Businesses that put their customers first will be recognised in the Customer Excellence Award category at the EDP Business Awards. Category judge Jonathan Denby, head of corporate affairs at Greater Anglia, explains why he feels great customer service should be recognised.
Why were you keen to get involved in the EDP Business Awards?
Excellent customer service is integral to the success of any business.
Greater Anglia is no exception, which is why we have prioritised raising customer service standards throughout the 11 years we have operated rail services in East Anglia and in the plans, commitments and upgrades we have delivered – including the new trains we have brought into service.
We are therefore proud to be sponsoring the Customer Excellence Award, which celebrates the best of customer service across Norfolk businesses, as well as highlighting best practice.
What do you bring to the judging process?
I have been involved in many aspects of the customer service improvements we have made at Greater Anglia and numerous projects delivered by predecessor operators in the region.
I have also been a judge of these awards for the many years that we have sponsored the Customer Excellence category.
Have you ever been judged for an award yourself?
I have been judged for awards for many submissions I have made, both specifically for customer service awards and wider rail sector award
schemes.
Will you use that experience when judging this award?
Yes – very much so. That experience is valuable in being a judge yourself.
Do you have any anecdotes of moments that changed your business strategy?
No one anecdote, but feedback and comments from customers and stakeholders often provide inspiration or incentives to deliver the next upgrade or improvement.
What advice would you give to a business that’s considering entering?
Submissions should illustrate how employees across the organisation are consistently doing their best for customers and seeking to continuously improve their performance.
From product development to service delivery to the handling of service problems, every aspect of the customer experience drives customer loyalty and better commercial performance, so entries should outline the business’ overall customer service strategy.
The deadline for entries to the EDP Business Awards 2023 is July 16. To enter the Customer Excellence Award category, please visit the website.
To find out more about all the categories, please click here.
Award criteria
Judges will be looking for a business that shows a clear focus and understanding of its customers’ needs.
Evidence should be provided of customer-driven initiatives designed to raise service standards and increase customer satisfaction.
The winner of this award will be a business that is able to show how it exemplifies outstanding customer service, consistently delivered at the highest level by a customer-focused individual or team.
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