The Suffolk Business Awards 2022 are now open for entries, and the Customer Excellence Award recognises businesses that demonstrate an effective customer service strategy and a team of committed employees continually delivering a great service, attributes which judge Jonathan Denby, head of corporate affairs at Greater Anglia, said can be found in some of the most successful businesses.

“Understanding customers’ needs is an essential element in attracting and retaining customers and meeting, or hopefully exceeding, their expectations,” said Mr Denby. “Only by achieving those aims can businesses be successful and profitable on a sustainable basis.”

He added that customer-driven initiatives are “integral to delivering higher standards”, and that they “demonstrate commitment to customers and help increase customer satisfaction.”

For those local businesses considering entering this category, Mr Denby said it’s an opportunity to demonstrate the effectiveness of your overall business strategy.

“These awards enable businesses to show how they are consistently doing their best for customers and seeking to continuously improve their performance,” he said. “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."

And for the winner of the award, it’s a chance to bolster your reputation and encourage new growth.

“Winning this award provides a high profile, independent endorsement of your customer service strategy and approach through a well-respected awards scheme,” said Mr Denby. “Such recognition can only reinforce and build your business’ reputation and potentially underpin even greater success in the future.”

To enter the Customer Excellence Award category, visit the Suffolk Business Awards website.

Meet the sponsor

Greater Anglia is proud to be sponsoring the Customer Excellence Award in this year’s Suffolk Business Awards.

The train operator is passionate about delivering excellent customer service and ensuring that the railways play their full part in helping our region to be both economically prosperous and a wonderful place to live.

It is therefore committed to consistently raising customer service standards, and has a fleet of brand-new trains operating on all its Suffolk routes, transforming the travelling environment, providing more comfortable journeys, increasing seating capacity and helping to deliver record-breaking performance, as part of a £1.4 billion investment programme.

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.