Despatches Despatches
January - February 2015
You’re welcome? I heard a great talk by Jonathan Winchester the other day talking about the client experience within your business. You see, it starts from the first step out of the car, the first phone call, the first interaction. Whether its people visiting your office being ignored instead of welcomed, or the phone ringing more than 3 times, the signs outside of your office, the mugs you serve coffee in and even the state of your loos. Because every little bit sets up your client journey throughout your business. Happily our loos are clean, our premises friendly and I know the guys who are on the phone answer it quickly and in a personable manner (always greeting with Good Morning/ Afternoon and introducing themselves). However our entrance on, our depot at Unit 9 was about as welcoming as Gulag 75. There was warning signs about parking, not entering the warehouse, avoiding forklifts and CCTV – its was all WARNING, ALERT, STOP – not exactly setting up an positive initial client interaction. And it was busy. With negative connotations regardless of the intent – which was our clients safety. Some of those signs are legal requirements but we could move them from the front door to by the warehouse. We cleansed the front door so it stopped being a collage of negativity and replaced it all with a ‘Hello, and welcome’ sign and rephrased all the official notices for them to be, well, more Diamond like. And Diamond = FRIENDLY. None
of the alterations cost a lot – just a little thought and it’s certainly kicked off a more inclusive perspective on how every little thing counts when we are setting up our client experience. No more obscene mugs in our kitchen, no more NO/STOP/WARNINGS unless totally necessary and a return to WELCOME as being our major focus. We even printed on the rear of our Welcome sign a little ‘Have a Nice day’ it’s important people leave our premises with the Diamond positivity fresh in their minds. I therefore encourage you as part of your New Year’s resolution to look at the start of your client experience with your company and audit it accordingly. Is your reception welcoming or off putting? Does your whole office sing of all your core values or does it set up a vibe contrary to how you really want to be seen? And think KISS – keep it super simple – clarity of welcome, with little detracting from your core values is a must. It’s the little things like this that we all have to think about in making sure our client experience is 100% congruent with our company core values – and it all starts with ‘Welcome’. Jonathan’s details can be found at: www.shopperanonymous.co.uk
INSIDE: AGM & Awards • Franchise Focus
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The 2014 Diamond Logistics AGM and Awards On the 29th November Diamond Logistics celebrated its 2nd annual AGM at Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire. There was a real buzz from the event from suppliers and our network of 22 franchisees.
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Our Mission Statement
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Kate c hats t o Mark and Sh Rose ane an of d Nigel about of Bes Boosh 365, spons ley and oring n ext ye Copp ar!
Martin Norbury – non–executive Director and Scale Coach – shows the team how to scale their growing businesses.
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Awards Role of Honour
In celebration of a great 2014
Kate’s
Environmental Award – Guildford Community Award – Birmingham Best New Franchise – Dean Russell, Slough Top Growth Award – Asad Ullah, Bolton Top Growth Existing Franchise – Russell Skinner, Chichester Team Award – Steve Nash, Sheffield Franchise Nominated Diamond Star of the Year – Daniel Allin, Guildford HQ Employee of the Year – Jason Kirkup, Guildford Team Contribution – Sandra Robinson, Guildford Franchise of the Year – Julian Westwood, Birmingham
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Provide great career opportunities to our team and subcontractors.
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Contribute positively to society on local, regional and global levels.
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Team Award – Steve Nash, Sheffield
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Work in mutual benefit, delivering time-critical delivery solutions to our clients.
Top Growth Existing Franchise – Russell Skinner, Chichester
Be a really good company to trust, work for and to belong to.
Franchis e Year – D Nominated Dia mond S aniel All tar of th in, Guild e ford
Here’s the award winning crew – and our lovely sponsors
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HQ Emp loy Jason K ee of the Year irkup, G – uildford
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Team Contribution – Sandra Robinson, Guildford
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Franchise Focus: Asad Ullah Fresh from his recent success in scooping the Top Growth Award at this year’s Diamond AGM – it was fitting that the marketing department caught up with Asad Ullah from our Bolton Depot to see how he has achieved stellar successes over the past 9 months. Q: What made you want to operate in the logistics sector? After finishing my degree in Biomedical Science back in 2008, I needed something to keep going as I could not see myself working in the biomedical industry. Initially I became a courier just to keep me going while I found something a little more permanent. I thought I would move out of the logistics sector fairly quickly but I enjoyed the industry. I enjoyed the fast paced environment. I worked with companies of all sizes, from start-ups to blue chip organisations carrying food and beverage, consumer goods, industrial goods, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Q: Why did you choose Diamond? After making the decision to stay in the logistics sector, I began to look for the next step. I researched many opportunities in the Logistics Industry but nothing quite excited me that is until I came across Diamond Logistics at the Franchise exhibition at the NEC and it instantly grabbed my attention. I loved the concept and I could really see it going places. The company as a whole was growing and I wanted to join at its initial stages. Finally when I met Dan from HQ I made my decision to join team Diamond. The people at HQ had a clear vision of where the company was going and that’s what finally convinced me.
Q: What learnings have you achieved having being part of the network? Although I did have logistics experience behind me I did not have a full understanding of how the sector worked. Staff at HQ and other franchisees have helped me gain knowledge within the business sector. Also this was a step up for me, I had only a few years of business experience but Diamond Logistics has helped me enhance my business skills and knowledge. Q: How has Diamond Logistics Bolton achieved stellar growth in the network? What I have learnt in a short period of time is that nothing can happen without team work. I have been helped enormously by my business development manager Nigel Hobson who has helped Diamond Logistics Bolton grow very quickly in a short period of time. My family is also what keeps me strong, without the help of my father, mother and brother I would not have been able to carry out Diamond Logistics operations effectively. My wife has been my rock as she helped me make the right decision in joining Diamond Logistics and has supported me the whole way through this process. Q: What are your goals for 2015? The way I look at it is that the only way is up. Diamond Logistics will only grow in the next year and that helps all of us franchisees. I believe next year will be a great one for Diamond Bolton and I am expecting us to at least double our turnover by June 2015. The next step is to take up a new territory. Why stop at one territory as I believe the sky’s the limit with Diamond logistics.
Community Update - Charity – Ebola Virus This month we will be contributing to the fight against the Ebola outbreak by donating to Medecins Sans Frontieres. In February our charity will be Save the Children particularly aimed at the Syrian Appeal.
Each month we donate up to £250 to charities which are nominated by our clients and franchisees. If you would like to nominate a charity close to your heart then please get in touch by emailing me at kate@diamondlogistics.co.uk we’d love to help if we can.
Keep in Touch Surrey
Unit 9, The Pines Business Park Broad Street, Guildford Surrey GU3 3BH T: 0845 591 7334 E: info@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Sussex
7b Durban Road South Bersted Industrial Estate Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO22 9QT T: 01243 885729 E: russell@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Southampton
Unit 30, Claylands Road Bishops Waltham, Hampshire SO32 1BH T: 02380 988919 E: nathan@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Norwich
The True Centre, 31 Caister Rd, Great Yarmouth, NR30 4DA, T: 01603 859401 E: kevin.baker@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Sheffield
Unit 10, Carbook Industrial Estate Dunlop Street, Sheffield S9 2HR T: 0114 299 4844 E: steve.nash@diamondlogistics.co.uk
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Central Scotland
Lichfield
Unit 9/10 Bigger Road Industrial Estate Cleland, Motherwell ML1 5PB T: 01698 442 336 E: cscotland@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Unit 33 Britannia Enterprise Park, Britannia Way, Lichfield, West Midlands WS14 9UY T: 01543 889601 E: lichfield@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Basildon
Coventry
1 Noble Square, Courtauld Road Basildon, Essex SS13 1LS T: 01268 857 854 E: basildon@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Birmingham
Unit 31, Evans Easy Space Middlemore Road, West Bromwich B21 0AL T: 0121 667 8283 E: birmingham@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Slough
914 Yeovil Road, Slough Trading Estate, Slough SL1 4JA T: 01753 257 299 E: Dean.russell@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Bolton
Unit 2, Moses Gate Workshops Manchester Road, Bolton BL3 2QG T: 01204 896 359 E: asad.ullah@diamondlogistics.co.uk
East London
Unit 27 Walthamstow Business Centre Clifford Road, London E17 4SX T: 0203 603 9458 E: eastlondon@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Unit 14 Stampings Blue Ribbon Industrial Estate Foleshill CV6 5RB T: 0247 6666 240 E: Coventry@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Derby
Unit 5C Sinfin Industrial Estate Sinfin Lane, Derby, Derbyshire DE24 9GL T: 01332 897 674 E: derby@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Northampton
Brixworth Coldstore, Old Harborough Road Northampton NN6 9BX T: 01604 806314 E: northampton@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Bournemouth
A30 Arena Business Park, Nimrod Way, Ferndown, Dorset, BH21 7SH T: 01202 069460 E: bournemouth@diamondlogistics
Coming soon:
Nottingham, Leicester, Exeter, Mid Wales And much, much more!