Businesses from across Chester city centre packed into the Grosvenor Shopping Centre on Tuesday (20 October) as the winners of the CH1ChesterBID 2015 Annual Customer Service Awards were revealed.
Last held in 2012 as the ‘Chester Retail Awards’, the event was re-launched this year by CH1ChesterBID Company with six different categories celebrating customer service excellence on Chester’s high street.
Almost 100 businesses from within the CH1ChesterBID area agreed to a mystery shopper visit from independent customer service experts, who scored companies on aspects such as their in-store welcome, meeting customer needs and local knowledge.
Watergate Street’s Bar and grill restaurant Moules a go-go celebrated success on the night after securing a score of 100% to walk away with the gold award in the Dining category.
In the Fashion and Footwear award, the honours were shared between four retailers as The Hat Place, Hugo Boss, Gieves & Hawkes and Whistles all came away with 100% scores – top marks – from their mystery shopper visits.
Two stores shared the gold award in the Health & Beauty category as Bridge Street-based hair salon Francesco Group and beauty and cosmetics retailer L’Occitane secured 100% scores.
Sofa Workshop on Watergate Street was crowned the winner of the Home Furnishings award, whilst Pandora on Northgate Street took the top accolade in the Jewellery category.
The final award of the night was presented to O2, who took the top gong in the Leisure, Hobby & Speciality category.
Independent mystery shopping experts Store Checkers conducted the in-store evaluations and gave city businesses an average score of 83%, placing the Chester city retail experience among some of the best in the UK.
Rita Waters, Chief Executive of CH1ChesterBID, said: “Delivering fantastic customer service in our city centre shops will only enhance people’s experience of our city and keep them coming back for more, so we are proud to be celebrating the very best of it!
“There were some outstanding scores across all of the categories this year and it’s fantastic to hear the judges placing Chester in the same bracket as some of the UK’s very best city centres. Our local businesses should be tremendously proud of their achievements,
“We’re delighted to have re-launched these awards and we’re planning to make them a regular fixture in the city’s annual awards calendar, so we hope to be back with even more entries and categories in 2016.”
The full list of winners were:
Dining
Winner: Moules a go go
Runner Up: Spud U Like
Fashion & Footwear
Winners: The Hat Place, Hugo Boss, Gieves & Hawkes, Whistles
Runner up: Phase Eight
Health & Beauty
Winners: Francesco Group, L’Occitane
Runner up: Saks Hair & Beauty Salon
Home Furnishings
Winner: Sofa Workshop
Runner up: Langhorns
Jewellery
Winner: Pandora
Runner up: Palenque
Leisure, Hobby & Speciality
Winner: O2
Runners up: Chester Model Centre, Paperchase
