For lasting beauty . . . and protection

WHETHER IN SONG or read out loud, the slogan For Lasting Beauty and Protection has for many years been the benchmark slogan synonymous with the Berger brand and a statement that for decades described what consumers across the region have come to expect from the brand known for a wide range of consistent, premium-quality paint products, manufactured right here in Barbados since 1967. Over my tenure at Berger, this statement remained a sacred promise in the heart of every employee. The reality is, however, to ensure a more sustainable future for the next 60 years, consumers will demand much more than premium-quality products, in a world where competitors are just a click away and the customer is definitely “king”.

The area of delivering good customer service will need to go way beyond a simple smile and a discount promotion. The lifeblood of any company is building and maintaining a loyal customer base, and Berger Barbados is no exception. In the simplest of terms, “a happy customer is a loyal customer”. This reality was particularly borne out during the COVID-19 pandemic, where those businesses who positioned themselves to reach customers wherever they were, were the same ones who remained successful, despite the many restrictions and setbacks of the pandemic.

I am particularly pleased to have been a part of an organisation and group which believes that the customer really is king. Such conviction being demonstrated in the soon-to-be rolled out CRM Programme, which will demonstrate Berger’s commitment to being proactive in the delivery of exceptional customer service, and which will position the company to significantly improve service delivery in such areas as automating the delivery process, integrating the many touchpoints of customer service across departments, providing real-time help to customers that will be available around-the-clock, with automated responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) through a live chatbot permitting online visitors to track their orders, receive updates on deliveries, place orders, seek assistance, log complaints and in general leave feedback that is not left to chance, but will actually be captured, analysed and become the basis for continuous improvement.

As I start my retirement from the company, I am ecstatic that this new direction will better position Berger Paints Barbados to truly listen and understand what matters to customers on a daily basis.

Most of all, I’m pleased that this direction aims to make every step of the customer journey a more pleasurable one, giving greater relevance and meaning to the age-old slogan, Berger Paints! For Lasting Beauty and Protection! I wish all the members of staff a truly happy 60th anniversary and know that with the focus and direction the company is going in, that they are creating a meaningful legacy for the next 60 years.