Customer experience specialists Ethos Farm has launched a new staffing solution in partnership with data analytics firm Skyfii.

The staffing solution combines service excellence with real-time data to drive continuous improvement in recruitment, training and management of customer service operations. The solution can be used across high-street retail, travel retail and the aviation industry.

Matthew Garner, Co-Founder, Ethos Farm said: “Following the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the retail and aviation sectors, there is an urgent need to provide an enhanced level of service.

“This must combine great operational management with real-time data to ensure customers remain safe, employees are equipped with the best tools to do their job and that management have the best data possible to make informed decisions on occupancy and staffing deployment.

“Our collaboration delivers an unparalleled end-to-end customer experience solution that is driven by both digital and emotional intelligence.”

‘REIMAGINED STAFFING PROPOSITION’

He added: “Our vision is to create a totally reimagined staffing proposition that is aligned to the challenging situation that Covid-19 has created. Our clients will be able to harness our virtual recruitment and award-winning e-learning, while simultaneously benefitting from real time occupancy data, net promoter score analytics and customer behaviour information, driven by WiFi and Bluetooth technology.”

According to Garner, this data will help the company ‘drive a continuous improvement cycle’ into its operations. This will ensure Ethos Farm develops its recruitment strategies, training content and operational management as the data dictates.

John Rankin, COO, Skyfii said: “The international impact of Covid-19 on retail, commercial properties and aviation has been devastating.  Customers need to feel safe and secure when considering entering a place of work, deliberating international travel or visiting a retail destination.

“By using our ‘’OccupancyNow’ solution, we are able to track real-time occupancy data. This will allow asset owners to have total piece of mind regarding their capacity levels at all times and to manage the customer experience in a safe and controlled manner.

“In addition, our software can utilise existing WiFi and Bluetooth technology to gather customer sentiment and net promoter score information in real-time — providing Ethos Farm with data to drive continuous improvements into their customer experience offering.”

Collaborating with Ethos Farm will create a joint end-to-end experience (see above diagram). “This will utilise the analysis we obtain via our hardware and software to inform training needs and operational deployment requirements for  businesses who want to understand how to provide the best experience possible for their customers in what is the ‘new normal’.”

Ethos Farm is already developing customer service solutions to clients such as British Airways, Unibail Rodamco Westfield and Luton Airport. As a result of this partnership, Skyfii can now boast hardware installations across more than 11,000 venues globally.

Garner concluded: “We are truly excited to launch this market leading collaboration between our two exciting businesses. Our vision is to create engaging experiences for the customer and employee that are driven by robust and meaningful data. This partnership signifies a big step in realising this ambition.”

The end-to-end solution can be delivered in separate elements dependent on client requirements.

ACI WORLD BUSINESS PARTNER

Meanwhile, Ethos Farm has officially become an ACI World business partner, effective 17 June 2020. The UK company, which develops next generation aviation customer experiences and associated learning programmes, works with airports worldwide.

Ethos Farm’s learning and development achievements were also recognised with the Learning Start-up Provider of the Year award for 2020. This was awarded by the Learning & Performance Institute.

Sally Allington, CEO, Ethos Farm said: “I am truly excited to announce our World Business Partner status with ACI, who are unquestionably the voice of the global airport industry. Our conversations had actually started prior to the pandemic, after ACI experienced first-hand the positive results of our CX training for security staff at Edinburgh Airport.

“The programme we created for Edinburgh Airport involved the ground-breaking use of avatar passengers for learners to practice and hone their customer service skills.

“Clearly there was real interest in the work we are doing and techniques we are using to drive elevated customer experiences. Equally, we were delighted to be in conversations with ACI who hold CX as a priority focus for airports worldwide, along with the highest standards of safety.”

These exciting developments cap a busy period for the company, which recently launched an e-learning course to ensure service excellence in airports in the post-Covid-19 world.

Ethos Farm says the e-learning course has attracted strong interest from airports and aviation businesses worldwide. The launch of the e-learning course for the aviation sector follows the introduction of an online training programme for travel retail staff in May.

Alington added: “It is also a real pleasure to announce that our recently launched Aviation Service Excellence while Physical Distancing course will soon be available exclusively through the ACI Online Learning Centre.

“Learners will receive an ACI accredited certificate on successful completion of the course.”