{"id":1372,"date":"2021-03-03T16:05:18","date_gmt":"2021-03-03T16:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tenlifestylegroup.com\/?p=1372"},"modified":"2021-10-05T10:26:35","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T10:26:35","slug":"three-key-questions-to-ask-when-selecting-a-cx-provider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tenlifestylegroup.com\/2021\/03\/03\/three-key-questions-to-ask-when-selecting-a-cx-provider\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Key Questions To Ask When Selecting a Concierge, Lifestyle And CX Provider"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re reading this, chances are you\u2019re looking to grow the acquisition, retention and value of your customers by offering the valuable services of a concierge, lifestyle, or customer experience (CX) provider as part of your brand relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To facilitate this often-overwhelming process, we’ve identified three critical considerations to add to your checklist that will help you save time, manage risk and build a robust business case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Will the supplier\u2019s technology future-proof customer experience and allow for an efficient, evolving technology platform? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Almost every CX provider needs a digital platform to enable operational efficiency and, consequently, to allow customers to enjoy a better experience.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check that the supplier can evidence a fully functional platform and that it has the financial commitment to invest in ongoing technology improvements. Then road test it yourself \u2013 never rely on a slide presentation about a platform you can\u2019t engage with personally. If the supplier doesn\u2019t have a functioning platform, you risk a costly technical build (in time and money), or under-delivery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Ten, we have working platforms in all global regions with highly developed feature sets. Ten is, as a listed company, also committed to high levels of annual technology investment in our platform and operations. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Does the supplier have strong relationships with the \u2018trades\u2019 to meet customers\u2019 expectations for a great CX experience?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Core by Clare Smyth 2. The Savoy Hotel 3. DaiLo 4. The St Regis Toronto 5. Atelier Crenn
6. Park Hyatt New York 7. The Pierre a Taj 8. Daniel 9. The Edition – Times Square 10. Nobu Restaurants<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A successful concierge service provider will leverage events, benefits, access and services across travel, dining, live entertainment and retail. You\u2019ll want a supplier who has well established relationships and buying power with these \u2019trades\u2019, so that they can achieve results effectively and efficiently.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can check this yourself by browsing which offers or propositions the supplier is currently communicating on existing platforms. In addition, consider asking for written references, or other evidence from leading names in the relevant industries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Ten, we have thousands of well-established trade relationships, as evidenced on our digital platforms, and can prove strong ties with references from Michelin-starred chefs, five-star hoteliers, and world-class brand and venue owners around the globe. <\/em> 
 
Check that the CX provider has a dedicated team to source and deliver these services and deals to your customers, too \u2013 LinkedIn<\/a> is a good research source for this.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our global experts in lifestyle management, special-offer negotiation, event management and content writing, (circa 1,000 staff across 22 global offices<\/a>) deliver outstanding service and propositions<\/a> to members worldwide.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Will the CX provider pass due diligence by a procurement department?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It can be frustrating to meet, verify and invest time in a partner who then fails to pass the basic \u2018hygiene\u2019 hurdles of procurement and compliance that internal risk managers will insist on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always assess the following: does the company have the financial strength to deliver without creating risk, and to avoid service interruption to your customers? If the company is part of a bigger group, is there a risk it will stop delivering services that don\u2019t adhere to the larger group\u2019s focus? Is the company over-dependent on one or two customers, and therefore fragile? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ten is listed on the London Stock Market under ticker <\/em>\u201cTENG\u201d<\/em><\/a>. It<\/em> is debt-free and has a good credit rating. Concierge and lifestyle services are at the heart of Ten\u2019s business and no one customer accounts for more than 15% of Ten\u2019s revenues.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also important to check that the supplier takes payment (needed to deliver many lifestyle CX briefs), stores credit-card information and holds customer data securely \u2013 this is crucial for a sophisticated lifestyle CX program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Ten we take information security very seriously and have invested in our people, process and technology to keep all our systems and our clients\u2019 data safe and secure. <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Benefits of choosing Ten<\/strong> <\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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We\u2019re a truly global service, operating data centres and offices from 22 offices and five key regions<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We offer world-class services, available globally and underpinned by Service Level Agreements (SLAs)<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have invested in our people, processes and technology to keep our systems and data secure and maintain trust with our clients<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We meet local and international compliance and regulation requirements including PCI-DSS, SOC2 and GDPR<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our infrastructure and applications are frequently penetration-tested to identify and resolve security vulnerabilities<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our code is securely developed and continuously tested using a secure software development lifecycle approach<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We continuously monitor our systems through a specialist 24\/7 security operations centre<\/em><\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover more about information security and data protection<\/em> in the appendix below.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To summarise, when selecting a concierge, lifestyle services or CX provider, our three-point checklist will help you to test the supplier\u2019s technological capacity, trade relationships and financial security. Always do your research, ask questions and personally engage with the supplier\u2019s platform and services before taking the next steps, too.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact Ten for further information or for an informal chat \u2013 we\u2019re here for you 24\/7 and would love to help.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Contact us<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Appendix<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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Ten’s approach to data security<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed summary of our information and data protection policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Ten's<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Certifications and Regulations:<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n