When we launched Ascend Payroll in November 2024, we had a simple yet clear vision – to create a premium managed payroll service that actually works the way businesses need it to work.
Not just technically compliant. Not just efficient. But genuinely responsive, accessible, and built around real relationships with the people we support.
A year in, we’ve just completed our first customer satisfaction survey. The results tell us we’re on the right track – but more importantly, they’ve reminded us exactly why we started this journey in the first place.
The numbers that matter
What we are most proud of in these results is that 100% of the clients who responded said they’d recommend us.
That’s the headline. But it’s the detail behind it that is just as important
- 92% thought our onboarding was excellent or good
- 69% said our team were extremely knowledgeable – “They always have the answers” and a further 31% said our team were very knowledgeable – “They usually know or find out quickly”
- 100% said it was easy to get hold of us when they needed support or had a question
These aren’t just numbers on a page. They’re a reflection of the hours spent understanding each client’s specific needs. The times we’ve picked up the phone quickly. The conversations where we’ve gone beyond the immediate question to help solve the underlying challenge.
They’re proof that doing things differently – doing the right thing, always – actually works.
Why responsiveness isn’t optional
Here’s what one client told us: “Our main point of contact is very knowledgeable and also accurate, efficient and highly responsive.”
Responsive. That word came up again and again in the feedback.
In payroll, responsiveness isn’t a nice-to-have. When you need an answer about a pension query, a question about RTI reporting, or clarity on compliance, you need it now. Not tomorrow. Not next week, when someone gets around to your email or picks up your support ticket.
That’s why we are proud to report that 100% of our survey responders stated they find us very easy to reach. We’ve deliberately built our team structure and processes to ensure someone knowledgeable is available when you need them.
One of the biggest frustrations we hear from businesses about their previous payroll providers is that they couldn’t speak to anyone who actually knew their payroll. They’d call a help desk, log a ticket, wait for someone to call back, then have to explain everything from scratch to someone who’d never dealt with
their payroll before.
Or worse, their payroll was being processed offshore by a team they’d never met, never spoken to, and who didn’t understand the nuances of their business or sometimes UK payroll compliance.
We took a different approach. When you work with Ascend, you have named contacts who know your payroll inside out. People you can call directly, who understand your business, remember your previous conversations, and can give you an answer straight away, rather than promising to “look into it and get back to you.”
That’s not to say we never need to check something or provide additional details. But the difference is you’re speaking to someone who knows you, knows your payroll, and can actually help rather than just take a message.
The onboarding experience – setting the tone
77% of clients rated their onboarding experience as excellent, with an additional 15% rating it as good. That’s a result we’re genuinely proud of, because we know how critical those first few weeks are.
Onboarding isn’t just about transferring data and setting up systems. It’s about building confidence. Ensuring you understand where everything is, who to contact for what, and how our processes work alongside yours.
One client summed up what we’re aiming for: “Useful meetings to guide me on where to look and what to do.” That’s exactly it. Onboarding isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about making sure you feel confident and supported from day one.
Another told us: “The staff have been very helpful in making the transition as smooth as possible. The dashboard system, once I have been given guidance on where to find the files I have uploaded, is very easy to use.”
That phrase – “once I have been given guidance” – is important. We don’t just hand over a system and leave you to figure it out on your own. We guide you through the process, answer your questions, and make sure you’re comfortable before moving forward.
Every onboarding we complete teaches us something. In conjunction with our ISO 9001 Standard, we continually refine our processes, enhance our templates, and find more efficient ways to help new clients get up and running quickly without compromising on the thoroughness they need.
Knowledge you can trust
“I haven’t had cause to throw too many questions yet, but so far so good.”
This feedback made us smile. Because when payroll runs smoothly, you shouldn’t need to ask lots of questions. But when you do, you need to know the answer will be accurate, clear, and delivered by someone who genuinely understands both payroll compliance and your specific situation.
69% of clients rate our team as extremely knowledgeable, and the rest said our team were ‘very knowledgeable’. That’s down to the calibre of people we’ve brought together – experienced payroll professionals who’ve worked across different sectors and understand the nuances of education payroll, hospitality tipping
compliance, care sector requirements, and everything in between.
But knowledge isn’t just about technical expertise. It’s about listening properly, understanding context, and explaining things in plain English rather than drowning you in jargon.
What “doing the right thing” actually means
When we talk about our commitment to ‘do the right thing, always, ‘ it’s easy for that to sound like corporate speak. But here’s what it means in practice:
It means being honest. When something takes longer than expected, we say so. When we make a mistake, we own it and fix it.
It means being accessible. Not hiding behind ticket systems or automated responses, being there when you need us.
It means genuinely caring about your success. Your payroll isn’t just a transaction to us. It’s your employees getting paid correctly and on time. It’s your compliance. It’s your peace of mind.
One client captured this perfectly: “The service offered by the whole Ascend team has been fantastic throughout. We look forward to a long-term working relationship with Ascend.”
Long term. That’s what we’re building for.
The bits we’re working on
While we are thrilled with the results of this initial satisfaction survey, we’re not complacent. The survey highlighted areas where we can make continuous improvement.
Our tech is evolving, and client feedback is directly shaping its development. We encourage our clients to let us know if there are areas they think could be improved, or that don’t quite meet their needs, so that we can incorporate this into the development roadmap.
We are also focusing on continuous improvement in our onboarding and setup processes, and exploring integrations with existing software and solutions to bring the data across more efficiently.
Why this matters beyond the numbers
We didn’t start Ascend to win awards or hit impressive statistics (though we’re delighted to have just won ‘Industry Start Up’ at the Rewards Strategy Awards this week).
We started Ascend because we’d experienced payroll services that weren’t good enough. Services where you couldn’t reach anyone. Where errors went uncorrected. Where the relationship felt transactional rather than collaborative.
We knew there had to be a better way.
This survey – and particularly the comments clients took time to write – tells us we’re delivering on that promise. But it also reminds us that this is just the beginning.
Year two will focus on building upon these foundations and continuing to refine our processes, as well as enhancing the platform based on real user feedback and growing our team with more brilliant payroll professionals who share our values.
If you’d like to experience what our clients are talking about, get in touch. We’d love to show you how Ascend Payroll works in practice.
