Institute of Customer Service awards PR brief to Kindred

The Institute of Customer Service, a national professional membership body, has appointed Kindred as its retained PR agency, following a competitive pitch.

 

Working closely with the organisation’s in-house team, Kindred’s remit will include raising the profile of the Institute and establishing it as a key voice in business debates.

The Institute of Customer Service has more than 500 organisational members and 4,000 individual members from a range of sectors, including retail, utilities, financial services, housing and the public sector.

Through the recently launched Institute of Customer Service Academy, it offers accreditation and insight into the state of customer satisfaction across the UK and Europe, with an aim to improve customer experience and business performance.

Sharon Bange, Kindred’s client services director, will lead the PR brief.

Mike Petrook, director of comms and corporate affairs at the Institute of Customer Service, said: “More than 78% of UK GDP is based on the service sector, yet customers are no longer content to be seen as part of an economic transaction. They want ongoing relationships with organisations based on trust, transparency and an ever-growing desire for convenience, speed and value.

“With this in mind, Kindred’s pitch stood out in two key areas: experience and understanding. The team has a wealth of experience in working with membership bodies and delivering tangible results for them, and their understanding of the Institute and what we are trying to achieve through PR channels really impressed us. ”

Bange added: “We’re delighted to be working with the Institute of Customer Service. The importance of customer service in economic growth is, at times, underestimated. Customer service is something we all experience, and has a huge impact on our day to day lives, so the Institute’s work to make it a business priority has an impact on us all.”