FLTA invites entries from fork lift truck firms for prestigious customer service title

This is the question being asked by the Fork Lift Truck Association, as it invites dealers to enter the competition for its Customer Focus Award.

"We’re looking for fork truck dealers who have done much more than direct customers to a product. We are looking for those who have worked in close partnership with their customers to provide a particularly innovative or appropriate solution,” explains FLTA Chief Executive Peter Harvey.

"This Award recognises work that demonstrates excellent commitment to service – putting the customer at the heart of the dealer’s business and embodying the FLTA’s core principles of productivity, integrity and safety.”

Dealers are strongly encouraged to nominate themselves, although nominations can also be made by customers. The Award, sponsored by Combilift, is open to all dealers in the UK and Ireland, whether or not they are FLTA members.

Entering is free and could hardly be easier, with an online form that takes just minutes to complete. It can be found via the Awards section of the FLTA website at www.fork-truck.org.uk/awards. The entry should include a summary in fewer than 100 words.

To give an idea of the kind of activity that impresses Awards voters, the most recent winner, Gray Forklift Services, helped to develop pioneering technology for safer handling of long pipes by customers in the oil and gas sector, while the 2013 recipient, Douglas Gillespie Plant, worked with a manufacturer in developing a telescopic straddle carrier that would handle long loads while avoiding ground pressure problems.

The solutions entered must have been finalised during 2014. After vetting and shortlisting by the FLTA Chief Executive, the winner will be decided in an open vote by those attending the FLTA Awards for Excellence 2015 event. In the case of very large numbers of entries being received, regional finals will precede the final vote.

The deadline for entries is 30th September 2014.

Through the Customer Service Award category, fork lift truck dealers are given a chance to get their hands on that most iconic symbol of excellence – the Archie statuette. The Archies, regarded as the materials handling industry’s highest accolades, will be presented at Awards 2015, at The International Centre in Telford on Saturday 28th February.