The Challenge

A government trading fund which sells products and services to UK government and international partners across 160+ countries received poor feedback from its largest UK client. An example of which was:

“I can’t explain what you do, what it costs, or why it takes so long.”

The service was seen as bureaucratic, slow, and unresponsive. Key customer stakeholders viewed this organisation as a barrier, not a partner.

Internally, morale was low. Many felt under-valued or constrained by red tape. Externally, reputation was suffering, and customer satisfaction was inconsistent and poorly understood.

The Insight

After in-depth stakeholder engagement and internal listening, we uncovered a misalignment between perceived purpose and real value.

The organisation was structured for internal efficiency, not for customer clarity or responsiveness. Service ownership was fragmented. Touchpoints varied wildly. And legacy processes created friction in even the most basic customer interactions.

It wasn’t just a communications issue - it was a systemic experience problem.

The Solution: A CX Programme to Rebuild Trust

We launched a full-scale Customer Experience transformation, aimed not just at better service, but at better relationships.

Key programme strands included:

• Customer Promise

  A shared commitment to being professional, proactive, and easy to work with. Developed through co-design with staff and customers, this promise was more than words—it anchored behavioural change and became a north star for decision-making.

• One Team Operating Model

  We dismantled silos and rebuilt around customer journeys. Teams were empowered to take collective ownership of outcomes, not just outputs. Accountability replaced process blame.

• Listening & Measurement

  Introduced a tiered customer feedback model, from transactional surveys to strategic interviews. Feedback was tied to team learning - not punishment - and turned into improvement activities.

• Experience Design Thinking

  Mapped end-to-end journeys and ran service design workshops on key pain points like handovers, access delays, and unclear updates.

• Staff Experience Elevation

  We asked, “How can we expect staff to create a great customer experience if their own experience is broken?” We embedded the customer service principles throughout the employee journey - recruiting skills which aligned with our customer promises and worked with the people team to improve the overall employee experience.

The Results

• Reputation turnaround: The same client that raised concerns became a visible advocate within 18 months, highlighting increased responsiveness and relationship trust.

• Cultural shift: CX became one of the most engaged themes in internal town halls and feedback loops.

• Operational improvements: Reduced handoff delays, fewer complaints, and improved cross-department coordination on high-priority cases.

• Staff ownership: Teams began identifying experience risks before they became complaints—marking a proactive, empowered mindset shift.

Anecdotes

• One customer said:

  “For the first time, I feel like I’m working with the team, not having to work around them.”

• A team member shared:

  “When we focused on experience, the work felt more human—less about process, more about impact.”

Why It Matters

This wasn’t about performance metrics—it was about rebuilding confidence. The CX programme proved that when trust is lost, you can’t earn it back with process alone. It takes commitment, co-design, and consistency.

And once you have it? It becomes a multiplier across every conversation, project, and partnership.