The Locksmith Journal 96 May 2024 | Page 54

SECTOR INSIGHT

IRONMONGERYDIRECT PROUD OF ITS ACHIEVEMENT IN CUSTOMER SERVICE

» SPECIALIST SUPPLIER , IronmongeryDirect , has been awarded In-house Research ’ s Outstanding Achievement Award for Customer Satisfaction . The award is recognition of the company ’ s great work in providing consistently high customer service levels .
In-house Research is a specialist research and consultancy business focusing on the new build and construction industry . The award is given to companies that achieve a Net Promoter Score ( NPS ) of 70 or above , based on customer feedback of the previous year . With a total of 1,200 of IronmongeryDirect ’ s customers surveyed , the supplier achieved a score of 71.1 %. In fact , IronmongeryDirect has achieved an NPS score of above 70 for the last four years .
IronmongeryDirect is continually looking at ways in which to keep its customer services levels high . With this , in the last year , the company has introduced several initiatives . This includes training six employees with the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers ( GAI ). This training ensures that there are staff on hand to answer technical queries with confidence and give customers knowledgeable advice .
In addition , the supplier has introduced a Trade Quotes service where IronmongeryDirect creates the paperwork for larger jobs . In terms of delivery , customers now have three options – same day delivery to selected postcodes in London and the South East , next day delivery ( for orders placed before 9pm ) and 2-working day delivery for £ 3.95 + VAT
( or free for orders over £ 50 + VAT ). Click & Collect is also available from 6,500 pick up points .
Keri Bryce , Head of Sales & Marketing commented , “ Our business goal is to always provide the best service to our customers at every stage of their purchase . It ’ s great to see so many of our customers happy with the service that we offer . This has also been shown through the excellent Trustpilot reviews we receive . We are incredibly proud to have been awarded this recognition and look forward to continually striving to offer the best customer service in the industry .”
IronmongeryDirect . co . uk

DHF SUBSIDISES ABBE ACCREDITATION FEES

» TAMWORTH-BASED trade association , the Door & Hardware Federation ( DHF ), has announced that from 1st April 2024 , it will be subsidising ABBE Accreditation fees for all courses , with Level 2 Awards costing £ 40 instead of £ 50 , and Level 4 Awards costing £ 50 , reduced from £ 60 .
As the Building Safety Act comes into effect , and the demand for a skilled workforce increases , individuals will be required to prove that they are competent to do their job on-site . DHF is urging learners to upgrade to accreditation in order to gain a formal qualification recognised by the construction industry .
Patricia Sowsbery-Stevens , Commercial Director , says , “ More and more of the
industry is being asked to prove competence . Although a recognised qualification doesn ’ t do this on its own , it does fulfil the ‘ knowledge ’ aspect of the SKEB ( Skills , Knowledge , Experience , Behaviours ) model . The course complements , but doesn ’ t replace , the NVQ Door & Gate Systems Engineer Level 2 , and for the public , promotes the company who employs a trained workforce . It is invaluable for those who tender for jobs in the pre-qualifying questionnaire process .”
DHF continues to offer the only accredited theorybased courses in the industry . It remains an Approved Assessment Centre of ABBE , regulated by Ofqual , the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation , which regulates qualifications , examinations and assessments in England .
“ With the introduction of competency frameworks within the industry , it will become the ‘ norm ’ for contractors to ask for formal qualifications and will become
part of the question set within PQQ ’ s . Having formally qualified members of staff , an installation firm with properly accredited staff will have an ‘ edge ’ over competitors without accredited staff when promoting its business to clients . So DHF is encouraging more learners to opt for a formal accreditation and that ’ s why we ’ re supporting the industry by subsidising the fees . DHF believes this will go some way to help provide evidence toward competence in individuals ,” she concludes .
To add accreditation , tick the ‘ Accreditation ’ box when booking and paying online .
Book a course today : https :// bit . ly / FTFTraining www . dhfonline . org . uk
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