This month, the Swift Awards visited Macclesfield, Newport, Kingston upon Thames and Inverness, and discovered some truly outstanding businesses. What the team really noted, however, was the variety of businesses thriving despite the recession: taxi companies, florists, fish and chip shops to name but a few are flourishing due to their dedication to providing great services. However, of the 17 winners two businesses really stuck out, one for its innovation, and the other for its dedication to excellence.
Trevor Daniel, manager of the online company TaxiRoute hit upon a fantastic idea when he developed a program to calculate the cost of a taxi fare between two places. Customers who want to find out how much they should be paying for a taxi journey simply go to TaxiRoute’s website and enter the addresses of their origin and destination, and the site comes back with a guide to how much the customer should pay as well as contact details for local taxi firms. Best of all, because the site charges taxi companies to advertise on the site, it’s able to offer the service to customers for free, as well as potentially saving them money on the fare.
On the other side of the spectrum, we discovered Ti22 Vehicle Services, an independent vehicle detailer in Newport. Vehicle detailers carefully restore cars’ interiors and exteriors, aiming to leave the car ‘better than new’. James Walker, the business’ owner, explains what makes Ti22 different: “We’re the only vehicle detailer in Wales to be authorised by Swissvax, a specialist vehicle wax provider whose seal of approval is the industry’s benchmark. Also, because Ti22 has its own secure premises, owners can feel comfortable leaving their pride and joy with us.”
What really makes Ti22 stand out is a passion for cars. James is immensely proud of what he does as he truly cares about the cars he’s restoring. So much so that he’s been rewarded with the opportunity to restore some truly incredible cars such as a 20 year old Porsche 911 and a TVR Tuscan. Check out his work here.
Although the two businesses are in completely different industry sectors, what they have in common is a devotion to providing the best possible service to customers, making them perfect Swift Award winners. These businesses have gone out of their way to leave their customers satisfied.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Thursday, 27 August 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, 6 August 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
The personal touch
We’re always hearing about the credit crunch and what businesses are doing to do to scrape by: cutting back on costs, finding different suppliers and letting staff go. So this month it was fantastic to talk to a business owner who hasn’t had to change a thing. E Pellicci, a popular café in East London, has been run by the Pellicci family since it was established in 1900. Tony Pellicci, who’s currently in charge, says he runs the cafe the same way it’s always been run: he keeps prices reasonable, ensures that the food is the best in the area, and, most importantly, looks after his customers personally.
Tony explains: “Of course times are harder now, but if you’re doing things properly and treating your customers right then people will always come back. I’ve known most of my customers for years, and they say that coming here is like coming home. How can the big coffee shops compete with that?”
That’s not to say that innovation is a bad thing: The Real Food Café in Stirling (whose business card you can find here) responded to customer demand by introducing a new ordering system. People now phone ahead of their arrival to pre-order their food, which means less waiting time for customers and enables the kitchen to better plan its order. The new system recently helped the café serve a party of 40 in less than ten minutes! And staff literally went the extra mile when a waiter drove half way across Scotland to return a set of keys to a forgetful customer.
These businesses are what the Swift Awards are all about: speedy service, combined with staff and owners who really care about what they do. It is this dedication to service that has helped to make these businesses as successful as they are.
Tony explains: “Of course times are harder now, but if you’re doing things properly and treating your customers right then people will always come back. I’ve known most of my customers for years, and they say that coming here is like coming home. How can the big coffee shops compete with that?”
That’s not to say that innovation is a bad thing: The Real Food Café in Stirling (whose business card you can find here) responded to customer demand by introducing a new ordering system. People now phone ahead of their arrival to pre-order their food, which means less waiting time for customers and enables the kitchen to better plan its order. The new system recently helped the café serve a party of 40 in less than ten minutes! And staff literally went the extra mile when a waiter drove half way across Scotland to return a set of keys to a forgetful customer.
These businesses are what the Swift Awards are all about: speedy service, combined with staff and owners who really care about what they do. It is this dedication to service that has helped to make these businesses as successful as they are.
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Shoppers Look Local for Value and Quality
The battle between independent traders and supermarket giants has been rapidly increasing throughout the last decade with many of the larger retailers securing prominent sites on Britain’s high streets or tempting shoppers away from city centres altogether by setting up out-of-town megastores.
With supermarkets boasting a wealth of credit crunch deals and smart marketing campaigns, it is hardly surprising that independent traders have suffered as a result.
However, this week one of our judges spoke to a butcher who believes that independent traders can not only provide shoppers with good value for money, they can also offer better quality produce and a level of customer service that their larger counterparts cannot compete with.
‘People get duped by the false marketing of supermarkets,’ says Simon Boddy, proprietor of ‘Best Butchers’ in Milton Keynes. ‘Customers are genuinely surprised when they realise that not only is our produce much cheaper than some of the ranges they would normally buy from the supermarkets, it is also of a far superior quality.’
The shop is located on a farm on the outskirts of the town so it does not benefit from passing trade and does not believe that advertising is the solution to gaining new custom. Instead Best Butchers relies heavily on good old fashioned word of mouth, whereby the provision of a quality service and excellent prices are paramount in keeping customers satisfied and winning new trade.
Simon Boddy explains: ‘Recently we have seen a return to quality. Lots of new customers have begun to come to our shops with their cookbooks having been recommended by friends and they appreciate the fact that we are happy to spend time talking to them. They know they can ask us questions regarding different cuts of meat and suitability and we will take time to explain what will save them money whilst not to compromising on quality or taste.’
Boddy also believes that programmes such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s ‘River Cottage’ and Jamie Oliver’s ‘School Dinners’ have influenced consumers tremendously, with the all-important message of quality not quantity highlighting the advantages of returning to smaller, local providers.
As supermarket chains strive to dominate the UK, independent traders and spokespeople are joining together to encourage consumers to shop locally instead and support their local businesses, and, as Simon Boddy believes, opt for a far better quality and lower prices. So it is possible that as a result of the credit crunch we could see a change in consumer trends and a return to quality as many customers take the leap from bigger to better.
Best Butchers offers a free delivery service for all orders exceeding £30 and a charge of £5 for all orders under this amount. Click here to go to Best Butcher's show page.
With supermarkets boasting a wealth of credit crunch deals and smart marketing campaigns, it is hardly surprising that independent traders have suffered as a result.
However, this week one of our judges spoke to a butcher who believes that independent traders can not only provide shoppers with good value for money, they can also offer better quality produce and a level of customer service that their larger counterparts cannot compete with.
‘People get duped by the false marketing of supermarkets,’ says Simon Boddy, proprietor of ‘Best Butchers’ in Milton Keynes. ‘Customers are genuinely surprised when they realise that not only is our produce much cheaper than some of the ranges they would normally buy from the supermarkets, it is also of a far superior quality.’
The shop is located on a farm on the outskirts of the town so it does not benefit from passing trade and does not believe that advertising is the solution to gaining new custom. Instead Best Butchers relies heavily on good old fashioned word of mouth, whereby the provision of a quality service and excellent prices are paramount in keeping customers satisfied and winning new trade.
Simon Boddy explains: ‘Recently we have seen a return to quality. Lots of new customers have begun to come to our shops with their cookbooks having been recommended by friends and they appreciate the fact that we are happy to spend time talking to them. They know they can ask us questions regarding different cuts of meat and suitability and we will take time to explain what will save them money whilst not to compromising on quality or taste.’
Boddy also believes that programmes such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s ‘River Cottage’ and Jamie Oliver’s ‘School Dinners’ have influenced consumers tremendously, with the all-important message of quality not quantity highlighting the advantages of returning to smaller, local providers.
As supermarket chains strive to dominate the UK, independent traders and spokespeople are joining together to encourage consumers to shop locally instead and support their local businesses, and, as Simon Boddy believes, opt for a far better quality and lower prices. So it is possible that as a result of the credit crunch we could see a change in consumer trends and a return to quality as many customers take the leap from bigger to better.
Best Butchers offers a free delivery service for all orders exceeding £30 and a charge of £5 for all orders under this amount. Click here to go to Best Butcher's show page.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Complaints about complaining
The BBC consumer champion Watchdog recently carried out some research to find out how long it took a number of leading companies to answer their customer hotlines. Telephone and broadband providers including BT, Vodafone and Tiscali were tested, along with satellite TV provider Sky.
Watchdog researchers made 500 calls and found that on average the companies answered in less than three and half minutes. The fastest was mobile phone provider Three, with an average of just one minute 39 seconds before researchers got to speak to a person, whilst BT and Sky came out worst, with the satellite channel keeping one caller on hold for more than two hours and ten minutes.
The irony of this of course is that many callers using customer hotlines are usually trying to lodge a complaint or sort out an issue – people don’t often call up companies to leave compliments – so keeping consumers hanging on for such a long time is only going to compound matters.
Most local businesses don’t need such complex systems to deal with customer concerns and complaints because hopefully they won’t have the volume of enquiries. However, the principle of responding quickly and effectively to address customer concerns remains the same.
In fact, because many consumers are so used to lukewarm service at best, punctuated by infuriating cases of simply bad service, if you are sympathetic and courteous in the way you deal with customer issues, you are not only more likely to reach a satisfactory conclusion, you could actually be rewarded with greater loyalty from a customer who appreciates being taken seriously for a change.
At Swift Relief we have compiled a list of hints and tips to help consumers get good service – although they are equally useful for businesses wanting to win their customers over – so click here to find out more, or you can visit the Business Link website for a useful resource of guides and information on dealing with complaints and delivering good customer service.
Watchdog researchers made 500 calls and found that on average the companies answered in less than three and half minutes. The fastest was mobile phone provider Three, with an average of just one minute 39 seconds before researchers got to speak to a person, whilst BT and Sky came out worst, with the satellite channel keeping one caller on hold for more than two hours and ten minutes.
The irony of this of course is that many callers using customer hotlines are usually trying to lodge a complaint or sort out an issue – people don’t often call up companies to leave compliments – so keeping consumers hanging on for such a long time is only going to compound matters.
Most local businesses don’t need such complex systems to deal with customer concerns and complaints because hopefully they won’t have the volume of enquiries. However, the principle of responding quickly and effectively to address customer concerns remains the same.
In fact, because many consumers are so used to lukewarm service at best, punctuated by infuriating cases of simply bad service, if you are sympathetic and courteous in the way you deal with customer issues, you are not only more likely to reach a satisfactory conclusion, you could actually be rewarded with greater loyalty from a customer who appreciates being taken seriously for a change.
At Swift Relief we have compiled a list of hints and tips to help consumers get good service – although they are equally useful for businesses wanting to win their customers over – so click here to find out more, or you can visit the Business Link website for a useful resource of guides and information on dealing with complaints and delivering good customer service.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Simple yet very effective
Odd as it may sound, popularity can be a problem for some businesses. Take Pumpernickel sandwich bar and deli in Uxbridge for example, which has proven so successful that customers face sizeable queues at lunchtime. With the current economics situation, Britain’s workers are putting in longer hours, therefore, the prospect of wasting precious minutes queuing can understandably be a frustrating experience to many employees and, can potentially be the cause for customers choosing to go elsewhere.
So we were impressed with Pumpernickels’ innovative response to this exact problem. The café and deli was started by two self-confessed foodies with a professional catering background whose combined history in restaurant expertise as well as mutual appreciation of high quality food for affordable prices meant that Pumpernickels quickly became so popular that long queues were soon leading out of the shop and down the high street.
As a response to increasing customer demand, the owners decided to launch an online ordering facility on their website www.pumpernickels.net For no additional charge customers can now design their perfect sandwich whilst remaining seated at their desk. As payment can also be taken online, all customers need to do is bring their confirmation number to the shop where their sandwich will be ready and waiting for their collection, minimising customer waiting time and increasing business productivity in one go. Simple yet very effective.
Pumpernickels also stresses the importance of catering for a variety of budgets, from credit crunch specials and, basics fare through to gourmet meals. Founder Vicky Francis says: “Having a wide variety of options can be very advantageous as it will appeal to a variety of budgets and ultimately increase your target audience.
“However, when times get tough you also need to ensure that you are giving customers the best possible value for their money. Instead of cutting corners look at other ways of reducing your overheads and take time to source the best possible prices as competition will become fierce.”
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