Communications day sets out Solaglas Windowcare’s vision

A communications day event was staged for the business’s office-based teams based at Hellaby, near Rotherham and gave more than 300 people the opportunity to find out more about the business strategy and ask directors searching questions in an open forum format.Solaglas managing director Alistair Higgins opened the event which was held at nearby historic Hellaby Hall.

The first part of the day featured presentations from directors: Ian Davy, managing director, Tim Barnes, finance director, Patrick Kent, human resources director, Darren Dickinson, call management director and Alan Martin, sales director. Each presentation focussed on the theme: ‘Going from Good to Great’.

In the second, attendees went into individual sessions with department heads who delved into more detail about what they should aim to achieve over the next year, and what they needed to do to be seen as ‘great’. Ian Davy commented: “We have been through a demanding but rewarding past 12 months, with a host of changes and extra challenges for our people. The communications day was a great opportunity to recognise our achievements to date and, for everyone, set out the set out the strategy for success as we enter new markets and develop innovative practices and processes. The theme of good to great underlines our overall strategy. We have great ambitions for this business, but it can only be achieved if we welcome change, drive for the highest quality of service and become the most efficient operator in the market.”

Alistair Higgins added: "Solaglas Windowcare is very clear about its priorities, and I felt these were well communicated on the day. I was also impressed by the straightforwardness and honesty of some of the questions - displaying the very qualities of engagement and professionalism I tried to promote in my talk. It was an exceptionally well-organised day, reinforcing the view I already have of a motivated business determined to reach its objectives. I enjoyed the sessions, and left feeling optimistic about the future for the business."

On the run up to the event the organisers asked engineers to put forward an example of how they went beyond the call of duty over Christmas. The winner was awarded with a night in a luxury hotel.

When the prize was awarded the winning engineers asked for the prize to be raffled off to office and field staff, with the money raised donated to the hospice that a fellow engineer had stayed in before he passed away.

The winning case study is below:

GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR A CUSTOMER IN DISTRESS

“A call came in from a lady whose door had been damaged. The flat door had been boarded up so she was unable to access her flat. The customer was quite distraught and needed someone to fix the door as her son would be returning from hospital the next day.

Engineers Richard Willetts and Jamie Miles were on their way to Liverpool on a normal Friday morning for their days’ work when the call came in for them to make a detour and go to the lady’s home in Barnsley. On arrival, the pair assessed the work and found that a double-glazed unit had been broken and the door was boarded up, leaving no access in or out of the flat.

As it was vital for the lady to get into her home, the engineers took the boarding down and made the entrance safe. They then ordered the parts for the door and window to be made and ready by the end of that day. After a full day spent on other jobs in Liverpool, the engineers then drove back to the main office in Hellaby late on Friday evening to collect the parts before travelled to Barnsley to complete the work. The woman was so overwhelmed with the speed of the service and the help given to her at a stressful time.”

Ian Davy said that for him, this comment summed up what Solaglas Windowcare is all about. “We are an open and honest business with a team of people who will ask questions and genuinely care about the running and success of the business they are part of.”