Credit where credit is due

First Independent Finance, a long standing client of Flannigan Consulting has won the Excellence in Customer Service award from the Chamber of Commerce in Ayrshire. First Independent Finance is at the heart of the British economy, providing access to asset finance for privately owned companies throughout the UK.  They deserve much praise and a lot of business for persisting in their belief in service and in their people. They are a beacon for these values in an industry that seems to have jettisoned any such notions.

Commenting on the award Allan Ross, FIF’s Managing Director said “This award is welcome and a great boost to our people when many businesses seem to be forgetting service in the pursuit of efficiency and reduced costs”.  To win the award the company had to demonstrate that it had clear customer service objectives, a strategy to pursue them, links to business performance, customer care management,staff development and that all of this had led to growth. These are a useful set of criteria and not a million miles away from Flannigan Consulting’s “Competing on Service” approach which FIF had begun using in 2007. A great deal of effort has gone into pursuing this approach and now is the time to push hard on selling and marketing their ability to genuinely demonstrate that good or great service doesn’t happen by accident.

On the night of the award Allan Ross said to me “this is as much your award as it is ours”.  Magnanimous words happily received………mind you drink had been taken!