Johnstons is unique in many ways.
Independently run, and privately owned, Johnstons have been producing the finest quality cashmere and woollen knitwear and accessories from their Scottish Mills since 1797. Classic design, and more recently Contemporary flavours, form the core of their collections, and they have gained a deserved reputation (and brand loyalty) for their excellent quality and workmanship. Johnstons are the UK's last remaining vertical woollen mill, the only mill still to carry out all processes from raw fibre to finished garment on one site. At their mill on the banks of the River Lossie in Elgin, they produce woven accessories and homewares etc. Meanwhile, Johnstons knitwear is crafted at their factory in Hawick. The retail operation at Johnstons consists of a handful of outlets in Scotland and the far North of England – the flagship being the store at the Mill in Elgin, featuring a newly opened Courtyard store, offering exclusive and high quality homewares.
In a time of global economic downtown, and daily reports of doom and gloom on the High Streets and shopping centres of the UK, Johnstons are currently bucking the trend. How are they doing it, when so many other retailers are barely keeping their heads above water? The answer – a renewed focus on delivering excellent customer service!
"We want to be renowned for service.”, states George McNeil, Johnstons Retail Managing Director, “Our products speak for themselves – quality, luxurious fabrics and beautiful craftsmanship. But we also understand that the way we deliver services to our customers is a key part of differentiating ourselves from the competition.”
"We started working with Learning Results Ltd in 2007, because we recognise that excellent service will strengthen our brand reputation as well as our sales performance. Ultimately, we want to be famous for our service, as well as our cashmere!”
During 2008, following a period of consultation, research and development, we designed a training programme for customer-facing staff that we believed would add sustainable value to the Johnstons retail offer.
Service should be a reflection of the brand as well the needs of its customers. It was important that we recognised Johnstons diverse customer-base: international and domestic tourists; land-owners; country pursuits enthusiasts; local customers; even Royalty! Working with the Management and staff at Johnstons, we concentrated on developing three key themes for the Programme: Heritage; Hospitality; and Helpfulness.
The Programme featured a series of group sessions and lasted for 8 weeks in total. Each session was delivered internally, by a newly established training team, during February and March 2009.
The training was well received by the learner group – significantly, nearly all (94%) agreed that customers will benefit from the training, and that sales performance will improve as a result. This is a view shared by George McNeil: “Whilst we traded steadily during 2008, we knew that 2009 would be a tough year, and that we needed to optimise every opportunity. In our first quarter of this year (Jan-Mar), our sales were up 14% on a like for like basis! This in a time when retail is experiencing its lowest period of growth since the mid-nineties. I truly believe that our customer service has made the difference, and that the training designed by Learning Results, has made a significant impact on our recent results. It cannot be a coincidence that our sales have increased so dramatically at the same time we are concentrating on our service delivery.”
This Programme was never designed to solve the problems associated with poor service. In fact, customer service at Johnstons has always been good – a mixture of traditional Scottish hospitality and a genuine desire to help. The training was developed purely to turn ‘good’ into ‘special’, and by looking at the results and the feedback from customers, it seems to be working!
Johnstons is unique – a rare Scottish gem. Visiting Johnstons in Elgin is an unforgettable experience. Not only a stunning environment for the shopper, there is also a wonderful Coffee Shop, a delightful Visitors Centre, and a not-to-be-missed tour of the Mill - where customers can see raw cashmere fibres being turned into stunning woven pieces in front of their very eyes. Now customers have another reason to visit – to sample the fantastic service.
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Pic: The Johnstons Training Team - Jean, Kim, Craig and Sheila
