Gareth Franks
Head of Customer Services, Virgin Money
Clear and effective communication is more important than ever in febrile times
It’s often said that good communication is a key component of corporate strategy – and this has never been truer than it is today. We are living in challenging times,…
Cyber-security and the customer experience: an unavoidable challenge
In today’s digital age, cyberattacks are inevitable. However, how they are handled and the protections a company has in place speak directly to customer experience and trust. What’s more, as…
Customer Service Trends & Predictions 2026 Webinar (9 Dec)
2026 promises to be a challenging and eventful year for customer service and for the wider UK economy. Our Customer Experience Trends 2026 webinar will highlight the critical issues and…
UKCSI In-person Launch (20 Jan 2026)
Following the success of last year’s debut, we’re delighted to bring back our in-person UK Customer Satisfaction (UKCSI) launch hosted by first direct on 20 January 2026, 08:30 - 11:30…
How changes in the product and service offering can damage consumer trust
News that McVitie’s has reduced the cocoa content in its Club and Penguin biscuits because of cost pressures, rebranding them as 'chocolate flavour', made the headlines this week. We will…
Member Experience Day – Octopus Energy (19 Nov 2025)
This Member Experience Day is exclusive to members of The Institute. Our inaugural Member Experience Day will be hosted by Octopus Energy at their London headquarters. Jo Causon, The Institute’s CEO,…
Recording of our NCSW: Introducing the Academy – Webinar
During National Customer Service Week, we held an exclusive webinar Introducing The Academy, the learning and development hub of The Institute. The session was led by Samhita Ganguly, our Head…
Rebuilding national unity through our Service Nation
In his conference speech last week, Sir Keir Starmer laid out his view of what it means to be British, focusing on what brings us together rather than what divides…
North Star Housing Group: Resetting service for long-term excellence
North Star Housing Group, a housing association managing 4,000 properties with a team of just 100 colleagues, has always prided itself on strong relationships with its tenants. But in 2023,…