Award Nomination for Frankie

Private Dining - At your service

Customer-service stories often begin with a headache and end with a very happy customer. Every company makes the occasional mistake: it’s the way we mend our mistakes that matters.

Cotswold Conference Centre’s “can do” approach to customer service extends beyond the average job description. For Frankie Brennan, assistant catering manager, it has even meant leaping into action outside working hours.

This story begins one evening with the arrival of new corporate client EDF, the energy supplier, at the beautiful site on Farncombe Estate. EDF’s 13 delegates had not visited the centre previously and turned up expecting a private dining service. However, the kitchen team, which usually serves buffet-style meals in its dining room, had not been informed.

Exceptional

A phone call later – and without any persuasion - Frankie made the 45-minute drive back into work. The 21-year-old took it on herself to organise EDF’s private event, with waitress service, despite the lack of available staff and no warning.

Frankie’s hard work rescued the evening and Frankie received special thanks from Sharon Davies, EDF’s Head of Training. In feedback, she commended Frankie’s ‘‘exceptional customer service’’.

Cotswold Conference Centre is well aware of the importance of any customer service that goes beyond the call of duty. In this case, a new client who might have turned away for good became a potentially loyal customer who had learned – not too painfully - that it was in safe hands.

A bonus and a box of chocs

As a result of her efforts, Frankie was awarded over-time, a bonus and a box of chocolates by sales staff. It’s just one example from a year in which Frankie has been noticed for her customer focus – even designing an all-egg menu for a customer who would eat nothing else.

In this time, dining at Cotswold Conference Centre has gone from strength to strength. For instance, BMW recently gave ‘’high praise’’ for the dining service and Carphone Warehouse said it was “blown away” by the quality of service provided by the catering team.

The icing on the cake? Cotswold Conference Centre’s catering partner, Wilson Vale, asked Frankie to represent the company when The Duchess of Cornwall visited another of its sites. It was judged that Frankie Brennan, 21-year-old assistant catering manager, would be the perfect person to serve royalty.