Gonville & Caius was awarded first place at the sixth annual awards evening held recently, in recognition of achieving the highest levels of customer service among businesses in Cambridge.
This marks the fifth year in a row that the College has won an award, three times taking first place and twice as runners-up.
The accolade comes at the same time as the College is announcing that its new events space, Acropolis at Caius, is open for business and now taking bookings for meetings, conferences and dinners from July 2019 onwards.
The BID awards focus on customer service, which covers shops, bars, restaurants and shopping centres and is assessed by a mystery shopper in person or in the case of ‘private’ businesses by a mystery telephone caller.
The mystery storechecker who called Caius said: “The call handler was very helpful, demonstrated a genuine interest and was friendly throughout the call. They demonstrated a wish to help and accommodate and a ‘can do’ attitude.”
Commenting on the award, Eve Stupart, Conference & Events Manager said: “The BID Mystery Shopper programme is a fantastic resource which benefits not only our business but the entire city. Visitors who enjoy a wonderful time here will stay longer and are more likely to return.
“Mystery shoppers help us to remain focused on our enquiry handling technique, ensuring that we not only help our customers with their current event but encourage them to book with us again and again. Each year the mystery shopper programme expands to encompass more businesses which makes the accolade even more valuable.”
David Secher, Senior Bursar added: “Winning this award recognises the exceptional efforts of our staff at Caius. Our Conference team welcomes guests to the College throughout the year. This would not be possible without the support from our Porters, Catering and Housekeeping teams, as well as other friendly faces around College.”
Image: The Caius Team with the BID Award, left to right: Christophe Benedetti, Deputy Catering Manager; Laura Webb, Conference Coordinator; Eve Stupart, Conference & Events Manager; and Simon Gascoyne, Deputy Conference Manager.