Trust Inheritance sets itself apart in the bereavement services industry with its ethos of treating customers like family. The WOW! Awards has become intrinsic to delivering and maintaining this ethos. Employees are encouraged and recognised by stories of exceptional service as they help customers facing a range of challenges and emotions.
Summary
Trust Inheritance launched in 1990 and set out to change the way that legal services were delivered. Employing an ethos of championing customer choice saw them become one of the most popular Will Writers in the UK. Over time, they identified a need for transparent, co-ordinated support for bereaved families and began offering a holistic range of practical and legal bereavement support services.
Providing a caring and empathetic service is a first priority in this sensitive work. Trust Inheritance believes that internal culture is the key to maintaining their excellent standards. It’s what sets them apart and has continued to drive the business forward to its market-leading position today.
The challenge
From day one, Trust Inheritance was clear that excellent customer care would be the key to being able to add the most value to customers in the bereavement services market. Leaders also held a strong conviction that employee engagement would lead to positive customer outcomes. In its commitment to this, the business is proudly 100% employee owned.
Customers contact Trust Inheritance in a variety of situations. Many are grieving close relatives while others are vulnerable or elderly themselves. The importance of excellent customer care is clear.
The Trust Inheritance team are trained to put the customer first, by showing empathy and making a true human connection. This is how the business wants to set its people and the overall customer experience apart.
Managers wanted to show their teams how this effort can make a huge impact.
Kate was extremely helpful in such a way that my aching spirit was uplifted by her kindness and patience.
The approach
Trust Inheritance partnered with The WOW! Awards to encourage and recognise exceptional customer service.
Angie Wilson, responsible for Customer Engagement at Trust Inheritance explains:
“We saw this as a way of getting direct feedback for our advisers that would be more in-depth than other mechanisms. We want to hear that people care. It’s about doing a job that would make someone say wow.”
Customer nominations are not financially rewarded or otherwise incentivised. The value is in the good news stories and the positivity they generate.
As such, The WOW! Award nominations are widely shared at Trust Inheritance, both internally and externally. The excellent customer feedback received through the nominations highlights the essence of the business ethos. Angie explains “We’re going to put the nominations right at the front of our marketing. There is huge value in customer’s perception of our brand”.
I spoke to Charlie today regarding my mum’s will..he was absolutely lovely. He asked about my mum and what kind of lady she was and that was the first time in all the calls I made in 3 days, that someone had done that. He was really interested in her life and what she was like. And that was comforting…It gave me a lift. So thank you Charlie from the bottom of my heart.
The outcome
Hundreds of examples of outstanding customer care are shared in The WOW! Award nominations. Managers value the unfiltered and honest detail that customers share.
The stories are personal and emotional, proving the importance of customer care. They often portray a true sense of a human connection that the teams have made, reflecting the core ethos of the business.
Trust Inheritance also hugely values colleague to colleague appreciation:
“It’s very important. It’s fantastic that The WOW! Awards recognises that great service starts within.”
Making an effort to share positive feedback has become even more important in recent times. Working remotely can reduce the moments of connection between colleagues and the natural opportunities to show appreciation.
Sharing The WOW! Award nominations helps to keep the organisation’s ethos alive.