OurCoop shortlisted for Operational Excellence in Customer Experience award
We’re delighted to share that OurCoop has been shortlisted at the Operational Excellence Awards in the Customer Experience category.
The recognition celebrates the work of colleagues across OurCoop to improve the checkout experience in our Food stores, combining investment in technology and store environments with colleague coaching, continuous improvement and a strong focus on what our customers need.
The Self-Checkout and Customer Experience Project was designed to make shopping easier, more accessible and more convenient, while also supporting colleagues to deliver excellent service.
As part of the project, we introduced self-checkouts into stores where they were not previously available and redesigned checkout areas, including creating larger bagging areas and improving accessibility for customers with mobility needs.
But the project was about more than technology. Colleagues from operations, IT, property, customer experience and our colleague safety teams worked together to make sure changes were successfully introduced and embedded in our stores.
Continuous improvement was also at the heart of the project, with feedback from colleagues helping to identify and remove common points of friction in the checkout journey. This included technology and system improvements that have helped reduce unnecessary customer intervention and waiting times.
Colleague behaviours were another important part of the work. Stores received communications before and after installations, alongside on-site coaching to help colleagues feel confident with the changes and understand how they could continue to put customers at the heart of the experience. Colleagues embraced the change with enthusiasm, focussing on ensuring the best for our customers and delivering great customer service - both at the checkout and throughout the store.
The project has already delivered positive results, including increased use of self-checkouts and a smoother flow through stores. Most importantly, we’ve seen how changes to our checkout environments can make a real difference to customers – including one customer who told us it was the first time they had been able to complete their shop independently using a mobility scooter.
The project demonstrates what can be achieved when our people, processes and technology come together with a shared focus on making things better for our customers.
A huge thank you to everyone involved. Being shortlisted is recognition of the collaborative effort across OurCoop and the commitment of colleagues to continually improve the experience we provide in our communities.
We look forward to celebrating with the team at the Operational Excellence Awards on the 24th September.