowhr has been designed by HR professionals for HR professionals.”

Mental health –

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 will, of course, have physical health implications on our workforce’s, but the unknown long-term mental health impact is likely to present a huge need for proactive and sensitive responses from HR and people management teams.

The Centre for Mental Health predicts that up to 10 million people (20% of the UK population) may need new or additional mental health support because of the pandemic. Research from the Mental Health Foundation in November 2020 suggests almost half of the UK population had felt anxious or worried in the previous two weeks.

HR professionals will need to consider workplace culture and how to support workforce’s which have been fundamentally changed by the pandemic.

IR35 legislation –

Already familiar to those in the public sector, the off-payroll regulations will be rolled out to private sector organisations in 2021. There was a brief reprieve due to COVID-19; however, organisations will need to get their employment contracts in order to ensure they are behaving appropriately when it comes to tax for individual contractors employed via personal service companies.

Brexit and immigration –

Employers should encourage existing team members from the European Economic Area to apply for settled or pre-settled status if they have not done so already. The deadline for applying is 30 June 2021. There are also implications for recruitment following the introduction of a new points-based immigration system in the UK on 1 January 2021, with individuals moving to the UK for work required to pay for a visa, as well as a healthcare surcharge.

Corona-virus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) –

The Corona-virus Job Retention Scheme has been extended to 30 April 2021, allowing employers to claim 80% of an employee’s salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. Employers can furlough employees for any number of hours and work pattern but will need to understand the implications for National Insurance and pension payments. While the scheme will be reviewed again as it nears the end date, organisations need to consider how they will respond to either further extensions or the scheme coming to an end.

It is also worth noting that April 2021 will also see changes to the National Living Wage, National Minimum Wage and Statutory Sick Pay come into force. All of these will have implications on organisations’ wage bills. A wider COVID-19 economic support budget is also scheduled for 3 March 2021.

Pregnancy and maternity discrimination –

The Employment Bill introduced in the Queen’s Speech in December 2019 included reference to extending the redundancy protection rights for pregnant employees and new parents, as well as making flexible working the default position. Timings for these consultations are still to be confirmed. However, it is likely that employers will need to continue to approach flexible working and redundancy with sensitivity and an awareness of the context of COVID-19, while preparing for any further changes.

How caseflowhr can help – 

HR technology is becoming an essential feature of organisations, filling in the communications and operational gaps created by the pandemic, remote working, and increasingly dispersed workforce’s. Caseflowhr combines employment law expertise with the skill of an employee relations (ER) practitioner to create an on-demand digital employee relations specialist that is both disruptive and trans-formative, freeing up time for HR professionals to put the people back into people management.

The 10 Group appointed to launch sustainable laundry disruptor, w’air

Pilot Lite has appointed integrated marketing and communications agency The 10 Group to launch w’air – a sustainable clothing care disruptor – across social, PR and content following a competitive pitch.

w’air, the simple, hand-held device that uses pioneering hydrodynamic technology to clean clothes in an easier, more effective, eco-friendly way, will formally launch in May, supported by a 360 integrated campaign and pre-launch activity spearheaded by 10.

As the brand’s first agency of record, The 10 Group has been tasked with positioning w’air as a disruptive player in the sustainable clothing care market across both business and consumer audiences. This will include launch strategy and execution, creative content development and rollout, influencer campaigning and media relations.

Having identified that 90% of the items that go into the washing machine do not need to[1], the launch of w’air represents the emergence of a new category of sustainable clothing care. Tapping into the growing awareness and demand for sustainable consumption choices, the multi-purpose device provides an environmentally-friendly, time and energy saving alternative to traditional laundry options, marking a significant shift away from the current market.

Jonny Hewlett, Start-Up CEO and Venture Lead at Pilot Lite says: “To launch a brand that reimagines the laundry category, it was crucial that our agency partners embody that same innovative, intelligent thinking in their approach. In The 10 Group we have found just that – and their unique blend of experience across content, communications and commerciality positions them perfectly to support us in the launch of w’air.”

Elaine Stern, CEO, The 10 Group says: “Whether an established market player or an innovative new entrant, we take pride in collaborating with dynamic businesses and disruptors like w’air. Combining our always-on, integrated approach with w’air’s commitment to a more sustainable future, we look forward to joining the team on its mission to reimagine laundry.”

New homes development to launch this spring in Yate

Construction work has started at a new housing development in Yate ahead of the first homes being released for sale in May.

Bellway South West is building a variety of one, two, three and four-bedroom houses and apartments from its Artisan collection at Ladden Garden Village, with three show-homes set to open on the development in the summer.
Once complete, the development will feature 247 homes, including 86 affordable properties available for local people through shared ownership or rent. The new homes will sit alongside public open space, including children’s play areas and three sports pitches.#

The Bellway development is being built to the north of Brinsham Fields park and will go on to form part of a planned neighbourhood of more than 2,000 new homes, which were granted outline planning permission in 2015.
The masterplan for the wider scheme includes shops, schools, employment land and public open space.
Sales Manager for Bellway South West, Rachel Way, said: “Work is now well underway at Ladden Garden Village and we are planning to release the first homes for sale in May.

“The new homes, as part of Bellway’s Artisan Collection, combine traditional craftsmanship with modern construction techniques. They have been carefully designed to cater to the needs of local people, with a variety of properties available to suit first-time buyers, downsizers, and growing families as well as those looking for a spacious home within easy reach of Bristol and Bath.
“We are making good progress on site so far and are already receiving lots of interest from house-hunters. The wider development will feature many convenient amenities, while it’s close to a range of leisure facilities, including Chipping Sodbury Golf Club just three miles away. It’s also ideal for enjoying the attractions of the southern Cotswolds, Bristol and Bath.
“With demand for new homes in the area running high, we would advise those looking to move here to register their interest through our website, to ensure they do not miss out on any updates.”

More information on the new homes at Ladden Garden Village can be found at bellway.co.uk, or by contacting the sales team on 01454 643959.

Kunal Sawhney: How UK Financial Services Companies Are Struggling with Cyber-Attacks

Written by Kunal Sawhney,  CEO, Kalkine Group

The corona-virus pandemic has forced shoppers to opt for online transactions and make digital payments. The cash network is most endangered as many Brits have adopted new and latest technologies that allow con-tactless payments. The consumers now enjoy the convenience of making payments both domestic and international sitting at home just by using their phones or laptop. As these transactions have grown substantially in recent years, the cyber-attacks have also become more frequent than before.

Internet is the latest entrant in the list of necessities for most of us. It has made our lives simpler and more convenient in terms of making transactions. However, cyber-attacks can really take wash away your hard-earned money.

In recent decades, banking has evolved substantially with new technology continuously being adopted. There has been considerable investment in banking through crowd-sourcing, piloting, collaborations and partnering to develop revolutionary banking solutions. At the same time, the attack on the network server could be routed through financial and technological interconnections and eventually bringing down the entire system causing disruption in services.

Moreover, companies and individuals might lose access to deposits and might even struggle for liquidity.
The high frequency of attacks can be equated to powerful hacking tools, which are readily available at a cheaper price. Moreover, mobile-based services that have a deeper penetration in the masses. The major challenges that the regulatory bodies and other law enforcement agencies face are that these attacks can be initiated from across the border. Fighting cyber-attacks should be a shared responsibility for all the countries.
The cyber-attacks are typically carried out with an intent to conduct fraud electronically or stealing information with an objective to sell it in the grey market.

The banking system facilitates digital money and stores online data using networks. The banking system’s network is attacked by cyber criminals who often lead to a data breach or financial loss. As cyber-criminals can access the bank server, they are able to steal customers information and make false transactions on their behalf.
In 2015, RBS banking group customers struggled to log on to their bank account as they were expecting a salary credit for almost an hour. Later, it was revealed that the bank suffered a cyber-attack on their online services.
In 2016, cyber criminals managed to steal around $100 million from the central bank of Bangladesh.
In 2017, a similar incident took place in Europe when HSBC’s customers struggled to access their internet banking facilities in the wake of a cyber-attack.

According to a report by leading software company VMWare, the cyber attacks against banks have gone up monumentally, during the peak of unprecedented crisis in 2020.
However, customers seem to have a hedge against cyber-attacks as the banking authorities have directed banks to refund customers against unauthorised transactions. Under the law, customers might be able to recover their lost money. However, the rising frequency of attack can push the bank towards insolvency. It is important to note that a bank deposits portfolio comprises of time and demand deposits. If all the customers reclaim their money at once, the bank will go bust.

Crown Agents Bank names Bhairav Trivedi as CEO Designate

UK-regulated bank appoints fintech-leader to complete its digital transformation

London: Crown Agents Bank is pleased to announce the appointment of Bhairav Trivedi as CEO Designate. His appointment is subject to the usual regulatory confirmations in due course. Bhairav and current Group CEO Albert Maasland will jointly oversee the transition.

Bhairav joins Crown Agents Bank as it completes its comprehensive modernisation and transformation programme, becoming a digitally-enabled, globally-focused payments and FX specialist for frontier and emerging markets. He brings over 30 years’ experience in financial services, with a core focus on digital payments, cross-border remittances and fintech development. His previous roles include that of Group CEO of Network International Payment Solutions, a UAE-based payments provider for the Middle East and Africa. He has been President and Chief Operating Officer of Sigue Global Services Ltd., a global money-transfer company, and was Managing Director, Global Head of Remittance Services at Citi’s Global Transaction Services from 2008 to 2010. He also founded PayQuik (later acquired by Citi) and has worked at McKinsey and Company, Fair Isaac and Providian Bancorp. He joins us after a nine-month stint as Group CEO of Finablr, having been appointed to oversee the sale of this LSE-listed payments provider, which was successfully completed in December (with Finablr sold to Prism Advance Solutions).

“I am delighted to be joining Crown Agents Bank at such an important moment in its development,” said Bhairav. “Albert Maasland has done a fantastic job to lead the bank towards its stated objective of becoming a leading provider of digitally-enabled FX and payments for emerging and frontier markets. Our goal moving forward, as an institution, is to continue to expand the business in the markets we serve while providing our customers with fully compliant, state of the art products to meet their needs. I am honoured to now play my part in this journey.”

Albert was appointed a non-executive director of the bank when the London-based private equity fund Helios purchased the bank in 2016. In February 2017 he took on the role of Group CEO, overseeing the bank’s transformation.

The bank has become a digitally-enabled and multi-award-winning leader in frontier and emerging market FX, payments and financial services for its unique wholesale client base. Since 2016 the bank has experienced a four-fold increase in revenues, is profitable, with bolstered governance, robust compliance, a stable credit rating and a programme for sustainability and diversity. Thanks in no small part to the 2019 Segovia acquisition the bank now provides a much wider range of digital payment and FX capabilities across a much-expanded geographical reach: all while maintaining and deepening the bank’s core wholesale client base and focus on frontier and emerging markets.

“I feel now is a good moment to hand over,” said Albert, “especially as – in Bhairav – we have found a new CEO for the Bank with the experience and capabilities to complete the bank’s transition, all in line with Helios’s strong future-vision for transforming what was a traditional bank with deep roots in developing markets into a global, digitally-enabled specialist provider of FX and payment services to some of the fastest growing but often under-served markets around the globe.”

“The appointment of Bhairav points to both continuity – of the transformational process begun by Albert in 2017 – and towards the bank’s final destination as a UK regulated, globally oriented, fully-digital provider of payments, FX and ancillary financial services to some of the most exciting growth markets in the world,” said Jeremy Parrish, Chairman of Crown Agents Bank. “In his ability to take the business to the next level, Bhairav has my personal and full confidence.”

Kesho undergoes complete rebrand as part of Omnio’s shake-up of its digital service for the credit union sector

Sercle represents a major evolutionary development of the legendary ‘Curtains’ platform

Following reporting by Business In the News last month that Omnio’s credit union business Kesho, had launched Vox Money, to widen accessibility financial products, today Kesho can announce the unveiling of Sercle – as part of delivering market leading digital infrastructure for credit unions worldwide.

Building on the legacy ‘Curtains’ platform, it offers a completely new digital roadmap, enabling credit unions and financial institutions to maximise and grow their loan portfolio in a secure digital way.

Credit union members will now have access to a range of financial products they were previously denied, and this digital advantage will empower the sector to grow and increase responsible lending to the communities they serve.

The Sercle digital portfolio gives credit unions advanced digital onboarding and instant loan decisions with a powerful and flexible product portfolio.

It offers a one stop solution through open API into the existing platform infrastructure, and into the brand-new Cloud platform that launches in 2021.

Sercle’s clients will have access to advanced tools such as: data analytics, to manage and report on their portfolios; open banking, to enable real time data from applicants to make fully informed lending decisions; fully integrated solutions from one platform to provide automated reconciliation, security, and regulatory reporting.

Members, lenders, and savers will have access through mobiles and online via desktop in real time, with informed risk-based decision tools accessing their accounts virtually and securely. New advanced technology will lead the way in providing secure environment to share documents and data between members and financial institutions.

The Sercle business is the leader in the credit union sector with more than 30 years’ experience and supporting around 1.5 million members, and part of the Omnio Group and currently processes a host of products across its platforms including: savings, loans, mortgages, banking, and current accounts.

Adrian Cannon, CEO of OMNIO commented: “Sercle offers a new chapter for credit unions. By supplying them with an enhanced range of financial technology products they can substantially improve their offering to existing and new members. Our new, easy to use and secure platforms and products, with the introduction of open API’s, now defines the “best in class” category in credit union technology and will significantly enhance the way credit unions are managed and introduce their members to a range of financial products previously beyond their reach.”

Lindsay Ward, Executive Director of Sercle commented: “Over the last 12 months, we have listened to our credit union client base, and worked closely with many of them to ensure that Sercle is the product they need this year, and for the next 30 years. Kesho “Curtains” is the most widely used Fintech platform in the UK, but with mobile technology and connectivity changing the way we live, it has been essential to upgrade our platform and deliver cloud technology to support credit unions everywhere.

“A working group has been established, so that we can fulfil the needs of clients and so that those with vulnerable members can be confident in the service. Meanwhile, positive customer feedback means that we already have plans for wider expansion into Ireland this year.

Ward continued: “As we focus on providing credit unions with market-leading digital infrastructure, we felt it was time to refresh the Kesho brand. Sercle brings it up to date and reflects its position as one of the most respected in the UK credit union and Fintech space. The launch of the Sercle App in Q1 2021 will not only provide these services to all our credit unions clients, but it will also enable our clients to deliver further services to their members providing instant loan decisions fully digital onboarding of new members. And a Hub to reach out and grow their membership base through communities.

“Kesho and the Curtains platform started as one man’s dream over 30 years ago, but now is the right time for a new approach. Sercle’s new style, look and feel is in line with our vision: to provide financial management and support fair and responsible lending to those in society who need it the most.”

Record demand for rattan furniture

A Leicester-based garden centre has seen online enquiries and sales for its rattan garden furniture double during the past twelve months. Sapcote Garden Centre reported the record figures as part of an overall upward trend, with visitors to its website reaching an all-time high during the period.

Rattan furniture is made from a man-made fibre and doesn’t require upkeep or maintenance, meaning it can be left outside and uncovered all year round. The synthetic rattan is wrapped around a rust-proof aluminium frame, making it ideal for the UK climate.

The centre has suggested that the increase in interest may be linked to the pandemic.

A spokesperson from Sapcote Garden Centre said: “Our website has never been busier and rattan furniture is proving particularly popular. Comfy outdoor garden furniture was a must-have when we couldn’t mix indoors, and the added bonus with rattan is its longevity. It lasts incredibly well, with next to no maintenance required, meaning it will be in prime condition to use in the future when we can socialise with friends and family once more.”

The centre has a range of rattan furniture available including sofa sets, hanging chairs and day beds.

For more information go to www.gardencentreshopping.co.uk

Vision Express Selects Qualtrics CustomerXM

LONDON, JAN. 21, 2021 — Qualtrics, the leader in customer experience and creator of the experience management (XM) category, today announced that Vision Express, one of the UK’s biggest opticians and eyewear retailers, will use Qualtrics CustomerXM.

CustomerXM allows companies to predict, deliver, measure, and respond specifically to customer needs, in order to improve the customer experience and impact key business outcomes such as customer lifetime value, acquisition, and retention. To learn more, visit www.qualtrics.com/customer-experience/.

“Organisations around the world are dealing with an unprecedented surge in call centre volumes. With agent capacity down and demand way up, many are thinking about how they enable customers to self-serve online and accelerate their digital transformation,” says Léonie Brown, XM Scientist. “Qualtrics CustomerXM for Digital enables organisations to uncover broken digital experiences and create stronger omnichannel customer care journeys that boost loyalty, satisfaction and CLV.”

About Vision Express –

Part of Europe’s largest optical retail group GrandVision, Vision Express opened its first store in 1988 in Newcastle.

About Qualtrics – 

Qualtrics, the leader in customer experience and creator of the Experience Management (XM) category, is changing the way organisations manage and improve the four core experiences of business––customer, employee, product, and brand. Over 12,000 organisations around the world are using Qualtrics to listen, understand, and take action on experience data (X-data™)––the beliefs, emotions, and intentions that tell you why things are happening, and what to do about it. The Qualtrics XM Platform™ is a system of action that helps businesses attract customers who stay longer and buy more, engage employees who build a positive culture, develop breakthrough products people love, and build a brand people are passionate about. To learn more, please visit qualtrics.com