Old school vs. new school

Among the Swift Award winners this month there was a real mixture of old and new. Carlisle-based coffee shop John Watt & Son has roasted fresh coffee beans on-site nearly every day since it was established in 1865, and the business has remained true to its roots ever since. Rather than spending money on advertising, John Watt & Son continues to lure customers in the way it always has - by filling the Carlisle streets with the rich smell of roasting coffee. Of course, there have been a few changes, as loyal customers have welcomed new ranges of food and drink, but the store’s philosophy remains the same - fantastic coffee, and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

At the other end of the country, an Ilford flower shop has been embracing new technology and using it to provide better service to its customers. Monica Riat, the owner of Monica’s Florist, has experimented with Skype so customers using the site can call her for free to place or change orders, saving money on their phone bills. The store also has a Twitter account and a blog which it uses to keep customers up to date with special offers and to give them advice on how best to look after their flowers.

Monica explains: “We always try to push things forward in order to offer the best possible standards of service. We offer same-day deliveries, and have now extended this service across the whole of London. Although we’ve only been around for two years, we’ve already established a strong customer base by making it easy for people to contact us with questions and by offering the highest quality flowers.”

These examples show that whether a successful business is old or new, what matters is dedication to customers. Both businesses focus on delivering great service and high quality products to make sure that people come back again and again. At Swift Relief, we thrive on finding and rewarding great local businesses to make customers’ lives easier, and all this month’s winners thoroughly deserve their Swift Awards.

We’re all going on a summer holiday

It might not be the sunniest of economic climates at the moment, but getting into the holiday spirit is still high on the agenda according to the UK’s tourism agency VisitBritain, which has discovered that more than half of Brits are refusing to cut back on their holidays this year.

But with VisitBritain also suggesting that 20% of people who went abroad last year will holiday in the UK this year to save money, could The Independent be right in branding 2009 as ‘the year of the staycation?’

The fantastic weather predicted earlier in the summer by the Met Office was set to help the rise of Brits holidaying at home and boost the UK tourism industry. However now that the ‘barbeque summer’ is off, the poor weather is set to put a dampener on the sunny staycations many people had planned.

It seems that the washout weather has shifted holiday makers allegiances back to foreign holidays. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has reported that members have seen an increase in business of up to 40% over recent weeks as Brits jet off to try to escape the rain.

According to ABTA, now is a great time to book a summer getaway as there are still a wide range of holidays available and many late offers around to help your budget go further. If you are tempted by a last minute break, make sure you shop around to take advantage of the cheapest late deals. Remember to protect yourself with travel insurance should the worst happen and your sunny holiday ends up turning into a rainy day.