About us

NEG is a National provider of comprehensive telephony services having served over 4000 corporate, government and NHS organisations since our inception in 1992.

Our success is based on an impressive product range and outstanding customer service. Over the years we have listened and learned, how you like to do business and what you want. One supplier for hardware, maintenance, telephone calls and Internet access. One easy to manage affordable cost centre combined with world-class products that grow and change as new technologies emerge. We are privately owned and financially strong with a board of directors totaling over 110 years experience in the telecommunication industry. We have listed below the eight pillars to our success.

1. Recruitment and training

People with the right attitude are essential to building a successful customer service approach. Our philosophy is hire for attitude, train for skills. Once in place, a planned training programmed in both job skills and people skills must be maintained. This is not an area for cost cutting if the market gets tough.

2. Keep your staff happy

Staff retention is crucial to improving our businesses. Research shows clearly that staff stay when they are happy and respect the organisation for which they work. Efforts should therefore be directed at recognition and development programmes to determine potential, and a well thought-out career plan structure. Research also shows that high employee satisfaction leads directly to high customer satisfaction.

3. Recognise the importance of customer loyalty

Every business should remember it is far cheaper to retain existing customers than win new ones. Long-term customers are also loyal and active advocates of your organisation, and they tend to be more profitable for you, more interested in helping you improve your products and services and more forgiving of any of your occasional mistakes. Getting customer service right in an organisation, and continually improving it, is a long-term commitment that must be made by those at the top of any business. They need to recognise its importance from the outset, believe in the strategy, be active in leading by example to others, and take actions that support those charged with carrying it out on the ‘frontline’.

4. Welcome complaints

Complaints are free market research and should be welcomed. 1) We ensure we hear about all of them. 2) Our goal is to satisfactorily resolve the ones we get. 3) Stop them being repeated. 4) Learn lessons and pass these on to others.

5. We make sure technology is used for all the right reasons

If any of these technologies are being deployed primarily as a quick fix to reduce costs then it is doubtful whether real improvements in customer service levels will be gained, especially in the long-term. However, if they are to be considered as an integral part of a strategy which is focusing on your customers, one or more of them could be useful, but we must make sure we don’t rely on technology to solve all our issues – it can only do that as part of an integrated strategy, in short it's good talk and speak to our clients if issues persist.

6. Building our reputation

A good reputation for customer service is a key factor in our success. Research has shown that to do this well an organisation should concentrate on four key issues – going the extra mile, treating people as individuals, keeping promises made, and handling queries and complaints well. We like to think our excellent customer service is the point of difference that sets us apart from our competitors.

7. Measuring our performance

We make sure that we assess the right variables, not just the easiest ones to record. The two things that we always try to do is measure employee and customer satisfaction/delight. The true question is – would you recommend us? Benchmarking can be a key part of our measurement programme. Learning from other sectors can often be much more beneficial than same sector comparisons, as one can see new ways of approaching issues and problems. Measuring and comparing the same things over time is much better than just a one-off view/comparison, as trends can be observed and learned from.

8. Communicating with our staff and customers

Keeping people informed at all levels within your business, recognising good performance, celebrating success, marketing your services and achieving all of the points outlined requires a coordinated strategy of communications. A reputation for great service can be easily lost by a poor telephone manner, confusing website, or lack of a sound communications approach. Test it regularly and continually enhance it as new technologies develop.