Jonathan Denby, head of corporate affairs at Greater Anglia and co-judge of the Customer Excellence Award at the Norfolk Business Awards, tells us why customer experience should be at the forefront of every business.
Why were you keen to get involved in the Norfolk 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 nine years we have operated rail services in East Anglia and in our plans, commitments and upgrades throughout our franchise – including the new trains we have brought into service.
We are therefore proud to sponsor the Customer Excellence Award, which celebrates the best of customer service across Norfolk businesses, as well as highlighting best practice.
Can you tell us a bit about your business journey?
Greater Anglia has operated train services in East Anglia since 2012. Over that time, we have consistently improved service standards, culminating in the transformative project to introduce a complete new train fleet – a historic upgrade which is already delivering much-improved journeys across Norfolk and the wider region.
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 many projects delivered by predecessor train 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 and I’ve also often been on the other side of the process as an applicant to rail industry and other customer service awards.
That experience is valuable in being a judge yourself, and in previous years I have found the judging process to be very positive and always fascinating.
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.
CUSTOMER EXCELLENCE AWARD CRITERIA
Judges will be looking for a business which shows a clear focus and understanding of their customers’ needs. Evidence should be provided of customer-driven initiatives designed to raise service standards and increased customer satisfaction.
The winner of this award will be a business that is able to demonstrate how they exemplify outstanding customer service, consistently delivered at the highest level, by a customer-focused individual or team.
The closing date for entries is August 22. To enter, visit www.norfolkbusinessawards.co.uk
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