In a fascinating article, Paul Rouke, founder and director of the Cheshire-based customer insights experts PRWD has set out seven ways that his organisation will continue to help businesses in 2020 and beyond.
PRWD, which Rouke set up in 2004, exists to help businesses become more customer centric and to therefore improve customer loyalty and retention. They conduct research and design digital experiences for their clients who include Red Bull, Compare the Market, Games Workshop and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).
Writing on the PRWD website, Rouke declared that ‘the world will never be the same again’ and laid out the following seven ways in which the company will continue to help their clients:
1) Uncovering insights which make you more customer-centric
2) Speaking to your customers & prospects in their homes
3) Understanding how to improve your full customer experience
4) Applying our research & UX design across any sector & anywhere in the world
5) Designing & researching proof of concept experiences before one line of code has been written
6) Being completely honest and transparent
7) Being completely specialised and focused on what we do
Underneath each of these seven headings, Rouke’s passion for crafting businesses around customers shone through. ‘For me,’ he explained, ‘when a company commits to becoming more customer-centric, and if needed evolving their culture and mindset, this is absolutely timeless. It transcends a whole business. It provides companies with a greater chance of surviving and thriving through challenging circumstances.
‘Since I started PRWD in my bedroom over 15 years ago, I have had this passion for wanting to help companies we work with to pay more attention to their customers. To have more humility, investing the time to speak to their customers 1–1. This passion is as strong as ever.’
At a time when the news is dominated by businesses cutting jobs or going out of business altogether, it is refreshing to hear of an organisation taking such a proactive and positive approach. As Rouke says, the relationship between businesses and their customers will change in myriad ways over the coming months and years. It is therefore crucial that businesses reach out to, and learn from, their customers.
When The Leaders Council spoke to Rouke back in February, on an episode of our podcast, the PRWD director also championed the need for leaders to be open with their colleagues and create an environment where their ideas will be heard. The key word for him in this regard was ‘humility.’
Whether interacting with customers or colleagues, Rouke’s instinct to be open and inquisitive is likely to serve him and PRWD well as they navigate today’s unpredictable climate. In a world filled with uncertainty, listening to others more crucial than ever.
You can read Rouke’s full article here: https://www.prwd.co.uk/prwd-in-2020/
