A celebration of the best in customer service took place at Love Oxted’s first ever Here to Help Awards.
Finalists from the town’s shops and businesses came together to hear the announcement of winners as voted for by the public. In an Oscar-style ceremony, special guest and speaker Jacqueline Gold CBE, chief executive of Gold Group International, opened golden envelopes to reveal the 10 winning businesses across various categories from independent retailer to health and wellbeing.
But there was only one winner of the ultimate accolade, the Above & Beyond Award, for the person who has gone the extra mile to serve customers – and that went to Matt Hayes of Idol Hands music and design school which won the award in the Specialised Services category. Matt is also the inspiration and driving force behind Clockwork, the new local charity being formed to help young people with mental health issues.
“I’m humbled to be the winner of both awards, but really it’s the team of people that I have working at Idol Hands and likewise at Clockwork,” Matt said. “It’s nice that it fell to me, but it’s a reflection on everyone that makes it happen.”
All of the finalists for the Here to Help awards had been voted for by the Oxted community and beyond. As well as voting for the business, service, or shop they thought gave the best customer service, the public was also asked to submit testimonials about the individual they felt had gone beyond the call of duty. Heart-warming stories came flooding in, but it was Matt’s dedication to helping young people with mental health problems, following the suicides of two local young people, that triggered the most supportive comments and caught the eye of the panel of independent judges.
One of the testimonials said, “Matt defines above and beyond. He has always gone out of his way to help his students and friends – our community is better off because of this man.”
Local inspiration
Voting took place in the summer, then an independent panel of judges met to consider the votes and the testimonials, and choose the winners.
“The quality of feedback was just fantastic, and made the process of finding winners from such a strong field really difficult,” said Here to Help judge, Paul Thompson, director of retail, British Red Cross. “From the short-list of finalists to those ultimately winning an award in each category, those nominated are truly inspiring people or businesses. Oxted is absolutely the richer for them being here, local and on the doorstep.”
The judging panel also included Rosemary French OBE, executive director of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative; Rev Andrew Rumsey, vicar of St Mary’s Church, Oxted; and Teddy Stevenson and Bethany Phillips, the head boy and head girl at Oxted School.
At the awards evening, the judges had a final, albeit pleasurable, task of handing out certificates to winners. After the winners were announced, all the guests enjoyed a Nepalese banquet prepared by the town’s Gurkha Kitchen Restaurant.
“Our first Here to Help awards have been an amazing journey from the moment votes were cast by the public to tonight’s celebration of the best in customer care,” said chairman of Love Oxted, Mark Symons. “The Oxted community and beyond has embraced the awards with enthusiasm and this demonstrates how much they appreciate the outstanding customer service that our town’s businesses offer.”
The winners of each of the 10 categories and the highly commended are:
Hair & Beauty
WINNER: Elements Hair & Beauty Salon
Highly Commended: Th1 Hair
Highly Commended: Trimmers
Health & Wellbeing Category
WINNER: Oxted Health Centre
Highly Commended: Priory House Dental Practice
Highly Commended: Thakar Optometrists
Fashion & Jewellery Category
WINNER: Paul James Jewellers
Highly Commended: Gas Station
Highly Commended: Mint
Independent Retailer Category
WINNER: Oxted Electrical
Highly Commended: La Maison Boutique
Highly Commended: Station Shoe Repairs
Multiples (25+ outlets) Category
WINNER: Waitrose
Highly Commended: Costa Coffee
Highly Commended: Yorkshire Building Society
Specialist Services Category
WINNER: Idol Hands
Highly Commended: Alex Jones Funeral Directors
Highly Commended: Sew Perfect
Food & Drink Category
WINNER: Toast
Highly Commended: Cafe Papillon
Highly Commended: Hop Stop
Leisure Category
WINNER: Everyman Oxted
Highly Commended: Oxted Library
Highly Commended: Tandridge Leisure Centre
Charity Category
WINNER: St Catherine’s Hospice
Highly Commended: Cancer Research UK
Highly Commended: Barnardo’s
Business to Business Category
WINNER: Oxted Trimming Company
Highly Commended: Towergate
Highly Commended: Hurtwood Press
Above and Beyond Award
WINNER: Matt Hayes, Idol Hands
