News

With millions of orders being placed online every year in the run up to the festive season, can you really afford to have customers dropping off at your checkout this Christmas?

PostCoder Web SOAP from Allies Computing Ltd allows you to add address lookup from just a postcode seamlessly into your online order process. Save yourself and your customer's time, and reduce undelivered goods.

Why not try the service free for 21 days? Register now to get it set up in time for the Christmas spending - www.postcoder.com/pm/xmas

Luxury Belgian Chocolate E-tailer, Chocolate Now! are already seeing the benefits of using address lookup within their online ordering system. Initially customers were required to type the delivery address in manually. However, because over 90% of purchases were gifts being sent directly to the recipient rather than to the cardholder, a significant number of customers were entering incorrect or incomplete delivery addresses.

Now, by using PostCoder Web SOAP, it's easier for their customers - they either simply enter the postcode and the delivery address is completed automatically for them, or they enter the address details they know, and the full address and postcode is looked up for them!

"Since implementing the address lookup, Chocolate Now! has seen a 50% reduction in the number of non arrivals reported by customers. It has also significantly reduced the workload on administrative staff who were previously performing manual checks on incomplete addresses." says Nigel Croft from Chocolate Now!

To read the full article on how Chocolate Now! are using the PostCoder Web SOAP service please see the full case study on our website.

To realise the benefits for your business, register for the free trial now!

Allies Computing Ltd, developers of the PostCoder® range of address management software, were pleased to show their support for National Customer Service Week 2007 by undertaking a number of tasks to strengthen their already high level of customer service and to boost awareness to staff and customers.

NCSW aims to promote the importance of recognising, rewarding and celebrating customer service professionalism. Emma Pinchen, Managing Director of Allies Computing says "We already have a strong dedication to customer service as a company and actively encourage feedback from our customers to improve our products and services. We feel that supporting National Customer Service Week will communicate this message more prominently to our customers".

To support National Customer Service Week, Allies® staff:

• Communicated verbally to customers and internal staff all week rather than using e-mail to strengthen customer relationships and offer a better standard of service to each other.
• Participated in a Customer Service Quiz to test knowledge and sharpen up skills
• Held a 'Use your head' day - a fancy dress day of random hats and crazy hair to inject an element of fun into the week (see below)
• Communicated our support of NCSW on outgoing emails and on our website
• Encouraged staff to provide excellent customer service, exceed expectations and share stories of success. A prize was offered to the best example of customer service all week.

Above: a few of Allies Computing's staff taking part in the crazy head wear day.

At Allies Computing we aim to surpass all expectations all of the time by dealing with customers in a timely, friendly, helpful and honest way and we will continue to go that extra mile to offer the best level of service possible.

Emma Pinchen, Managing Director of Allies Computing

We are pleased to announce that Emma Pinchen has been appointed Managing Director with immediate effect, succeeding joint company founder Dr Peter Allies who has been in the position for 20 years. Peter and his wife Rev Dr Lorna Allies still own the company, but are in the process of selling it to the staff via a government-sponsored share incentive scheme.

Previously Sales & Marketing Manager at Allies®, Emma has managed a successful team which has contributed towards achieving in 2006 the highest net profit in the company's history. Her background is in Financial Sales and more recently, in the field of Marketing.

Asked about the future Emma says "It's an exciting time for us. We are preparing to launch new products and services and are also continuing to improve our current products through innovation and ideas from customers. We have an excellent team who enjoy working together. We are a growing and flexible business with a strong emphasis on honesty and care for people and the environment, and in my opinion, we have a very bright future"

Allies Computing has received so much positive feedback from customers regarding the PostCoder Web SOAP service that we were confident enough to enter it in the 'Product of the Year' category for the CIM Norfolk & Suffolk Marketing Excellence Awards!

The black-tie gala evening awards ceremony, held at the Holiday Inn Norwich on Friday May 18th 2007, recognised the best brands, products and services from across the two counties together with special awards for individuals who demonstrated outstanding achievement.

The 'Product of the Year' Award acknowledged companies which had a product that they thought deserved special recognition, and also demonstrating a clear strategic approach to marketing the product along with utilising an integrated marketing strategy to deliver tangible business success.

The judges noted how Allies® consistently applied customer feedback and suggestions into the entire product range and development processes. They also praised how PostCoder Web SOAP allows businesses to add Address Lookup to their online checkouts and forms seamlessly, resulting in accurate data, ease of use and a professional feel to website forms.

We were pleased to be one of just three companies selected to be finalists within the 'Product of the Year' category as it demonstrates the strength of our PostCoder Web SOAP product and our marketing strategies.

To see for yourself why PostCoder Web SOAP was short-listed for 'Product of the Year', register for a free 21 day trial by visiting PostCoder Web SOAP.

The finalists - Allies Computing Ltd, Challs International, Anglia DNA Services

Marketing Assistant Ria Clark with Managing Director Designate Emma Pinchen

Allies® founders - Peter & Lorna Allies with Technical Support Advisor Joe Lambert

The CIM Marketing Excellence Awards

With kind permission of Norwich Evening News

Allies Computing has had so much positive feedback regarding their PostCoder Web service, that they will be telling everyone about it at this year's two day Technology For Marketing exhibition in London!

The exhibition held at Olympia, London, on 6th and 7th February 2007 is the UK's primary exhibition for CRM and Marketing related technologies and is this year incorporating interactive online products too. It gives attendees the chance to try out all of the leading PostCoder® address management software by visiting stand D80.

The PostCoder Web service aims to improve customers' experiences when filling in online Web forms and allow businesses to collect a verified address at the outset, avoiding goods being sent to the wrong address and saving time and cost whilst improving service.

The Web service will be demonstrated live with real examples. There will also be information on how you can try it on your website, enter a free prize draw and take away a free gift.

For more information on our software and for free trials, please visit www.postcoder.com