A range of Burnley’s businesses have been celebrated and their efforts recognised following the inaugural Burnley Business Improvement District (BID) Customer Service Awards.
Organised by Burnley BID with support from Charter Walk and Burnley Council, the awards culminated with an official ceremony held at the Mechanics Theatre on Tuesday 4th July.
The idea behind the awards was to shine a spotlight on the great customer service that the town’s retailers, independent businesses and hospitality venues demonstrate on a daily basis.
Mystery visits
Throughout May, mystery shop visits took place across 65 different shops, bars, restaurants and service providers. The visits were conducted by industry leaders Storecheckers.
These visits were carried out by fully trained members of the Storecheckers research team. They analysed a range of metrics including customer service and visitor experience.
The information gathered during the mystery shop visits formed the basis for the awards. A judging panel featured Cllr Mark Townsend, Carole Garrett, Kate Ingram and an additional public vote.
Shortlisting
A shortlist for each award was then drawn up. One category – Burnley Town Centre Ambassador of the Year – featured a comprehensive list of 13 businesses.
Other categories included Independent Retailer of the Year, National Retailer of the Year, Food Retailer of the Year and Service Provider of the Year. There was also an award for Employee of the Year which was scored 100% via a public vote.
Attendees at the awards ceremony were treated to an evening of entertainment, fun and games. There was also a Christmas theme as retailers and those in the hospitality industry often work over the festive period.
The winners, and those who were highly commended, were announced throughout the night and invited to come up on stage to receive their trophies.
For a full run down of the award winners, and a gallery of images from local photographer Andy Ford, please head over to the Discover Burnley website: https://bit.ly/44Wrn2L.
Jane Hough, Deputy Director for Business Improvement Districts and Business Services, attended the awards ceremony. She has spoken about her admiration for Burnley’s businesses.
“Burnley is a fantastic town with a business community that puts the collective before the individual, in the process creating this incredible environment of togetherness.
“As part of this, the customer service they demonstrate is second to none. This is why we felt it was imperative to create a vessel for acknowledging and celebrating their achievements.”
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