UPM Pulp Matters 2/2023

UPM HAS SET A NPS TARGET OF PLACING IN THE INDUSTRY’S TOP 25%.

the customer’s view, UPM Pulp could improve on each of these issues. According to Kangas, one of the most common topics touched upon in open comments is the need for more communication, which he admits is something where you can never have too much. The survey also includes a region specific question that may vary between surveys. “In the latest survey carried out between October and November 2023, we asked customers in Europe about their experiences concerning the performance of our customer service, while in the APAC region the additional question concerned the digitalisation of services and solutions. Perhaps an upcoming question could be related to the ramp-up period of our Paso de los Toros mill and how we have lived up to customer expectations concerning communication of the different phases,” Kangas says. FOLLOW-UP IN DEDICATED CUSTOMER TEAMS Run for about two weeks in more than 20 languages, the survey typically reaches a response rate of around 30–40%. The NPS score measuring customer loyalty has remained at a stable level – with the notable exception of a drop in the curve in 2022, when UPM suffered from industrial action in Finland. “This was a completely understandable reaction, but we luckily recovered from the situation rather swiftly. This was reflected in very few mentions in open comments in the following survey after resuming normal operations,” says Tomas Wiklund , Senior Vice President, Pulp Sales at UPM Pulp.

Wiklund emphasises the importance of the survey in the constant development of UPM Pulp’s

offering, as the feedback is not anonymous, and can thus be responded to promptly and precisely. UPM Pulp’s external research partner provides analysis and conclusions on the survey results, which are examined on both a global and regional level. Analysis is also carried out in customer teams, and corrective actions are taken where necessary. “Our customer teams follow the results according to each customer and see if we have managed to follow the path of continuous improvement, or if there is some issue that stands out and requires addressing immediately,” Wiklund notes. FEEDBACK MAKES A DIFFERENCE Considering the attributes that customers value most, quality takes the top spot with a clear margin, followed by customer service then reliability in third place. According to Kangas, a positive signal is also that around half of the respondents are regular participants in the survey and they are committed to delivering feedback repeatedly. “I would like to thank all our customers for their active participation and urge everyone who hasn’t yet responded to take part in our next survey. Your feedback is extremely valuable to us and truly makes a difference in further strengthening our cooperation,” Wiklund concludes.

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