Incredible service praised at awards

The Leopold Court Homelessness Team receive ‘Best Overall Team’ at the Rochdale Borough Council Customer Service Awards.

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240 Rochdale Council staff who have ‘delivered exceptional service’ were honoured at a special awards presentation this week. The BAFTA style event, part of National Customer Services week, was designed to recognise employees who consistently go beyond the call of duty to really make a difference.

Staff that had been nominated for a service excellence award were presented with certificates, and prizes were given out for the best team and best individual overall.

Chief Executive Roger Ellis opened the event and said staff deal with thousands of customers every day so it’s vitally important that they always put them first

"Dealing with people is a crucial part of all of our jobs and it's important that we acknowledge this when it's done well," he said.

The top prize for ‘Best Individual’ went to Lynn Byrne, a library assistant at Norden Library. She said she was shocked to win: “I am completely overwhelmed, it will take time to sink in! Great customer service is treating people as you would like to be treated yourself. The personal touch always goes a long way.”

The Leopold Court Homelessness Team based in Rochdale were voted ‘Best Overall Team’.

Project Manager Nina Kissack said their trophy would be taking pride of place: “Winning this award means a great deal to the whole team. They work so well together. We were all a bit stunned when the winner was announced and it turned out to be us! We all love our job, its variety and the great sense of satisfaction you get when you see someone re-housed and settled.”

Council leader, Alan Taylor said the awards were about recognising the valuable contribution that staff make: “Our goal is to put our customers at the heart of everything we do. We are here to serve the needs of our residents, and this event gives us the opportunity to give praise to our staff that provide exceptional service to the public. Having staff who go the extra mile to deliver excellent service consistently helps us be a better council and ultimately really make a difference to people's lives."

The awards were presented at Rochdale Town Hall by the Mayor, Councillor Robin Parker.