Nick Dee Shapland of ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services Reading and Newbury is celebrating after being announced the winner of the Customer Service category in the HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards, organised by the British Franchise Association (bfa).
The award ceremony was held during a black- tie gala dinner at the ICC in Birmingham on October 3rd. Nick’s business was awarded for their excellence in customer service, for going above and beyond expectations; not only driving new customer bases and retaining valued clients, but also having a direct positive impact on the franchise.
Nick says proudly, "It's tremendous to be acknowledged for excellence in customer service by the franchise industry and as a professional business. Winning this award really is kudos to the excellent team we have here and their tireless work to ensure that client satisfaction is paramount to all activity.”
Nick purchased his franchise in 1991, and since then, he and wife Eve have built their business into a multi-million pound business, going from a first year turnover of £26k, to reaching £4 million in 2013. They currently employ over 450 staff across a number of franchise licences, where they hold over 250 contracts with operations such as housing associations, financial institutions, medical practices, primary schools and car retailers.
Winning the Customer Service Award in the HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards is a fantastic achievement and follows their success in their own franchise network where they have twice won ServiceMaster’s most prestigious prize, the ‘Marion E Wade Award’.
Organised by the British Franchise Association, the Franchisee of the Year Awards awards celebrate excellence within the franchising community, highlighting the dedication, enterprise and professionalism of franchisees from a wide variety of business sizes and sectors.
Franchise businesses contribute £13.4 billion to the UK economy and offer a more secure route into self-employment for many people like Nick Dee Shapland. Running your own ServiceMaster Clean Contract Services franchise with central support, direct business knowledge and experience on hand gives the boost many need to start their own success story and express themselves.