A LOCAL company with a long-held reputation for poor customer service has launched a two-pronged initiative to improve its public image.

Management and staff at the HWP Group underwent intensive training as part of the process.

The island's largest automobile and motorcycle retailer decided collectively it was time to address the issue head on after years of criticism from disappointed consumers ? employees agreed to deliver a higher standard of service, and HWP made internal changes to improve the work environment.

The move was lauded by Rhonda Daniels of the Department of Consumer Affairs. The acting Inspector and Education Officer said that in the years before the company implemented its Standards of Service training, the Department received several complaints about the level of service it provided.

"One of the top ten complaints that we get at Consumer Affairs has to do with customer service," she explained. "It is a big problem. It's unfortunate, but we can't do anything other than to call the store ? we can't legislate customer service. The fact that HWP has implemented its Standards of Service training is commendable.

"I was fortunate to be invited to attend a part of their session. They are very serious about it and the number of complaints against HWP has decreased tremendously."

HWP announced this week that 183 employees have completed the one-day training programme. Designed specifically for the company by a Washington-based organisation, Growth Associates, it helped develop standards through role playing, and employed tactics for dealing with a wide number of customer concerns.

The course was taught locally by two HWP employees ? Lorna Taylor, manager of customer relations and administration, and Carneal Smith, manager of the Appliance Service and Parts Department.

"The reason why HWP decided to embark on this customer service training is because we've had a bad reputation with customer service and we recognise that," explained Ms Taylor. "We're not satisfied with that reputation and so we're looking to improve that."

She said the company considered the results of customer and employee surveys and that both indicated a need for improvement. The most common customer complaints detailed long waits for spare parts and slow responses to queries.

"We realised that if we improved our (employee) relations then our external customer service will improve dramatically. It became paramount that we did something so that our customer service could be just a notch above the rest, so that we're recognised for being the leaders in customer service."

The HWP Group was founded in 1945, when the Rootes Company of Britain appointed Messrs. Holmes, Williams and Purvey as its automotive distributors.

Asked why the company was tackling a negative public image it had held for several years, Mr. Smith attributed the move to its new owners.

"They recognised the need," he said. "They are very aggressive businessmen. They looked at the feedback we got from our customer surveys. They looked at the internal opinion surveys completed by staff, and told us to step it up a notch.

"One big issue was parts availability. The other was making an appointment to have a car (looked at). At one time, it may have taken three or four weeks, we've got it down to two or three days now.

"It's a major difference and it's just one of the changes. It meant making some physical changes to our plant. We went from seven or eight bays for testing cars and now we've got 17 bays here and we also have the North Shore plant. All these things contribute to improving customer service."

Ms Taylor said the new service standards were derived from workshops, with staff from each department invited to put forward their views.

The standards are on display for customers, posted throughout the company's premises.

"The customer will be treated differently. Whether you're getting your car serviced, your appliance serviced or buying a new vehicle ? whatever your transaction might be ? as the customer you want to be treated like you are the only person that is doing business at that time. Everybody wants to be treated specially.

"Our customers will feel differently when they come in and do business with us. They will be treated with more respect and we will follow up on their concerns and handle them promptly and efficiently."

Staff members will also benefit from the changes.

"(HWP agreed) to commit to our team members' training, to them having a safe working environment to work in and to providing them with accurate information and the tools and equipment that they need so that nobody is unhappy when they come to work.

"If they're happy when they come to work then they'll be performing good customer service to our external customers. It's a cycle."

A second initiative is in place to monitor the Standards of Service. Representatives from each department within the company meet once a month to discuss its effectiveness.

"The Cross Functional Council is responsible for reviewing and revising customer service standards and providing targeted feedback to staff," explained Mr. Smith.

"Team members from each department give us feedback on how the standards are working in their department. They tell us how they can improve and if there are any changes which should be made."

Added Ms Daniels: "I commend them for doing it. I wish others would take service equally seriously."