Clare Bassett is nominated for a Best Business Women Award for her work as Customer Services Manager and Logistics Manager at JPA Furniture. She oversees customer enquiries, order processing, deliveries, and installations. Testimonials praise Clare for her leadership, enthusiasm, and commitment to excellent customer service. Her teams achieve high levels of customer satisfaction and repeat business. The Managing Director recommends Clare for the award, noting her talent, drive, and positive impact on the company's success.
1. Best Business Women Awards
Nominee: Clare Bassett
Graham Pulsford, Managing Director:
Company: JPA Furniture
Best Service Business
Clare brings a fresh perspective
to our Management activities, a
different approach and a fresh view,
essential for innovation and growth.
John Pulsford, Owner
JPA Furniture
“
”
2. Meet Clare Bassett
JPA Customer Services Manager delivering excellence from point of enquiry through to
delivery and installation for a seamless customer experience:
• Front of House
• Customer Enquiries
• Client feedback
• Order Processing and Sales Acknowledgements
• Factory Orders
• Goods in & Out
• Stock
• Order Scheduling
• Client scheduling Calls
• Delivery & Installation
• Aftercare
• Snagging and Customer Complaints
Our Customer Care Policy aims to surpass clients’ expectations
resulting in 100% satisfaction and high levels of repeat business
3. A flavour of operational work by Clare’s Logistics Team
4. The end result of all that work by Clare’s Service and Logistics Teams
5. Staff Motivation and Rewards
JPA Staff engagement in the business process is fundamental to the achievement of company targets. Zero landfill,
reduced refuse collections, improved efficiencies in processes and company awareness have all helped the company
become more profitable and competitive.
A brief cross section of our activities…..
• Ideas box at JPA with vouchers – ideas reviewed monthly with
vouchers between £20 and £100 in value to any ideas adopted
• Social events such as tennis, badminton, bowling, Top Golf and quiz
nights
• Charity events eg. three peaks, comic relief
• Factory visits to see how furniture is manufactured and sustainability
issues
• Regular documented training
• Family fun days
• End of year bonus scheme – both company and individual targets
• Regular training reviews at 1-2-1s
• Evident progression routes through company
JPA family fun day
6. • Motivated
• Engaged
• Empowered
….team who can lead and deliver our sustainable objectives
Training is formal via 1-2-1s, team meetings, management, externally booked training sessions and informal via ongoing
toolbox talks, factory visits, quizzes and team building events.
Staff Engagement
8. Clare Bassett – Outstanding Achievements:
Youngest ever Manager of JPA Customer Service Team
• 8 staff
• Responsible for: Front of House, H&S, Training, Enquiries, Quotations,
Orders, Purchase Order Processing, Invoicing out, Customer Complaints and
Snagging, Client Feedback
Youngest ever Manager of JPA Fleet, Delivery and Installation Team
• 8 staff
• 15 subcontractors
• 7 vehicles
• Responsible for: Fleet Maintenance, H&S, Training, Order Scheduling and
Logistics, Goods In/Out, Deliveries, Installation, Moves, Labour Costs, Stock,
Customer Complaints and Snagging
First female Manager of JPA Vehicle Fleet, Delivery and Installation Team
Youngest ever member of JPA Management Team
Found time to get married in May 2015!!!
9. A Customer driven operation at all stages...
…customer services
…planning
…transport
…installing
…packing removal
…finance
…logistics
…warehousing
…on site
…customer services
…resource allocation
12. Thanking Clients with Bunnies and Reindeer!
At Easter time and Christmas, thousands of chocolate bunnies and reindeers make their way to our Clients
as a little ‘Thank You’ from JPA. This is now JPA tradition and a great way of engaging Clients in non product
conversation – this year we launched a twitter campaign for the most travelled bunnies – see # Where has your
bunny been?
13. Client BBQs and Events
We also take time to thank our clients by holding Client BBQs and Events in our London showroom
where members of our Services Teams are able to put names to faces
14. Clare Bassett – Customer Service Successes
2625 Repeat orders in 2014
99.2% Level of right first time deliveries
400 individual delivery locations successfully installed to
35,000 individual items successfully delivered and installed
£7,000,000.00 goods quoted by Customer Services
2831 sales orders raised within Customer Services Team
£4,833,483.00 sales orders processed
1376 quotations raised within Customer Services
“…. it’s very hard to put into words how much Clare has been a great manager, friend
and inspiration to me. When I started at JPA furniture, she has just been promoted to
Supervisor and over 5 years I’ve seen her progress into managing two teams. I didn’t
have much experience at the beginning, but with Clare’s excellent training, product
knowledge and encouragement I have managed to progress to the projects team.
Clare has a great approach to work, always with a smile even when there are 100s of
things going on. Clare is not only a great boss but an amazing person and friend, she
will always be there for anyone who needs a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on”
Amelia Cooper JPA Furniture
15. For the nearly eight years I have worked at UCL, I
have sourced furniture from JPA for our staff office
furniture requirements and much of our public space
and reading room furniture needs. Whilst their prices
are competitive, it is their customer service that
stands out to me.
JPA’s head office is very efficient at processing orders
and answering any of our queries as they arise. I
have on many occasions needed to sort out details
of orders such as routine furniture quotations,
organising delivery times to fit our needs or making
last minute changes to quotations. The office staff
have always been very helpful and amenable to our
sometimes last minute and urgent changes.
When JPA delivery and fitting staff arrive with
new deliveries, they have always been helpful and
resourceful in working around changes in schedule
and overcoming obstacles as they have arisen. As they
are familiar with UCL, and with Library Services, they
are aware of noise issues and sensitivity to keeping
disruptions to students studying to a minimum.
JPA Staff have on all occasions been helpful, friendly
and efficient in sorting out anything we needed. I can
say that JPA is one of the few suppliers UCL uses
that is actually a pleasure to do business with. It is
this attention to customer service that makes JPA a
valuable supplier to have available to us.
Scott Foulon
(Acting) Assistant Librarian: Building Projects
Manager
UCL Library Services
Successful JPA Installation & Service – UCL Cruciform Hub
“
”
16. So what do JPA Suppliers, Clients and Staff say about Clare?
As a major supplier to the JPA group for almost 20
years it is unusual to notice a new relationship as
new people come and go.
Clare joined JPA in a customer service role
and her enthusiasm and desire to understand
our partnership relationship have led to great
improvements in what was already a great
relationship.
Innovative and creative she makes a positive
contribution to both our businesses and is a firm
favourite of our sales, customer service and
logistics teams
Ian Blackburn
Sales Director
The Senator Group (JPA Key supplier)
I have known Clare since she joined JPA in 2007. My initial impression of Clare was of
a bright, sparky young woman with a willingness to learn and right from the start she
fitted in in the CS team, quickly settling into the job, the routines and processes, and
building up her knowledge of products.
Clare has extremely appealing qualities which were recognised very early in her
emploment by management and have been developed to enable her to hold her current
managerial postion of CST and Logistics Manager, e.g. Engaging personality with a
sense of fun and the ability to clearly communicate to all levels.
I look forward to seeing her progress further!
Jim Rawlings, Director, RQA
JPA Quality & Environmental Consultants
“
”
“
”
Clare is a real credit to the Management team at JPA.
She really is the heart & soul of the customer service/logistics team and will always ensure jobs are
carried out with the highest level of service & care.
Clare is highly efficient in all aspects of her job roles at JPA. She promotes a positive, well-organized team.
I thoroughly enjoyed working with Clare; not only was my time at JPA productive & enjoyable; it was also
fantastic working within such a methodical team.
Clare’s support as a Manager was always appreciated by myself & I know the same applies to others
working in her team.
Clare’s moto of there is no ‘I’ in Team really does apply within her work ethic - she will always do her
utmost to ensure her team feel well supported & direct as necessary to meet the varied demands of the
business.
I still have a very good relationship with JPA & speak very highly of the whole team & of course Clare as I
worked with her very closely with her for a very happy 4.5 years!
I wish her all the best as her career progresses at JPA & am very thankful for the time I worked with her.
Jazmine Lawrence – Sales Account Manager at Thorns Group.
(Ex JPA Customer Service)
“
”
In working with JPA over the past few years, I have had the pleasure of
seeing Clare grow and develop with energy, confidence and a passionate
commitment to provide the JPA clients with exceptional service.
Going the extra mile in the norm for Clare and a ‘can-do’ attitude has
enabled her to overcome many challenging situations when trying to
resolve issues and make things successfully happen for JPA clients. This
positive business focused mind-set is not limited to external clients, as
she has developed in the past few years, so has her level of responsibility
within the business and she has successfully applied this in her
management style. This belief in making things happen equally extends
to her management and training of her staff and team, ensuring that
everyone is given an opportunity to shine, develop and be respected.
It has been with Clare’s tenacity and exceptional customer service that
has led to so many wonderful client testimonials for the JPA team, which
in turn is allowing JPA to go from strength to strength, and underpinning
JPA’s business growth.
Jane Dell
GrowthAccelerator Coach and Accredited Business Advisor
Jade Business Solutions Ltd
“
”
Clare is incredibly deserving. I always think a
work place is very much be about management
attitude and a happy work place means a
supportive, professional and well organised
management team.
Your work force has always been incredibly
helpful from your office team through to your
great delivery guys and I suspect this is down
to the sense that they know they are valued.
I think a few organisations out there could do
with a week or 2 at JPA to see how its done!
Where would we be without you !
Anne Skinner
Human Resources Divisional Manager
UCL Staff Accommodation Officer
University College London (JPA Client)
“
”
17. Your guys were great today –
very professional
Please thank them again for me
Cheryl Webster
Office Manager & PA to Divisional Manager and
Divisional Clinical Director, UCLH
I just wanted to say a very very big thank
you to you and your team for the smooth
running of our installs so far this year, as
always JPA services are second to none !!
Linda Norton
Steward
Magdalen College, Oxford (Client)
I would like to say huge big thank you to everyone for all their help today in
installing the new desks, installing the new computers/reinstalling the old
computers and for installing/reinstalling the new phones.
Everyone from JPA Furniture, IT and Telecoms worked exceptionally hard to
get this done today, and I sincerely thank you all very much. You all came on
time and got the work done as arranged – thank you!!!
Jacqueline Apps
Divisional Admin Manager, UCLH (Client)
I would like to say having used JPA for a number of years for large and small projects the
standard of service they provide has been exceptional. Price is not always the overriding
factor with regard a tender and supplier evaluation. My experience tells me suppliers
promise everything but often cannot deliver a cradle to the grave type service . In this
regard JPA fulfils this criteria, problems with any issues are always dealt with promptly
and resolved amicably . Service is the key factor from my viewpoint and JPA deliver this in
abundance from sales , office staff to delivery drivers everyone is helpful and responsive.
Keith Shore, Faculty of Law, Bentham Hse (Client)
“
”
“
”
What do our client’s say about Clare’s Team?
We are so pleased with the design,
furniture, delivery, service, fitting,
great guys.
Thank you also for pushing this
through for us in accordance with
our timescale. We are very happy!
Sarah Pretorius
St Albans District Council
“
”
18. What our Clients Say About Our Work:
‘University College Bar is everything a
college bar should be and much, much
more. This is certainly the best designed
college bar I’ve had the pleasure of
visiting, with irresistibly comfy fitted
sofas and many small tables tactically
scattered ensure ample seating.
University college earned my upmost
respect. I will be sneaking in again, and I
recommend you all do the same!’
é é é é
‘The Cherwell’
Student Newspaper
“Right from the start of the
tender process it was clear that
JPA Furniture understood our
requirements and they delivered
on price, quality, flexibility and
service. We were delighted by
the key part JPA Furniture played
in making sure this major £25m
project was a huge success.”
John Church, Bursar,
Pembroke College
‘Very few college bars get a
one star rating, so to get a
four star is amazing’
Teresa Strike,
Operations Manager,
University College
“The Cruciform Hub sets a new
baseline for the provision of library
and learning spaces in UCL – it is
modern, vibrant, has cutting edge
facilities and services, combining
what is best in a traditional library
with the ways students want to
work in the 21st century.’’
Paul Ayris
Director of UCL Library Services
“We are so pleased with the
design, furniture, delivery,
service, fitting, great guys.
Thank you also for
pushing this through for
us in accordance with our
timescale.
We are very happy.
Thank you
Sarah Pretorius
St Albans District Council
“I just wanted to say a very
very big thank you to you and
your team for the smooth
running of our installs so
far this year, as always JPA
services are second to none!!”
Linda Norton
Steward
Magdalen College
19. Client Surveys
Our Clients’ Feedback (JPA send surveys to ALL clients on order completion!!)
100% JPA Customers surveyed were very satisfied or satisfied
100% JPA Customers surveyed found us very helpful or helpful
100% JPA Customers surveyed found our service very easy or easy to use
100% JPA Customers surveyed would highly recommend or recommend us to a friend or colleague
20. • ISO 9001 accredited for Quality Management System
• CIPS Sustainability Index Rated – independent benchmark against Environmental,
Economic and Social criteria
• Construction Line Rated – independent benchmark for Finance, Quality, H&S
• CHAS Listed – independent benchmark for Health and Safety
• Members of British Safety Council
• Members British Educational Suppliers Association
• Installation Team CSCS certified
• Full members of the Furniture Industry Research Association
• Supply chain audited
Providing a safe and sustainable operation
21. Recommendation
I am delighted to nominate Clare for this award as she
is a shining example to all young people in business.
Her talent, drive and formidable organisational skills
are complimented by enthusiasm, an infectious
personality and sense of fun.
It has been a pleasure to watch Clare develop and
grow at JPA over the last 8 years and I look forwards to
seeing Clare develop her new role and her continued
positive impact on JPA’s success as a business.
Graham Pulsford, Managing Director
