# Event Details - **Event Name**: Start with the Customer - **Event Start and End Date**: Thu, 12 Mar, 2026 at 01:30 pm – Thu, 12 Mar, 2026 at 04:00 pm - **Event Description**: Meet Peter Cross, the author of the essential text on customer experience, at this event for makers, artisans & craftspeopleAbout this EventStart with the customerLearn why (and how) great customer experience can differentiate your business from the author of last year's best selling book.Start with the customer, written by Peter Cross, a leading expert in customer behaviour and ex Customer Experience Director at John Lewis and Waitrose, collaborating with Jo Causon, Chief Executive at the Institute of Customer Service, calls time on second rate service and reveals why it’s time to put the customer back at the heart of business. This exclusive session is your opportunity to hear all about it directly from the author.Dubbed by the media "the essential text on customer experience" for anyone in the service of customers in a changing world, Peter will reframe your understanding of the modern customer, guide you through the forces shaping their behaviour, reveal the golden rules and cardinal sins of service and help you build a world-class service culture, fit for whatever you’re selling and wherever you’re selling it.About the book Featuring a foreword by Mary Portas, this refreshingly honest and easy to read book offersA new approach to understanding customers by exploring the eternal power of human need as both a driver of behaviour and means to stay one step ahead of both your customers and competitorsAn insightful guide on how to create an empowered and enabled “listening culture” within your business- Learn how to elevate the service your business offers, by discovering, perfecting and standardising signature moments in your customer experienceUnderstand the keys to employee happiness which ensure that your team feels complicit in creating the customer outcomes you want to seeFind out what it takes to find, retain and lead people to deliver service excellence Discover a compelling and provocative portrait of the customer of the futurePeter will be talking to all these themes and taking your questions on his second visit to Margate.Peter will be talking to all these themes and taking your questions on his second visit to Margate.This event is for makers, artisans, craftspeople and artistsJoin us at Brighter Days Academy in practical sessions that will give you marketing confidence, build your customer service skills, prepare you to sell to the public, shops and galleries and reach out to expand your network and customer base.The sessions are open to all small creative businesses and £5 per person.About Peter CrossEight years in charge of the customer experience at John Lewis and ten more as Mary Portas’ business partner, mean there are few who can match Peter's unique blend of consulting and practical experience and step so confidently into the future of shopping, helping brands and organisations remain irresistible to their target consumers.Known for his charismatic, inspiring and straight talking style, Peter draws on his experience with some of the world's most iconic brands and shares trusted techniques of deepening relationships with both consumers and employees through brand purpose and authentic human connection.Peppering his presentations with tangible examples from across the commercial and third sectors, Peter isn't afraid to challenge current thinking, offering new perspectives around disruptive innovation, internal culture and remaining what Peter calls sticky.In his time at John Lewis customers slept in shops, staff were sent to theatre school, the organisation's customer service agenda, values and purpose were reset, a Christmas ad campaign became the global benchmark and Waitrose played a front line role in feeding the nation. During his time as a Consultant, charity shops were reinvented, a professional cosmetic line opened Institutes in multiple territories, a report for the Government predicted the future of the high street, one of the world's biggest shopping malls opened during a global recession and some of the greatest luxury brands redefined the meaning of physical retail.Peter ensures his audiences leave with a clear sense of what the future of commerce might have in store, actionable insights and a passion and determination to stand out and play their part. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/margate/start-with-the-customer/100001984058097178 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, contests, workshops, theatre, nonprofit, shopping, charities - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 6.13, max: 6.13, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: Margate - **state**: EN - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: Fort Road Hotel - **lat**: 51.3910068 - **long**: 1.3830815 - **full address**: Fort Road Hotel, 18 Fort Road, Margate, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Start with the Customer - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/70db01862c0d60a7f8c18b7dc236892912c6bf01b475d6ef0485c047131b52df-rimg-w1200-h600-dcf0dfc4-gmir.jpg?v=1772827546 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Start with the Customer being held? - **A:** Start with the Customer takes place on Thu, 12 Mar, 2026 at 01:30 pm to Thu, 12 Mar, 2026 at 04:00 pm at Fort Road Hotel, 18 Fort Road, Margate, United Kingdom. - **Q**: How much do tickets cost for Start with the Customer? - **A:** Tickets for Start with the Customer are priced at GBP 6 per person. Here's a full breakdown of available ticket types:Ticket TypePriceAvailabilityStart with the CustomerGBP 6 + GBP 1 feeAvailable - **Q**: Who is organizing Start with the Customer? - **A:** Start with the Customer is organized by Brighter Days Markets CIC. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Start with the Customer is ideal for curious learners, students, and skill-builders looking to gain hands-on knowledge and practical expertise in a focused, interactive setting. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Margate, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Start with the Customer sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Start with the Customer", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events6/banners/70db01862c0d60a7f8c18b7dc236892912c6bf01b475d6ef0485c047131b52df-rimg-w1200-h600-dcf0dfc4-gmir.jpg?v=1772827546", "startDate": "2026-03-12", "endDate": "2026-03-12", "url": "https://allevents.in/margate/start-with-the-customer/100001984058097178", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Fort Road Hotel", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "18 Fort Road", "postalCode": "CT9 1HF", "addressLocality": "Margate", "addressRegion": "EN", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "51.3910068", "longitude": "1.3830815" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Meet Peter Cross, the author of the essential text on customer experience, at this event for makers, artisans & craftspeople", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-15", "availabilityEnds": "2026-03-12", "validFrom": "2026-04-15", "lowPrice": "6.13", "highPrice": "6.13", "price": "6.13", "url": "https://allevents.in/margate/start-with-the-customer/100001984058097178" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2026-04-15", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-04-15", "url": "https://allevents.in/margate/start-with-the-customer/100001984058097178", "price": "6.13", "name": "Start with the Customer" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Brighter Days Markets CIC", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/brighter-days-markets-cic/27414565", "description": "Are you a maker, artisan, craftsperson, artist?Join us at Brighter Days Academy in practical sessions that will introduce you to the press, build your customer service skills, help you firm up the goals and objectives, prepare you to sell to the public, shops and galleries and reach out to expand your network and customer base.The sessions are open to all small creative businesses and free to those that are based in Thanet (outside of area there is a minimal charge of £5 per session).Maximum 25 places at each sessionIf you complete 2 or more sessions and are based in Thanet, you will also be eligible to a free photography session with a professional photographer to give you a portrait of you, the founder of your wonderful small business, in your studio.Brighter Days Markets was established in 2013 and was awarded CIC (Community Interest Company) status in 2024 to provide benefit to makers, craftspeople and artists by supporting their activities and providing selling opportunities and training to upskill and improve their route to success. In 2024 alone it offered selling opportunities to 42 East Kent independent small businesses.Brighter Days is part of Craft UK, a network facilitated by Crafts Council for organisations from across the craft sector and a member of a-n, The Artist Information Company.These events of Brighter Days Academy have been made possible by funding by Thanet District Council as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Thanet Social Enterprise Boost Fund and Don’t Miss Margate’s Community Solidarity Fund." } ] } ] ```