Swindon company wins Retailer of the Year Award
March 2006
Burden Electronics of County Road in Swindon has beaten off stiff competition to win the prestigious Retailer of the Year (ROTY) award for 2005. The award is organised by leading specialist warranty provider, Domestic & General for Combined Independent Holdings CI(H), a buying group for more than 700 independent traders UK-wide.
Burden Electronics has been trading at the same location near the Swindon Town FC's home football ground since 1972. The owner, Randy Burden, prides himself on the company's dedication to customer service and price competitiveness. His father, Henry, set up the business, which now has twelve members of staff, including two engineers at its service centre a short distance away. Randy is delighted to receive the award. He comments 'the only passing trade we get here is on match days, so we rely on reputation to bring customers in. We try to give customers the best deal and then a great back-up service, because we feel they deserve it.' This approach must work as one customer recently remarked to Randy Burden ‘this is such a nice business I think you should charge a membership to be a customer here’. Winning this award is a fitting tribute to their philosophy that the customer always comes first.
Now in their seventh year, the ROTY Awards are unique. They look at which independent electrical retailers offer the best shopping experience. The customers themselves are the judges. The results of the ROTY survey give a fascinating, independent insight into what customers really think about the retailers and their staff.
Domestic & General administers and sponsors the competition and, last year, mailed out over 150,000 questionnaires to CI(H) customers following a sale. The questionnaires asked customers to grade, up to a maximum of 5 points, the CI(H) member for Courtesy, Appearance, Demonstration and Product Knowledge.
The customers of Burden Electronics ensured it would win the 2005 ROTY Award by awarding an amazing score of 18.32 out of a possible 20 points. Showing that if you put the customer first, the customer will do the same for you.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Domestic & General is the UK’s largest specialist provider of breakdown protection for domestic appliances, electronic equipment and gas central heating systems. The company underwrites breakdown plans for nearly 100 appliance brands, over 2,000 independent high street retailers and catalogue companies, and also operates a Quoteline service.
For more information, please contact the D&G press office on 020 8879 8580 or email pressoffice@domesticandgeneral.com