When Selfridges first opened its doors in 1909, it drew crowds by turning shopping into an adventure, using theatre and innovation. Bleriot’s monoplane was displayed there fresh from its maiden Channel crossing and John Logie Baird chose the store to first demonstrate television to the public.

As retail – and the role of tech within it – fast evolves, skill sets, training needs and career paths need to adapt at the same pace. In what skills must we invest to grow the retailers of tomorrow and make retail a career that attracts the very best?

One of the things that caught my eye in the Institute of Customer Services UK’s (UKSCI) most recent report on customer satisfaction was the suggestion that a growing number of customers are prepared to pay more for improved service.

As retailing and technology continues to evolve at a pace we’ve never experienced before, consumers of every generation are becoming far more comfortable with the digital landscape, whilst also becoming increasingly mindful of the brands they’re advocating.

Marks & Spencer has extended its longstanding digital customer contact partnership with Capita by a further five years. The contract renewal and expansion commences April 2018 and is worth approximately £70m over the contract term.

At last week’s UK National Contact Centre Awards ceremony, there was success for two of Capita businesses.

From sales & acquisitions, enquiries & complaint handling, to managing campaigns & retention strategies, we’re trusted by over 50 of the UK’s leading brands.

With our flexible, expert customer service teams, we're supporting clients through their busiest times of the year, with extra resourcing, thorough planning, insight and smart technology.

From speech analytics and virtual assistance, to visual intelligent voice routing (IVR), we're developing innovative applications that are empowering agents to deliver even better customer experiences.

Our vast range of customer services for local authorities includes general enquiries, council switchboards, advice lines, complaints handling & one-stop-shops.