Customer service is central to the success of a company – especially during difficult times.  Amid the challenges that have faced the metals and engineering sector in the past few years, astute businesses have still managed to ensure that they excel in this area.
 
Such companies will be recognised in May 2017 at SEIFSA Awards for Excellence, together with others that will have excelled in other business areas
“We are looking to honour a company in the metals and engineering sector which constantly strives to exceed customer expectations, deliver industry-leading standards of service and innovate around customer experience,” said Kaizer Nyatsumba, SEIFSA’s Chief Executive Officer.
 
Companies rated the highest in customer service category in 2016 will receive the Customer Service Award of the Year. The prestigious award will be among others to be bestowed on metals and engineering sector companies at the IDC Conference Centre on 25 May. Entries for the awards close on 13 April 2017 for all categories.
 
Criteria for the award include:
·         Constantly striving to exceed customer expectations, deliver industry-leading standards of service and innovate around customer experience;
·         How the organisation measures customer satisfaction, how effectively complaints are dealt with and how customer service has improved commercial performance;
·         Increased growth or market share;
·         Improved financial performance;
·         Embedded ethical or sustainable practice;
·         Enhanced customer delivery and engagement;
·         More effective leadership and management;
·         More engaged and motivated staff; and
·         Optimised innovation and improved operational excellence.
 
The Federation, which launched the SEIFSA Awards for Excellence in 2015, has invited manufacturers operating in the metals and engineering sector within the Southern African region to submit their entries for the 2017 Awards. Entrants will be assessed on their performance in the period 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016.
 
SEIFSA Chief Executive Officer Kaizer Nyatsumba said although the metals and engineering sector was faced with many challenges and uncertainty in 2016, nevertheless there were companies that still managed to excel under these difficult circumstances.
 
Along with the Customer Service Award of the Year, the SEIFSA Awards for Excellence have six other categories.
 
The other categories are:
 

• The Most Innovative Company of the Year Award is awarded to a company that has shown the best level of innovation in Research and Development or Production in 2016, in the process of either gaining market advantage or reducing production costs;

• The Health and Safety Award of the Year will be offered to a company with the best legal compliance record in Health and Safety or the lowest Lost-Time Injury Frequency Rate in 2016;

• Entries are also invited from companies whose Corporate Social Investment
• (CSI) programme/s in 2016 had a major impact on the lives of their beneficiaries;

• The Most Transformed Company of the Year Award will go to a company that showed the highest transformation level in the composition of its Board of Directors, Executive Management and Managerial Team in 2016 (this award category pits companies employing fewer than 100 people against those of similar size, and companies employing more than 100 companies against others of similar size);

• This is the Decade of the Artisan, and an award will be made to the company that trained the highest number of artisans in 2016; and

• The Environment Stewardship Award will go to a company that has made the biggest or best strides towards conserving the environment or mitigating the impact of its operations on the environment in 2016.

 
Mr Nyatsumba has encouraged manufacturers operating in the metals and engineering sector to submit their entries for the seven categories as soon as possible. The Awards are open to all companies in the sector, both SEIFSA members and non-members.