Meet the Chamber Team: Luke Marshall

Luke Marshall is a Customer Engagement Executive at Business West. He is the first point of contact for Chamber of Commerce members and supports businesses to grow through helping them to make connections with other companies and access expert advice from the Chamber. We caught up with Luke to find out more about his day job and how he helps companies get the most out of their Chamber membership.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your role as Customer Engagement Executive and your career background? 

I studied a degree in International Business Management which involved spending a year living in Chicago studying American Business Studies. One of my first jobs out of university was working for one of Business West’s members, Date Palm Developments in Somerset, who were exporting products all over the world. I started working for Business West in 2018. My role is mainly on the client engagement side - ensuring that members have a positive customer experience and are utilising the membership benefits available to them, whilst also helping them to network with one another.

What do you enjoy most about your job? 

Meeting lots of interesting people who are passionate about what they do. It’s really varied because different businesses have different demands and reasons for becoming chamber members. It is really rewarding listening to their passion and helping them to overcome challenges and get help with achieving their goals.

I’ve really enjoyed our ongoing project of building a new membership offer. This involves listening to members, finding out what they value and working with external partners to bring in exciting new benefits for them to use. The strategic element of this work and providing ideas for developing new processes has been an exciting part of the job.

And what are the most challenging aspects of your job? 

I think its balancing different tasks which can be challenging. I often answer the main telephone number for Business West, so when I pick up the phone it could literally be any kind of enquiry on any kind of business issue from any type of business. I have to be able to think really quickly and if I don’t have the answer myself, know who in Business West would be able to deal with it. It’s all about keeping the customer content that we are looking into their issue even if the answers aren’t always available straight away.

Why should businesses consider joining the Chamber? 

It’s a very vibrant community with a diverse range of businesses. We engage regularly with a lot of businesses and have about 50,000 businesses visiting the website every month, so whether you’re an early-stage business trying to get your name out there or an established business looking to grow, it can be a really good boost to your online presence. The content promotion benefits are a great way to establish yourself as a thought leader or knowledgeable person within your industry.

There’s also a diverse range of advisers who you can connect with. If you’re facing any kind of business issue you can usually find an answer from someone directly, so I think it can be a cost-effective and invaluable resource for businesses. Even if you aren’t a member, it’s worth connecting for free with the Chamber network for awareness, guidance and insights on key issues – from climate change to government grants and lots more.

Can you give an example of an interesting company the Chamber has supported?

Pyterra are an interesting new business who became members earlier this year and I have been supporting with content promotion activities and on-boarding to Chamber membership. They are a new platform which aims to encourage and incentivise corporations to invest in Environmental, Social, and Governance initiatives in the Bristol area. It’s an exciting and positive idea that has a lot of potential to bring about some positive actions and we hope that Chamber membership can assist with generating some of the engagement that it will require to drive forward.

Get in touch

If you would like to become part of a vibrant business community where you can share ideas and access new opportunities, visit Join the Chamber to register online or call 0800 980 2789 today.