Together Magazine - March 2020

Together magazine &

Platinum and Gold Awards for Customer Service...

Spring 2020

Contents Meet the Team: Italy...........................................Page 4 Sales team of the year.......................................Page 6 Getting to know.................................................Page 9 Bin it Right!.........................................................Page 11

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Hello from your Senior Management Team...

Richard Whitehouse, Fran Worrall, Patrick Dignan, Nikki Thomson and Paul Stockdill

Our #OneFamily Album

Every issue we’ll be sharing photos and reviews received from happy dealers and customers – if you’d like to see more follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin!

This photo was taken at the Strategic Leadership meeting in Sweden where we met with other leaders from the Handicare Group to talk about our future strategy and direction, as well as celebrating achievements from the past year.

This year, the focus is very much on improving the customer journey – for our partners and our endusers. There’s a lot of work being done to make it easy for customers to do business with us. When it comes to end-users we’re doing very well so far this year – our Feefo Platinum and Gold awards (P3) and other customer reviews (like the one you can read in this issue) are a fantastic achievement for everyone!

Our Turkish business partner LiftArt sent us photos of a recently completed project in the centre of Istanbul. A steep spiral staircase had to be fitted with a stairlift to match the stately interior of this beautiful building dating back to 1880. The photos speak for themselves: a beautiful Handicare solution the customer is very satisfied with!

Platinum and Gold Awards for Customer Service Our customer service has earned the highest accolade in this year’s Trusted Service Awards run

by Feefo, the global reviews and customer insights company! The awards are independent seals of excellence that reward the delivery of exceptional service, as rated by real customers.

Feefo has given Companion the Platinum Trusted Service award, presented for the first time to businesses who have achieved Gold standard for three consecutive years. The Gold award recognises those who have collected at least 50 Feefo reviews in a year, and have achieved a service rating of at least 4.5/5.

us improve our service and reward the team.

Everyone likes it when we get a positive review, so receiving the Platinum and Gold Awards this year from Feefo is absolutely fantastic for everyone.”

Steph Heasman, Director of Customer Success at Feefo, commented: “The Trusted Service award has always been about recognising companies that go way beyond the norm in customer experience and generate great feedback from happy customers.”

Handicare (Working with Age UK) received the Gold Trusted Service Award for the second year running.

Customer & Field Service Director Patrick Dignan said: “Our team work very hard to give customers the best experience when they choose us. We appreciate all the feedback we get as it helps

Customer Testimonial

It is with great pleasure that I am writing this...

Other priorities include product excellence and supporting our dealers to grow their businesses – more on this in the next issue, which will focus on our annual Dealer Day when we’ll be demonstrating our latest product innovations…

“It is with great pleasure that I am writing this on behalf of my Husband and myself to thank you so much for the above service you supplied to us.

You may have noticed a change in the look of the newsletter for 2020. We’ll be including more content from offices around the Group so that we can all get a better understanding of what happens in other countries. We’d welcome your views on what matters to you – what would you like to see included in future issues? Please let us know by dropping your ideas into the suggestion boxes in the offices in Leeds and Kingswinford!

The next day we had a call from you to say that the stairlift could be fitted Friday (today).

We said that was fine…

Until next time, SMT Team

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When Paul came on Tuesday Peter immediately said he felt comfortable and felt he was getting the right information for him, rather than being ‘sold’ something for the sake of it. Paul was friendly and courteous when he came to see me and it was a pleasure doing business with him.

This morning I had a call from Matt telling us what time he would be with us. Everything was perfect. What you said would be done was done so a big thank you to the girls in the office as well. And last but by no means least, Matt is a very nice young man. Polite, courteous, helpful, patient and very tidy.Peter and I are so pleased to be able to write to you in this way, especially in this day and age when you hardly ever get done what they tell you is to be done, and don’t contact you when they say they will and aren’t always so pleasant.

Paul and Matt could not have been nicer people to deal with, very pleasant and amiable too.

Thank you again and please pass on these remarks to the people mentioned because I don’t think many people say thank you. It’s easy to complain but it’s also easy to say Thanks.”

Sherry Bridges

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Business Partner Event in Bali

Every issue we’ll be taking a virtual trip to meet one of Handicare’s teams in another part of the world…

Meet the Team: Italy

Thanks to Valentina Vincenzi, Marketing Manager, Italy for taking part in our Q&A

When were operations in Italy established?

Handicare’s activities in Italy began in 2012, when the current Country Manager Domenico Mattioli was recruited. Domenico has great experience in the sector having worked for eight years at Vimec, a leading company in the sector, as export manager.

How many people are in the team?

The Italy team currently consists of six people: • Domenico Mattioli, Country Manager, responsible for Italy, Spain, Eastern Europe and some ROW countries; • Pietro Pisani, South Italy Manager, Pietro does an important job of customer research and takes care of the current sales network; • Simon Vickars, Spain and ROW Country Manager • Valentina Vincenzi, Marketing Manager (Italy and Spain) • Marco Bonalanza, Technical Support Manager North Italy and East Europe • Andrea Bonandin, Technical Support Manager Southern Italy and Spain Soon a new person will join our team to develop the Eastern European market!

Where are you based?

We are based in Suzzara in the Province of Mantua in Lombardy, northern Italy. Lombardy’s chief city Milan is one of the country’s largest industrial centres. Our team has grown since 2012 and for this reason, we have moved (in March!) to a bigger and more spacious office. Now we have a two-storey office: on the lower floor there are the offices (3 rooms) and bathrooms, while on the upper floor there is a showroom, a meeting room, a small warehouse and a bathroom.

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Thanks to Richard Lambertus, Sales Manager, Asia-Pacific for this insight into a Dealer Daytype event on the other side of the world!

For the third year in a row we organised a dealer meeting in Bali from December 16-19 for our customers from Southeast Asia.

This time, in addition to Asia-Pacific, business partners from the Middle East were invited. The group was even larger than in previous years and it was again a very successful event.

Do you sell direct as well as through dealers?

We cover practically all regions with a widespread network of authorised dealers trained by the Italian team, so as not to leave areas uncovered or without assistance. It is our dealers who take care of sales, delivery, installation and service. They are therefore a fundamental part of our business.

On the first evening, people could network while enjoying a snack, drink and the local band. The next day there were presentations and workshops that concluded with an awards dinner. This year, nine of our partners received a unique award as a thank you for their excellent performance over the past year.

Do you manufacture stairlifts?

The next day there was a cultural outing. We visited Yayasan Sayang Bali - a foundation for and by disabled people. We received a warm welcome, an inspiring presentation about what they do and what they stand for, followed by Balinese dance and music.

The stair lifts we sell are manufactured in England and Holland and, depending on the configuration, delivery times can vary from 1 to 4 weeks.

Is Bali a holiday destination on your wish list?

Then this excursion is highly recommended, and you immediately support the Yayasan!

CORONAVIRUS

CATCH IT!

Simple steps to help protect the health and safety of our Associates…

Prevention is better than cure.

Clean hands frequently by using soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizer.

When coughing and sneezing cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or into your elbow – throw away the tissue immediately and wash your hands.

KILL IT!

BIN IT!

Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or cough.

If you have a fever or cough and breathing difficulties, ring 111 and share your travel history with them.

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Did you know: We’re CHAS accredited for 2020!

What is it? The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS) allows companies to demonstrate to potential clients that they meet the required health and safety standards.

Why do we need it? It’s an annual certification which is a “good to have” and shows we hold health and safety high on our priorities. It helps to confirm that, as a company, we have the correct processes and supporting documentation in place and is important for our public sector tender applications.

Thanks to our dedicated team – particularly Neil Tart, H&S Advisor, and Liz Deakin - for their hard work in achieving this important certification!

A near miss today could be an accident tomorrow…

MHBS wins sales team of the year 2019!

During a recent sales conference in Berlin, Handicare UK Moving & Handling Managing Director, Bob Parsons, proudly received the award of ‘Sales Team of the Year 2019’, presented by CEO Staffan Ternström.

• Sales person of the year 2019 – David Robinson

Bob Parsons commented “Teamwork, competent people and a clear strategy have contributed to an energetic and professional culture that has ensured the Moving & Handling team achieved 10% over the sales target for 2019. I am extremely proud to accept this award on behalf of the UK MHBS team, and would like to extend my sincere thanks to the additional functions that have contributed towards us being able to deliver a fantastic result in 2019 and into 2020!”

• Going the extra mile – Beth Venables

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• Outstanding achievement 2019 – James Hughes • Associate of the year – Stefanie Bennett

• Going the extra mile – Amanda Kahsin • Handicare Supporter of the Year – Suzanne Atkins • FA Cup of 2019 – Paul Knight • 5-year service award – David Robinson

A near miss is one step away from an incident actually happening and potentially injuring you or your colleague!

Reporting a near miss is the first step to preventing incidents from happening in the future.

A NEAR MISS TODAY COULD BE AN ACCIDENT TOMORROW… Reporting a near miss is the first step to preventing incidents from happening in the future.

0 A £2 WIN CARD GIFT

We all have the ability to help improve the health and safety of our workplace. By completing a “Risk Report Card” when a near miss is identified we can all help to adapt processes to improve safety on site and in the field.

We’ll enter every card into a monthly draw with the chance to win a £20 gift card.

Every report will count as a single entry – so the more you report, the greater your chance of winning!

We all have the ability to help improve the health and safety of our workplace. By completing a “Risk Report Card” when a near miss is identified we can all help to adapt processes to improve safety on site and in the field.

We’ll enter every card into a monthly draw with the chance to win a £20 gift card. Every report will count as a single entry – so the more you report, the greater your chance of winning!

If you see a RISK or a NEAR MISS wherever you are, please REPORT IT!

If you see a risk or a near miss wherever you are, please report it!

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Ethos workshop opens the door to Kirklees Loan Store!

An Ethos Education Sit-to-stand workshop run by Handicare UK’s Mark Ripley and John Harrison at a Medequip branch in Kirklees, West Yorkshire last year led to over £7k sales after it impressed the clinical lead for the area and local Occupational Therapists.

Getting to know…

Tim Rigby, Applications Designer How long have you worked for Handicare?

What attracted you to the job?

What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

I’ve worked here for just over 11 years. I came here in October 2008 as a temp initially before being made permanent. The one thing I really like about what we do is that we make people’s lives better. Even if not in a direct role with the customer, the products change people’s lives, so it’s good to be a part of that.

An episode of Top Gear

What’s the first thing you do when you get to work?

Favourite food: Pizza

Can’t start the day without a cup of coffee!

Favourite holiday destination: Porto

What’s your biggest work achievement to date?

The area’s Business Development Manager (BDM) John Harrison had found it incredibly difficult to arrange a meeting with the influential Loan Store Manager (LSM). But after attending the workshop, where they witnessed first-hand the expert skill and technique presented by Handicare, the LSM was happy to meet and discuss Handicare’s solutions with John.

In a word...

Winning Quality Associate of the Year award at the dinner dance.

Favourite drink: Cherry Pepsi

Favourite band/artist: Iron Maiden Favourite film or TV programme: Coronation Street Favourite gadget: iPhone

What do you most enjoy about your job?

Helping people and solving their problems. It’s nice to feel useful.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

It soon became clear that the Loan Store were having issues with their current stand aid and wanted to streamline current stock.

A Skills Workshop followed to demonstrate Handicare’s MiniLift160, ThoraxSling, and ThoraxSling with Seat Support which was a key focus due to the cost-saving benefits associated with single handed care.

As a result, the LSM asked the Medequip representative to remove all existing powered stand aid options and associated accessories from their contract and replace them with the MiniLift160, Thorax Sling and Thorax Sling Seat Support!

Handicare UK received an order for 6 MiniLift160’s and a range of ThoraxSlings to the value of circa £7.5k. The Ethos Education Programme was an incredibly instrumental tactic in the sales process!

Juggling the various roles I have and trying to fit in both the Designer role and looking after the Photogrammetry side of things. It can be a challenge, but there are positives to take from both.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

Never burn bridges, always try and see things from the other persons point of view.

Tell us something about yourself that none of your colleagues know.

I’m a huge football fan, and have visited over 250 grounds to see games at.

If you could invite any four individuals to a dinner party who would they be?

Nuno Espirito Santo, Bruce Dickinson, Tony Blair and Bill Murray.

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My Passion… Dannii Ockerby, New Business Manager

Have you noticed new bins around the Kingswinford offices?

They’re one of our new initiatives to achieve our long-term goal of reducing our environmental impact – and we’d love your help!

What’s your passion?

Performing - Dance, singing and acting.

Why? I just love it. It makes you feel like nothing or no one can stop you! When you’re on that stage there’s no feeling like it. Performing in front of thousands and thousands of people that are cheering you on and have paid to come watch you, the feeling is just indescribable. It also makes you be determined, disciplined, be part of a team, stronger as a person as it’s not as easy as everyone thinks. You work with people that you would never have dreamed of even

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meeting, never mind working together and being friends with them. I got to travel and see the world and perform in the most amazing theatres and arenas.

How long has it been your passion?

I started dancing when I was two years old. And from that moment I’ve never stopped. Singing I came to a little later in life at like 11 years old same with acting but from the moment I started I didn’t have as much confidence in these as dance but my passion for them grew stronger and stronger and now well I just couldn’t imagine my life without doing all three!

Help us fight climate change!

UK Director of Operations Richard Whitehouse, says: “As a UK manufacturer and part of a global group operating throughout Europe and beyond, our sustainability challenges are many and varied, but we’re focused on our goal to reduce the impact of our activities. Over the past few years we’ve been working closely with our customers, partners, suppliers, and employees to identify the sustainability topics that matter most to them.”

The new office waste management system is designed to ensure we achieve ZERO waste to landfill this year.

“In February we launched a new scheme designed to make sure that the waste generated by the team in our offices is collected in colour-coded bags so it can be sorted easily by our waste management provider,” said Richard.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU BIN IT RIGHT!

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Congratulations to all those celebrating long service awards!

We’re so proud to celebrate our long-serving team members: 15 years: Sarah Sutcliffe, Senior Customer Service Manager, and Scott Everard, Direct Sales Manager 10 years: Paul Fox, R & D Technician

CEO visits Kingswinford In March, we welcomed Staffan Ternström to Kinswinford where he caught up with the SMT for an update on our progress and plans!

We’re listening!

With the help of our Handicare Associates Committee (HAC)

HAC has also answered queries on salary review, Christmas pay dates, Social activities and all manner of other questions.

If you have a question, concern or idea please contact your HAC representative who will bring your item to the next meeting. The meetings are held bi-monthly, with the next one due in April. HAC minutes will be sent to all associates shortly after.

HAC plays an important role in helping us understand what you as employees, consider important. It gives you an opportunity to raise issues or ideas that impact our working environment.

Your representatives are: Nikki Thompson, Rosie Gall, George Court, Andrew Whitehouse, Andrew England, Liz Deakin, Neil Gaskin, Trudy Chrimes, Yasmin Davies, Lucy Leadbeatter and Augustine Nae.

Through HAC our associates played a huge part in helping define the scope of works for the refurbishment we have recently undertaken.

In the last 6 months HAC has been responsible for: • Waste recycling – Separate skips and separated office waste with an aim of zero to landfill by 2021 • Cross Training in Supply Chain • First Aid room refurb • Healthier options in the vending machines • Confidential boxes in canteen areas for HAC suggestions • New fridge for building 82 • Gate locking times on-site pushed back • H&S campaign (coming soon) • Electronic payslips • And that’s just to name a few!

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The next issue of Together Magazine will be published in June. If you’d like to send us a story idea or photo please send an email to sarah.ferguson@handicare.com before Wednesday 5 June.