Satisfaction Guaranteed | 15 Jun 2005 |
It is a clear indication of Ryebrook Resins’ continued commitment to expansion that they have been accredited with the Investors in People Standard in what is their 20th year of successful trading. Located on the Kelvin Way industrial estate in Crawley, Ryebrook specialises in the development of their own-brand resin floor systems as well as managing a team of trained installers who operate on projects nationwide. “We currently employ 12 people and appreciate they all have contact, direct or indirect, with our customers,” explains Tony Hills, Managing Director. “By improving internal communications and structuring training, there is no doubt that staff will benefit, which ultimately means better customer service.”
Established in 1985, the name for the company originates from the Rye brook running along the bottom of Tony’s garden, which is where the office was based for the first two years. With support from his wife Hilary, the business quickly grew and in 1987 moved to their current premises where they achieved a respectable turnover of over £1.5m in 2004.
Research among 2,000 organisations accredited with the Investors in People Standard showed that 80% have increased their customer satisfaction. With this powerful statistic in mind, Tony decided to investigate the scheme further.
Developed in 1990 in collaboration with the UK’s leading business both large and small, the Investors in People Standard is a tried and tested, flexible framework that helps companies to succeed and compete through improved people performance. The guiding principles include commitment to developing employees potential, providing relevant training and appropriate evaluation to individuals concerned. Given that most companies only pay lip service to employee satisfaction, those that consider it a major business objective have the potential to significantly improve their competitive edge and productivity.
For Ryebrook, achieving the IIP standard required Tony’s attendance at a variety of workshops run by the Sussex Business Enterprise, over a one year period. In addition, advantage was taken of in-house training, the result of which is a comprehensive programme of staff appraisal, motivation, training and evaluation. Quality South-East made an independent assessment of the programme before awarding the Standard to Tony Hills and the Ryebrook team, at their offices in January 2005.
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