When we last caught up with our member and culture manager, Valerie Brookes, we discovered exactly what her role at Shepherds Friendly Society entails and how she regularly engages with members. This week, we find out what Valerie has planned for 2016 and the outcome of her recent meeting with the Shepherds Friendly Society board.
Valerie says:
“Since my appointment as member and culture manager in September 2015 it’s been a busy and productive few months. I recently had a meeting with the Shepherds Friendly Society board as they were keen to find out more about my ideas and plans for the future.
“The meeting gave me the chance to discuss some of the notable achievements the society has enjoyed.
“Over the past six months, we have received feedback from many of our new members via online reviews of their plan. I was please to be able to let the board know that based on these reviews we were successful in achieving an average rating of 4.55 out of 5 for our application process. In addition, 95.55% of members who provided reviews said they would be happy to recommend us to a friend.
“Here at Shepherds Friendly Society we go out of our way to look after our members from the beginning of their application process right through to the maturity of their plan. That’s why I have taken the time to phone a number of our members who have seen their plans reach maturity in order to help understand the total experience they’d enjoyed with us. I was happy to report to the board that I received 100% positive feedback from the members that I called. Every member I spoke to was very happy with their experience of the Society and the service they received.
“During the meeting I was also able to outline to the board what I feel to be a positive impact I have been able to achieve as member and culture manager over the past six months. I have been able to reach out to many of our members and establish myself as a point of contact when they feel they would like to offer any feedback or raise any issue they feel to be important. I am very pleased with what we’ve been able to achieve in terms of member engagement and am looking forward to continuing this process throughout the year.
“The meeting also gave me the opportunity to discuss ideas and plans for 2016. The Shepherds Friendly Society board constantly looks for ways to be involved with members as they appreciate just how important it is to be actively engaged with them. Together we decided that the board members should join our customer service team for an afternoon in the near future to understand and appreciate the types of variety of telephone calls they receive.
“This will provide an opportunity for the board to gain first hand insights into members’ needs, which will in turn help them with future decision making.
“During 2016 I have plans to speak to even more members who have seen their Shepherds Friendly Society plans mature. We can learn a lot by hearing about our members’ time with us and their experiences, so we can continue to provide the high level of support that has been a founding principle of the Society for the past 190 years. To raise awareness of 190 years of being there for our members, we will be searching for the Shepherds Friendly member who has been with the Society for the longest; the family that has the most generations within the Society; and for the baby born at 18.26 on Christmas Day 2016.
“It was clear throughout my meeting with the board that they had the same goal; to deliver as outstanding level of service to our members and to continue to put them at the forefront of our decisions. We know that by working together we can develop and achieve even greater success in 2016.
“If you have any particular experiences or stories about Shepherds Friendly Society you would like to share with us, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
“I am always here to listen to any feedback, queries or questions our members have, so if you would like to speak to me I am available via info@shepherds.co.uk or 0161 495 6423.”
How can you help?
If you are a Shepherds Friendly Society member and would like to share a story, memory or experience, please get in touch via info@shepherds.co.uk.
If you are keen to become a member of our mutual society or have any questions about the types of plans we offer, please call us today on [insert dynamic telephone number].
