The Customer Excellence Award at the Suffolk business Awards 2022 will recognise a business that is committed to providing an outstanding customer experience. Category judge Jonathan Denby, head of corporate affairs at Greater Anglia, tells us what he will be looking for in the winner.

Why were you keen to get involved in the Suffolk 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 10 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 Suffolk 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 delivered numerous passenger-focused projects for predecessor train operators in the region.

I have also been a judge of these awards for many years, and often been on the other side of the process as an applicant to rail industry and other customer service award schemes.

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 does success look like to you?

Success for Greater Anglia is consistently meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, and constantly raising customer service standards.

It’s also about encouraging more people to take the train, and supporting the sustainable growth of the region we serve to the benefit of customers, communities, employees and wider stakeholders alike.

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.

Award criteria

Judges will be looking for a business which 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 demonstrate how it exemplifies outstanding customer service, consistently delivered at the highest level, by a customer-focused individual or team.

To enter the Customer Excellence Award category at the Suffolk Business Awards 2022, visit the website at www.suffolkbusinessawards.co.uk