npower Case Study | Being Players, Creating Fans

The Brief

In 2006, npower commissioned NKD to create a memorable teambuilding roadshow for its 2,200 Customer Operations team - which is responsible for issuing around 80,000 bills per day. The aim was to help each individual engage with the overall company vision, feel valued for their role within the organisation and to understand the power of working as a cohesive team.
 

The Solution

Following a series of cultural audits across key npower Customer Operations sites, NKD designed a motivational programme which aimed to communicate npower's strategy of 'turning customers into fans' and help employees understand their vital role within the company. The objective was to shift the culture towards service excellence and push employees to go the extra mile in order to please customers.
'Being Players, Creating Fans' was adopted as a powerful core message for a programme which included 24 half-day events, involving each of the employees in groups of 100 at a time. 'Tour Date' posters featuring famous pop stars such as Robbie Williams, Kylie and Beyonce got people talking and invitations designed as concert tickets kept the buzz going.

On each day of the events, branded tour buses and roadies took delegates to one of four unusual regional venues. Inside, clever venue dressing made delegates feel like players on a big stage. A rousing 2-minute video set the tone for the event, which featured breakout groups themed around well-known bands. Information-sharing presentations, team-building games with giant jigsaws and other experiential activities were all used to reinforce the programme's key messages, and reinforce the role of Customer Operations' in npower's success.

Back in the workplace, a board game-based 'league championship' was used to reinforce the key messages of the events and to keep the momentum created at the events going.
 

The Results

The 9-week programme was a resounding success with pre- and post-event surveys showing a 30% improvement in the key measures of employee understanding and commitment to the company vision. Importantly, the activity has also translated into direct bottom-line benefits, with a 15% reduction in billing mistakes and a 10% drop in customer complaints.