Are there too many awards in the pet trade?
Detail:
So Julie Walters has won a BAFTA for her portrayal of Mo Mowlam; Spelbound, that talented troupe of acrobatic gymnasts, wowed audiences to win Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday; and Stephen Fry has decreed, “I believe we can build a better world! Of course, it'll take a whole lot of rock, water and dirt. Also, not sure where to put it as the winning tweet at the Hay Festival.
Awards and competitions come in every shape and form, are well and truly part and parcel of our lives, intrinisically woven into the fabric of our daily lives. How often have you decided to watch a film, read a book, try a packet of crisps or even (be honest now!) a new soap powder simply because it’s won some award?
Within the pet industry, there is certainly no shortage of awards. Apart from the annual industry awards at PATS and Glee Petindex, the Pet Product Retail Association reveals its winners at PATS, and consumer magazines like Your Cat and Your Dog also host their own very popular and influential awards. And last year, the Pet Industry Awards was launched, a black tie affair that coincided with Glee Petindex.
Are we at risk of suffering from awards overload and voter fatigue? Can our industry actually support this many awards?
I say yes! Credit must especially go to the Pet Industry Awards’ latest categories. Yes, there are the ‘expected’ categories such as Grooming Business of the Year, Supplier of the Year and Employee of the Year, but what I really like about these latest awards is how they have thrown the net far and wide, thinking outside the box, to include Animal Boarding Establishment of the Year and Pet Specialist Service of the Year, the latter of which can include hydrotherapists, dog walkers and sitters, trainers and colleges.
I am even more excited about the categories Service Innovation of the Year and Best Customer Initiative of the Year.
I strongly believe that the pet industry and its legion of independent retailers can survive and thrive only if two conditions are met: product innovation and service.
Whether there has been much true product innovation in recent years or more-of-the-same-only-slightly-different is debated, but there is no denying the fact that new products are coming on to the market seemingly faster than David Cameron can say, “drastic public spending cuts”. And let’s fact it, new products are well catered for in the other awards.
But what of service initiatives? Every retailer I talk to says his/her customer service is second to none, and how this customer service sets them apart from their competitors. Yes, this is how it should be. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, excellent customer service in today’s climate is a given. Retailers – and other business within the pet sector – have to move beyond this and give more. Times have changed, and today’s customer is a more demanding beast. Service today is not just about good advice, people skills and courtesy. And these new awards have captured this new era of retailing, and sets out to reward pioneers.
The new Best Customer Initiative looks at how a business has attracted new customers, retained current clients and helped both new and previous contacts. The Service Innovation of the Year looks at services that have been introduced to the market in the previous year, looking at how such needs were assessed, how the service was developed to meet that need, how it was launched, feedback and its success.
Hopefully these awards will help businesses think more creatively and introspectively about the service they provide. And once winners are announced, it can surely only mean the pet industry moving forward as others study their strategies, adapting them for their own use.
Awards and competitions come in every shape and form, are well and truly part and parcel of our lives, intrinisically woven into the fabric of our daily lives. How often have you decided to watch a film, read a book, try a packet of crisps or even (be honest now!) a new soap powder simply because it’s won some award?
Within the pet industry, there is certainly no shortage of awards. Apart from the annual industry awards at PATS and Glee Petindex, the Pet Product Retail Association reveals its winners at PATS, and consumer magazines like Your Cat and Your Dog also host their own very popular and influential awards. And last year, the Pet Industry Awards was launched, a black tie affair that coincided with Glee Petindex.
Are we at risk of suffering from awards overload and voter fatigue? Can our industry actually support this many awards?
I say yes! Credit must especially go to the Pet Industry Awards’ latest categories. Yes, there are the ‘expected’ categories such as Grooming Business of the Year, Supplier of the Year and Employee of the Year, but what I really like about these latest awards is how they have thrown the net far and wide, thinking outside the box, to include Animal Boarding Establishment of the Year and Pet Specialist Service of the Year, the latter of which can include hydrotherapists, dog walkers and sitters, trainers and colleges.
I am even more excited about the categories Service Innovation of the Year and Best Customer Initiative of the Year.
I strongly believe that the pet industry and its legion of independent retailers can survive and thrive only if two conditions are met: product innovation and service.
Whether there has been much true product innovation in recent years or more-of-the-same-only-slightly-different is debated, but there is no denying the fact that new products are coming on to the market seemingly faster than David Cameron can say, “drastic public spending cuts”. And let’s fact it, new products are well catered for in the other awards.
But what of service initiatives? Every retailer I talk to says his/her customer service is second to none, and how this customer service sets them apart from their competitors. Yes, this is how it should be. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, excellent customer service in today’s climate is a given. Retailers – and other business within the pet sector – have to move beyond this and give more. Times have changed, and today’s customer is a more demanding beast. Service today is not just about good advice, people skills and courtesy. And these new awards have captured this new era of retailing, and sets out to reward pioneers.
The new Best Customer Initiative looks at how a business has attracted new customers, retained current clients and helped both new and previous contacts. The Service Innovation of the Year looks at services that have been introduced to the market in the previous year, looking at how such needs were assessed, how the service was developed to meet that need, how it was launched, feedback and its success.
Hopefully these awards will help businesses think more creatively and introspectively about the service they provide. And once winners are announced, it can surely only mean the pet industry moving forward as others study their strategies, adapting them for their own use.
By:
Sandra
Date/time :
08/06/2010
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