At the recent Graham Plumbers’ Merchant annual conference, a number of staff and suppliers were recognised for their exceptional work in helping to provide the best possible service for customers.
Among the eight staff awards was the all-important Customer Hero category. Customers nominate a member of Graham’s branch staff who has gone that extra mile to provide excellent customer service. This year’s winner was Dave Parkes, the Branch Manager from Coventry.
“I was genuinely shocked, I really didn’t expect to win,” said Dave. “It’s great to know that our work is appreciated and although this is an individual award I put this down to the hard work of the whole branch team. Winning the Customer Hero Award has made a good year even better.”
In addition to the staff awards, suppliers were also recognised for exceptional work in four key areas.
ThermaQ received the award for Unbeatable Availability, with bespoke manufacturing, an automated factory and the establishment of a reliable delivery network key to short lead times and its tailored service.
“It is wonderful to have won and this is a testament to our strong working relationship with Graham,” said Cameron Holroyd, Managing Director of ThemaQ. “Our partnership is focused on communication, which enables us to be efficient and pre-emptive of any issues.”
Ideal Standard was the recipient of the Knowledge Award. “We have worked exceptionally hard with Graham to ensure that our expertise as a manufacturer is accessible to customers,” commented Neil Bills, Trade Channel Director at Ideal Standard.
Danfoss was awarded in the Rapid Speed of Response category. The manufacturer has streamlined its contract enquiries process to improve response times to estimators and contract sales managers. Darren Swainston, Southern Regional Sales Manager, said: “It’s great to receive recognition for the focus we have applied in responding to customers’ needs over the last 12 months.”
In the final category, Supplier of the Year, Stelrad was acknowledged for its work to expand its product portfolio and for its continued strong relationship with Graham. This included an extensive tour of the merchant’s branches to promote the new Vita range to customers.
David Bainbridge, Northern Sales Director at Stelrad, concluded: “We work closely with Graham in every part of the business and have even become Strategic European Partners. Our businesses share common goals and at Stelrad we are constantly developing to maintain high standards.”
