Ely station team scoops award for National Customer Service Week

Published on: Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016

Rail passengers in East Anglia have nominated the station teams and individuals who they feel deliver the best customer service, with Ely rail station in Cambridgeshire scooping three awards.

Greater Anglia employees there won the Overall Station Team Award and Graham Cooper and Amanda Skirkett each received individual awards for the excellent customer service they offer at the Ticket Office.

Greater Anglia managers will present the winners with a coveted National Customer Service Week Award at 12.30pm on Friday 25th October at Ely station.

During National Customer Service Week from 7th-13th October, Greater Anglia asked regular travellers to nominate the station teams or individuals across the network who go the extra mile to make passengers’ journeys pleasant and stress-free or who have gone the extra mile to offer assistance or make a difference.

They received 83 nominations, a four-fold increase on the previous year, with the team at Ely receiving the most nominations.

The awards were judged by the Greater Anglia Leadership Team who assessed each nominee for, amongst other criteria, the effort they make to exceed customer expectations and the level to which they know the value of excellent service to the business.

Other winners included Anish Thomas of Cambridge Station, Jennie Alford of Bishop’s Stortford Ticket Office, Dave Hardik of Liverpool Street Ticket Office, and Stephen Capps, Conductor. The Twitter Team won the Social Media and Customer Relations Award, the West Customer Service Team won the Regional Award and employees involved in operating the Marks Tey train service won the Joint Operations Team Award.

Ruud Haket, Greater Anglia’s Managing Director, said, “I would like to offer my congratulations and gratitude to all those individuals who helped achieving these awards. Receiving these awards has only been achievable because of engaged employees who do their upmost to exceed our customers’ expectations every day.”

On hearing the news of Ely’s success, The Rt.Hon. Sir James Paice, MP for South East Cambridgeshire, commented, “Any award given by customers has special meaning so I congratulate all the team on receiving this important award. It shows that the people they serve appreciate their efforts. So on behalf of users of the station, including myself, - thank you.”

Delivering excellent customer service is a priority for Greater Anglia and since the franchise began the train operator has invested in a training programme that has seen all front line staff taking part in a two day Customer Service course.

Mystery shopping surveys have demonstrated that the training is having a positive effect with many staff achieving perfect scores of 100% when they are secretly assessed by mystery shoppers.