Swift Relief from traffic jams and road rage

Avoiding stress on the roads could be as simple as making eye contact, according to research by author and automotive expert Thomas Vanderbilt. In his book ‘Traffic’, which looks at how we drive and why, Thomas suggests that the more interaction drivers have with each other, the better and safer driving can be.

He says that if you make eye contact with other drivers, they are more likely to cooperate and share the road with you safely - it’s certainly something to try the next time you are trying to edge your way out of a busy junction, for example.

Vanderbilt’s book suggests that most of us feel hidden and safe in our cars, which can mean we have less consideration for our fellow road users and could lead to impolite and potentially dangerous behaviour behind the wheel. However research has shown that when drivers are more exposed - such as with the roof down in a convertible, or just by having the window open - they are more tolerant of other road users and less likely to get angry or beep their horns.

Research from Colorado State University also suggests that another way to avoid road rage is to steer clear of drivers with car stickers. Researchers say that stickers and other ways of decorating your car are ‘territorial markers’, used by drivers to show that their cars – and the road they are travelling on – is their territory. The research found that as a result, these drivers are quicker to get angry or aggressive behind the wheel and become annoyed with other road users.

So, for Swift Relief on the roads, try catching someone’s eye to beat the jams, open the window to cool down your road range down in more ways than one, and shun car stickers if you want to avoid sticky situations with territorial drivers.

Going green

Nearly seven out of ten drivers say the cost of motoring has increased in the last 12 months, according to research by swiftcover.com, a situation reflected by the AA’s Running Cost tables, which suggests that the average cost of running a car has soared in 2009. According to the AA the annual cost of running a car now ranges from £1,965 for a small city car, up to a whopping £10,316 for a top of the range diesel. It’s no wonder that drivers are now trying to cut the costs of motoring more than ever, with 64% of motorist telling swiftcover.com that the increasing cost is primarily down to higher road and fuel taxes.

As petrol costs currently average 106.3p/litre according to the fuel comparison site petrolprices.com, many of us are all looking for ways to cut our fuel consumption and save some extra cash. One option is go green, as environmentally friendly cars are not only better for the world; they are more economical as well. But it’s not just fuel saving that can be had by going green.

The lower a car’s CO2 emissions, the less road tax you have to pay. Hybrids such as the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius emit less than 120g of CO2/km, meaning a cheap £15 annual road tax bill. It’s not just hybrid drivers who can save, as drivers of any car with emissions of less than 140g/km will only have to stump up £100 per year for road tax. So if you’re in the market for a new car, it’s worth looking at small diesels and vehicles with stop-start technology that actually switch off the engine when you are stopped – such as at traffic lights – and switch it on again seamlessly when you drive off.

Hybrid drivers are also exempt from the London congestion charge and in some London boroughs, such as Richmond, residents who drive eco-friendly cars can park for free, saving up to £110 a year.

On top of that, drivers of smaller, more efficient cars will usually get cheaper insurance. swiftcover.com, for example, offers hybrid drivers an additional 10% discount on their premium.

For drivers who aren’t planning on switching their cars any time soon there are other ways to save. Keeping your boot clutter free, ensuring your tyres are properly pumped up, avoiding racing starts from the traffic lights and changing gear at the right time can also help shave pounds off your fuel bill.

Innovation, perspiration and dedication

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.

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.

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.

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.