Celebrating the success of our people is very important in ensuring that we are recognising their achievements, particularly in the vital area of customer service. We have therefore recently presented our Customer Service Champion Awards, recognising the accomplishments of office-based and on-site colleagues that have delivered excellent customer service. These awards were selected based on nominations from staff, clients, and residents.
For our office based people, the staff-nominated winners were Julie Taylor (Recruitment Specialist) and Michael McGinnity (Ground Rent Collection Manager), with Hannah Elsey (Property Manager) and Tara Clark (Senior Property Manager) receiving the client-nominated awards. Senior Property Manager, Lewis Green, was a winner for the resident-nominated award.
Christopher Johnson (Day Concierge at Holland Green Place) and Ramona Negrea (Day Concierge at Stanmore Place) were chosen as our on-site award winners, having been nominated by their colleagues.
We would also like to congratulate Fatima Baba-Nota, Emma Watts, Nicola Thacker, Michelle Barker, Tanya Burden, and Chris Watson for being Highly Commended office-based colleagues.
We spoke to some of those celebrated in our Customer Service Champion Awards to understand more about the importance of customer service and to discover some of their top tips.
Why do you think delivering good customer service is important?
Lewis Green: Good customer service is important to develop positive customer relations and to build trust with our clients. Providing good customer service demonstrates a high level of professionalism for both the company and staff member and can lead to organic growth for R&R by way of customer promotion with other potential clients.
Fatima Baba-Nota: Good customer service is important because when you prioritise a customer, they will stay with, and support, the business. It is important to serve, retain and build a lasting relationship with any customer and provide value to them. Incorporating good customer service within the culture of a business directly reflects on the reputation of that company.
Emma Watts: I think we all know how you feel when someone surprises you with a good customer service experience. It’s a lovely thing and you can get on with your day feeling that bit better. A bad experience though is something you don’t forget. It can stay with you and taint all future interactions with that person or company.
What does good customer service look like to you?
Ramona Negrea: Providing good customer service is essential for ensuring that residents feel valued and supported. It can help to build trust and creates a further sense of community, which can have a positive impact on the lives of everyone involved.
Nicola Thacker: Customer service to me is about building strong relationships and showing people that we care. In my role we can’t always give the best news but at least my customers know that I am trying my best and we have their best interests at heart. It is so important to keep everyone updated and even a quick response just to say I have seen your e-mail and I will come back to you shortly makes a huge difference.
Christopher Johnson: I feel good service is particularly important in our role as it is a vital tool in helping us build relationships and trust with our residents. We need them to feel confident that they can rely on us. One way to achieve this is by always being happy to assist and consistently delivering a high level of customer service which is always professional, but also tailored to their individual needs and preferences.
What is your top tip for delivering customer service?
Nicola Thacker: My top tip is to always respond in a timely manner, even if you don’t have the answers, it is far better to respond to say that you will find out rather than ignoring the e-mail and it escalating. If someone has taken the time to contact us, then it is important that we respond and acknowledge them.
Michael McGinnity: We can’t always resolve queries as quickly as we would like. In these cases, it is vital that we keep customers in the loop regarding timescales. Customers often do not mind the time it takes to resolve issues, provided they are given realistic time frames for updates and feel they are not being ignored.
Julie Taylor: Always have a listening ear and actually hear what is being said by the other person. Don’t judge! I always try to think that we don’t know what is actually going on in the other person’s life at that time. Be kind!
