The Bottom Line

All businesses rely on customers. So, why do some businesses bend over backwards to keep customers happy, and why do some of them appear not to care? What is the impact of poor customer service on a business and how much does it cost them to invest in improving their infrastructure? Evan Davis discusses dos and don'ts of customer service with an airline, an energy company and a retailer, all of which have tried to completely overhaul their image. Has it worked?Guests: Kenny Jacobs, Chief Marketing Officer at Ryanair; Neil Clitheroe CEO retail and generation at Scottish Power and Gary Booker, Chief Marketing Officer at Dixons CarphoneProducer: Sally Abrahams Researcher: Sofia Patel.

After the Paris summit on climate change and the global commitment to cut carbon emissions, The Bottom Line is going green - with businesses that generate energy from the sun, the wind - and from cheese. And, whilst the government is committed to getting more of its energy from renewables, Evan Davis and guests discuss why green firms are seeing red over cuts to subsidies they say are vital to update ageing infrastructure. Guests:Juliet Davenport, CEO, Good EnergyJeremy Leggett, Founder, SolarcenturyPaul Cowling, MD, RWE Innogy UK Producer: Sally Abrahams.

After recent corporate scandals like VW's emissions' cheating, Tesco's accounting irregularities, Barclays interest-rate rigging, many asked why company board members failed to act. What happened to the checks and balances designed to curb management excesses? Evan Davis and guests look at how company boards operate and how to make them work effectively. They discuss the role of company directors, the skills and experience required and examine why some say 'Beware the charismatic CEO'. Guests: Sir David Walker, Former Chairman, Barclays plcMichael Jackson, Former Chair, The Sage Group plcMargaret Heffernan, Former CEO, entrepreneur and author Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Can the Northern Powerhouse solve Britain's North-South economic divide? For now, the Northern Powerhouse is a concept: an idea that towns and cities in the north can unite, forming their own economic hub to rival London and the south east. So how to turn it into a reality? Evan Davis and guests are with an audience at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce to discuss what kind of businesses will settle in the north of England and what needs to be done to encourage them to make the move. They'll talk about the frustrations of poor transport links, the joys of green spaces and the reasons why businesses like to cluster.Guests: Wayne Hemingway, Designer and entrepreneur, Hemingway Design Vanda Murray, an Independent Director, Manchester Airports Group Sir Richard Leese, Leader, Manchester City Council and Chair, Transport for the North Jo York, co-founder, Reframed TVProducer: Sally Abrahams.

Rewriting the rules: what does it take to be a non-conformist? Evan Davis is joined by a banker, a brewer and a tech entrepreneur as they discuss how success can mean challenging the orthodox way of doing things.Guests:James Watt - Founder, Brewdog LtdSarah Wood - Co-founder, Unruly MediaAnders Bouvin, CEO, Handelsbanken UK.

What does a financial engineer do? A mechanical engineer may design a machine, one that does a task or overcomes an obstacle, but what problems does modern finance solve? Can the clever manipulation of debt, equity or derivatives, really make human beings better off? Some think finance is a bit of a racket, designed to extract money from the enterprise of others; others think modern finance is a miracle that can create value from nothing. Evan Davis and guests try to get to the bottom of this argument on this week's The Bottom Line.Guests:John Kay - Economist and writer Jessica James - Head of the FX Quantative Solutions Group, Commerzbank Jon Moulton - Founder, Better Capital.

From the design desk to the shop window, how do fast fashion brands deliver the latest trends in double-quick time? Evan Davis and guests discuss fabric, factories and a nimble supply chain. Guests: Catarina Midby, Sustainability manager, H & M; Carol Kane, Co-founder and Joint CEO, Boohoo; Kim Winser, Founder and CEO, Winser London. Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Whether it's high-profile sports events or blockbuster art exhibitions, companies like Adidas and Unilever spend millions of pounds on sponsorship - to get their brand associated with sporting or artistic excellence. The global sponsorship market is worth more than 30 billion pounds a year, but what happens when negative publicity - like Fifa's World Cup corruption scandal - starts to tarnish a brand? Evan Davis and guests discuss whether sponsors should walk away or use their influence to press for change. Guests:Peter Mather, Group Regional Vice President for Europe, BP; Jan Gooding, Group Brand Director, Aviva; Jaimie Fuller, Chairman, Skins. Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Companies like Royal Mail, Saga and the AA have recently listed their shares on the stock market. It gives them access to plenty of money to help them grow, but also means they're subject to public scrutiny. Evan Davis and guests discuss why firms decide to float and how they must adapt to becoming a plc. Guests: Martin Clarke, CFO, the AA; Dan Wagner, CEO, Powa Technologies; Gillian Karran-Cumberlege, Co-Founder, Fidelio Partners. Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Volkswagen is dealing with a corporate crisis following the emissions rigging scandal. Evan Davis and guests discuss. Guests: Sir John Egan, former CEO, Jaguar, former Chairman, Severn Trent Lord Browne, former CEO, BP Lucy Marcus, CEO, Marcus Venture Consulting Arndt Ellinghorst, Senior MD, Evercore ISIProducer: Sally Abrahams.

How do you value something like a painting? What makes one artist worth more than another? Who decides what is in vogue and why do they have so much power in the art world? Evan Davis presents a discussion on taste and value in the art world with a panel including the British artist Grayson Perry.Guests:Grayson Perry - ArtistValeria Napoleone - Collector and PatronRalph Taylor - Director, UK Board Contemporary Art, Bonhams.

Food deflation, the rise of the discount grocers and continuing price wars. Evan Davis and guests discuss who are the long-term winners in the supermarkets' battle to gain market share.Guests: Mark Price, Managing Director, Waitrose Steve Murrells, CEO, Co-operative Foods Kevin Gunter, Chairman, Fulton's FoodsProducer: Sally Abrahams.

Who needs qualifications for success? Three business leaders tell Evan Davis how they made it to the top after leaving school with just one A'Level between them all. Two of the guests explain how, having dyslexia and being labelled failures at school, made them even more determined to make a success of their lives. And they'll explore whether the skills to be an entrepreneur can be taught in the classroom.Guests: Jo Malone, CEO, Jo Loves Gary Grant, CEO, The Entertainer Mark Featherstone-Witty, CEO, Liverpool Institute for Performing ArtsProducer: Jim Frank.

Despite widespread predictions of their demise and amid falling numbers of readers, newspapers are still with us. How are they adapting to the challenges of digital technologies? The industry is split on the issue of whether or not to charge readers for online. What is the best business model for newspapers to survive and prosper? Evan Davis and guests discuss.The guests this week are: John Ridding, Chief Executive of the Financial Times; Ashley Highfield, Chief Executive of the Johnson Press and Andrew Miller, out-going Chief Executive of the Guardian Media Group.Producer: Jim Frank.

Despite widespread predictions of their demise and amid falling numbers of readers, newspapers are still with us. How are they adapting to the challenges of digital technologies? The industry is split on the issue of whether or not to charge readers for online. What is the best business model for newspapers to survive and prosper? Evan Davis and guests discuss.The guests this week are: John Ridding, Chief Executive of the Financial Times; Ashley Highfield, Chief Executive of the Johnson Press and Andrew Miller, out-going Chief Executive of the Guardian Media Group.Producer: Jim Frank.

The British love fast food. Each year we munch our way through thirty billion pounds worth. On The Bottom Line this week Evan Davis and guests discuss the burgeoning burger market. There are new challengers to the traditional big boys, like Five Guys, who claim to offer better quality burgers and a "casual dining experience." Whilst one old famous brand from the 1970s, Wimpy, is attempting to make a come-back with re-branded restaurants and menu. But what's the recipe for success in this already over-crowded market?Guests: John Eckbert, Managing Director of Five Guys; Bruce Layzell, Managing Executive of International Markets at Famous Brands (the South African company who own Wimpy and Steers) And Martin Breeden, Regional Director of Intu, who own some of Britain's biggest shopping centres.Producer: Jim Frank.

How to spot the next Google, Paypal or LinkedIn? Three successful entrepreneurs tell Evan Davis how they use their own money to back promising start-ups.Guests: Sherry Coutu, founder, Cambridge Business Angels Fiona Cruickshank, founder, Gabriel Investors Suzanne Biegel, founder, Clearly Social AngelsProducer: Sally Abrahams.

Outsourcing has had a bad press over the years: What with taxpayers being charged for tagging offenders who were dead, the fiasco over security at the London Olympics and the earlier trend for companies to shift operations to call centres in India. Evan Davis and guests look beyond the negative headlines to examine the pros and cons of getting an outside supplier to do some of your work. And they'll find out how outsourcing has enabled the creators of a chilli sauce to expand from the garden shed to the shelves of hundreds of stores.Guests:Rupert Soames, CEO, Serco Paul Blantern, CEO, Northampstonshire County Council Kuldip Singh Sehota, CEO Mr Singh's SauceProducer: Sally Abrahams.

The scandal at FIFA is just the latest story of corporate corruption to dominate the news. What steps can businesses take to avoid getting caught up in corruption, particularly in countries and sectors where bribery is the norm? What is legitimate business conduct and what crosses the line into illegality? Evan Davis and his guests discuss:Emma Sharma, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for the Supreme Group Hugh Miles of The Al Shafie Miles Consultancy Leo Martin of Good CorporationProducer: Jim Frank.

If your business venture doesn't succeed, how can you be sure it's worth trying again before admitting defeat? More than 50% of businesses fail within 5 years, yet for many, failure is a necessary part of success. Even Bill Gates and Steve Jobs didn't get it right first time. Evan Davis's guests discuss the important lessons they've learned from their business mistakes and speak candidly about the personal and financial impact of failing. How do you overcome the stigma of failure and what skills are required to bounce back when your business has bombed?Guests: Bill Cullen, Chairman, Bill Cullen Motor Group Katarina Skoberne, Co-founder and former CEO, OpenAd Stuart Miller, Co-founder and CEO, ByBox GroupProducer: Sally Abrahams.