Although Halloween has already past, I couldn't help but share these brilliant Ntouch attempts at pumpkin carving. Can you guess who won...?

You might have spotted the 'spooky camel' whose star SAT NAV is currently demanding he 'turn around when possible' back to Bethlehem in time for Christmas.

The swooping witch proved to be very intricate to carve and the owner of this pumpkin is now sporting some very fashionable plasters - don't try this at home kids!

Next we have our team leader's 'Trick or Treat' inspired pumpkin which survived being dropped outside the office so deserves extra points for that!

Moving onto the lovely little tea pot, inspired by one of our current clients. Maybe we should suggest Twinings creates a pumpkin infusion brew, yum!

The church hides a morbid secret; the back of the pumpkin has been engraved with gravestones baring the Ntouch employees’ names!

We've got two super scary classic faces to finish with, the skills of a previous art teacher certainly evident there!

So we've definitely put the effort in this year, resulting in a fantastic competition and a lot of fun. The Ntouch team are a bit of a crazy bunch (check out the Halloween costumes for proof), but they're passionate about everything they do (especially pumpkin carving) and their friendly, supportive and caring qualities help to create an outstanding customer experience for all of our clients.

         p.s This was the winner!!

1. Great customer service increases sales

If customers receive a genuine, caring service they will trust you and believe that you are delivering what you promise, and ultimately will buy more from you. There is a straight-line correlation between your service performance and your sales.

2. Great customer service increases customer loyalty and retention

It's an often quoted fact that most companies can lose up to half their customers every 5 years and as finding new customers costs, on average, 10 times more than retaining existing ones, it pays to invest in a great customer service culture that will increase customer loyalty and turn your consumers into life long ambassadors for your brand.

3. Great customer service reduces operating costs

When things go wrong it’s important to deal with customer issues effectively and minimise damage to your brand. When you can solve a problem straight away, call times and repeat complaints are reduced, saving you money and time.

4. Great customer service decreases employee turnover

It’s not a coincidence that companies with the highest employee turnover rates are also the ones with the reputation for the lowest customer service. Nobody wants to work for a company they can’t be proud of.

5. Great customer service reduces marketing costs

There is no better marketing strategy than word-of-mouth. And there is no faster way to create positive word-of-mouth than by creating great customer experiences.

It’s no secret that customers have far greater expectations than they used to, and why shouldn’t they? Today’s market provides a tremendous array of choices that weren’t available ten years ago. Why wouldn’t they look for an organisation that is going to treat them well? Why should they accept anything less?

All indications are that the impact of the customer experience is only going to become stronger, and the companies who are so heavily investing in customer service are already starting to see profound payoffs. Contact Ntouch on 0808 178 0152 or info@ntouch.co.uk for more information and support about how we can help you bridge the gap between your current customer service and the customer focused culture you aspire to have.

Today’s reality is that consumers are thirsty for brands to provide something more than just a product or service. They want relationships, especially amid our technologically immersed lives, where human interactions seem to be decreasing and digital interactions are increasing. The digital world can be overwhelming, so a company’s brand is a critical and reassuring reference point for a customer.

That's where personalised, caring and attentive customer service plays an integral role. Seeing things through the customer lens goes a long way toward understanding what frustrates them, no matter how trivial the matter may seem, and if a customer can identify your brand with outstanding customer service, you will profit from their loyalty and business.

At Ntouch our friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and caring team are trained to listen to your customer's needs, take responsibility and solve problems. We are always enthusiastic and passionate about our client's products and ensure everyone has an in depth knowledge of the products or services our client offers, enabling them to add value to the customer care process.

We treat everyone who contacts us as an individual, providing the human touch in a digital world. Our systems provide efficient handling of contacts reducing the time taken to respond and increasing the amount of first time resolution, resulting in improved brand perception and lower costs.

The end result of an outstanding customer experience is simple but powerful - a strong connection to the customer that goes deeper than the normal company-customer relationship, that will  turn your customers into ambassadors for your brand.

Contact Ntouch to find out how our customer contact centres can help you.

It still surprises me how many people need convincing that improving the Customer Experience will generate revenue and save costs. Here’s my top ten statistics from reputable sources that prove just how integral providing excellent customer service is to building and maintaining your business.