Entries have opened for this year’s Media Isle of Man Awards for Excellence.

As ever, there are 16 award categories covering businesses of all sizes, charity and community organisations, individuals and public sector teams.

Every year, one of the most coveted awards is the Award for Excellence in Customer Service.

Understanding customers’ needs and continually striving to exceed their expectations is at the heart of every successful business.

This year the award category is being sponsored by Awards for Excellence partner, Jacksons.

This is the third year that the multi-franchise car dealership has partnered with the Awards and Paul Kell, the group managing director of Jacksons, spoke of the significance of this category to the Jacksons Group.

He said: ‘Our business is intricately woven around the core necessity of providing world-class service to our customers. Representing over 24 different vehicle manufacturers, each with their own bespoke systems, processes, and requirements, presents a formidable challenge. Yet, we are resolute in our pursuit of perfection, understanding that fostering excellence in customer service is the cornerstone of our success.’

The best customer service is a continuous learning and improvement curve and Paul acknowledges that things don’t always go right.

He said: ‘In our quest to deliver outstanding customer service, we have not shied away from acknowledging our mistakes.

‘Every problem is an opportunity to understand what has gone wrong and improve – and there is always room for improvement.

#One of our most significant challenges has been nurturing our staff with the comprehensive training and support they need to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

‘Our dedication to refining these skills is unwavering, as we are aware that both individual and business growth comes from learning, adaptation and continuous improvement.’[

The success achieved by the Jacksons teams on the Isle of Man serves as testament to their commitment.

In 2022, and so far in the first half of 2023, Jacksons and Motor Mall teams emerged as frontrunners within the Jacksons Group, boasting an astonishing 98% customer satisfaction rate with perfect 10 out of 10 scores.

The unique trailblazing multi-franchise business model was pioneered by Jacksons in the Channel Islands where the business has been trading since just after the 2nd World War. Now the group operates from four island homes in Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Wight and Isle of Man.

Jacksons is the only authorised dealer for sales and servicing on the Isle of Man for BMW, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Audi, Porsche, Aston Martin, Bentley, Toyota, Lexus, Volvo, Mini, Smart, Hyundai, Skoda, Fiat, Renault, Peugeot, Dacia, Jeep, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Seat and Honda and BMW Motorcycles.

Celebrating success is a central part of the Jacksons philosophy, as Paul Kell explained: ‘This is the third year we have partnered with the Awards for Excellence. Whilst continuous improvement is at the heart of everything we do, it is also important to remember to celebrate the successes you achieve too, and that is why we believe these annual awards are so important to our community. They offer the chance to showcase and celebrate the outstanding individual and business success and innovation on the Isle of Man.’

Is your business’s customer service outstanding?

If so then why not use this unique opportunity to tell everyone about it by entering the Media Isle of Man Awards for Excellence. It’s not just the winners who benefit: all of the 48 finalists will have their businesses showcased in front of the large audience of business leaders and members of the public on Awards Night. It’s a unique opportunity to raise your company’s profile.

The judges will be looking for businesses which can demonstrate:

*The clear core values that underpin their customer service policy

*The training and development provided to their team

*The technology and innovation that supports their service

*Positive feedback from customers

For more information on the 16 award categories, and to enter online, visit afe.im.

There are still opportunities available to become a Media Isle of Man Awards for Excellence Partner. To download a Partner pack, visit afe.im

Media Isle of Man publishes the Isle of Man Examiner, Isle of Man Courier, Manx Independent, iomtoday.co.im and gef.im