Customers Served Better As Good Old Fashioned Values Return

Posted 24 Sep '15

L&F Transfers aims to put the “good” and “old-fashioned” back into service, where CEO Lindsey Ward is adamant they belong.

And to ensure it happens, the L&F Company Charter has been specially written to lay the foundations for a top-quality client experience.

Many will tell you that, particularly in recent years, customer service has gone the way of the Tasmanian tiger, sportsmanship and petrol costing under a dollar a litre. But Mr Ward is determined to see L&F lead the way in bringing the elements of good service back to the place of prominence they once held.

It revives the principle that “the customer comes first” and seeks to rekindle the days when staff knew their customers, their likes and dislikes. It recalls a time when the concepts of politeness, courtesy and manners were more than marketing buzzwords and when “may I help you?” and “are you being served?” were truly genuine inquiries.

While L&F Transfers is intent on being the provider of the safest, most reliable and most efficient public transport service in Australia, Mr Ward said it was also “fully focused on maintaining the highest possible standards of honesty, dependability and excellence in all aspects of our operations, including customer service”.

Providing such a level of service to its customers has been a cornerstone of the L&F way of doing things since it was founded and its importance was recognised from the outset in the Company Charter. The Charter is built on five essential elements that underlie the basic, non-negotiable operating values by which L&F conducts its business and grows. They are:

• People
• Safety
• Customer Service
• Diligence
• Innovation

 
Under the Charter, the company aims to restore the notion of “good, old-fashioned customer service”, in which each and every client is regarded as a valued individual in their relationship with L&F.

The Charter also states that, in adhering to these time-honoured standards of quality customer care, the company and its staff will strive to ensure each customer benefits from a positive, enjoyable experience which encourages them to use L&F’s services again.

Crucially, L&F guarantees each customer will have one point of contact with the company, minimising chances of miscommunication, confusion or unfamiliarity with the customer’s needs. It also guarantees issues raised by the customer will be dealt with and rectified without delay.

At the heart of L&F Transfers’ first-class service is the genuine high regard in which it holds both its clients and its own personnel. From the beginning, Mr Ward identified the need for his company consistently to demonstrate complete integrity towards customers and staff.

His Company Charter makes this clear: “We strive to meet and exceed expectations of clients and customers, our own staff and those of other companies and the suppliers with whom we deal in the course of our business.”

Among its customers, L&F Transfers works to meet those expectations through innovation – technological and otherwise – in order to provide the best, most enjoyable, dependable and cost-effective transport service.

Among its staff, it meets expectations through a culture that encourages internal education and training and promotes best practice and innovation. The Charter acknowledges that “our people are our lifeblood” and commits to recruiting and training people who are qualified and experienced and who bring to L&F a willingness to share in its core values.

Focusing on the importance of customer service is part of Mr Ward’s absolute commitment to putting people first in every aspect of L&F’s operations.

Putting people first means service and satisfaction also go hand in hand with client safety and wellbeing. The Charter states: “We regard the safety of our passengers, staff and the general public as the first priority in all aspects of our operations.” This is embodied in the company’s inscription on each of its vehicles: “Safe and Reliable Transport.” A meticulous vehicle servicing regimen and regular, industry-leading driver and staff training ensure safety is well supported, maintained and, where possible, improved.

Honesty, integrity, dependability, top-quality staff recruitment and training, concern for customer welfare and the latest transport technology, it all adds up to what Lindsey Ward has created in L&F Transfers – a modern, efficient, innovative Australian company combining the best of the present with the best of the past to shape a unique identity for itself among the nation’s finest transport providers.