Winter Catch Up 2024

How the art of customer service can help your chippy thrive

Why do you have a favourite chippy? Is it their fresh fish? Or their fluffy chips? Or is it that warm feeling you get when you step inside the shop and are greeted by a sea of smiles behind that shiny counter?

Good customer service is huge driver of footfall in bars, cafes and restaurants across the country – and takeaways are no different. Get it right and you build-up a loyal customer base that will always come back for more. But get it wrong? That’s a customer you could lose for life – no matter how good your fish is. And getting it right is so easy. A friendly smile and some playful banter as they queue can enhance their journey no end. Asking if they want a fish frying as they wait can shave five minutes off their trip – and ensure they are fed even quicker. And a little bit of small talk – be it about Eastenders or the footy – can mean the world to some people.

One business that has perfected the art of good customer service is Clem’s Fish Restaurant in Spennymoor. We asked Director Nicola Bell about the role it plays in helping her business thrive. “A good level of customer service determines whether people will come back. Our regular customers are used to a high standard and have come to expect it, the interaction they receive is part of the whole experience,” said Nicola. “Just a smile and polite conversation can make a difference. It’s always nice to be nice!”

And the key to ensuring customers have a good time? According to Nicola, it is all down to ‘interaction’ between them and the staff. “While customers are waiting for their orders to be freshly cooked, conversation and engaging in small talk can ensure a positive experience. Smiling and saying hello when someone walks through the door, saying goodbye when they leave and having a cheerful disposition, can enhance their visit,” she added.

“We also try to accommodate everyone if we can. For instance, if someone makes a request that is not on our menu, but it is something we can do, then we will always try to accommodate.” Ultimately a good chippy is a cornerstone of any good community. That’s been the case for over a century now. By ensuring you get the basics of customer service right, not only will that continue – but your shop will mean more to them than a place to grab a fish supper.

Company news

High fryers!

It is the awards show that makes the Oscars look like small fry: the final of the National Fish and Chips Awards takes place in London on February 28th. And good luck to our wonderful customers up for a prize – including three competing for Fish and Chip Takeaway of the Year!

Field to Fryer (Top five) Bell’s Fish and Chips, Durham

Employee of the Year (Top four) Donna Whitfield (Bell’s Fish & Chips)

Best Multiple Operator (Top three) Bell’s Fish & Chips, Durham

Fish & Chip Takeaway of the Year (Top ten)

Yarm Road Fish & Chips, Darlington

Mr C’s, Selby

The Fish Bank, Sherburn in Elmet

A Time and a Plaice

In the freezing cold of January, the big-hearted team at Time and Plaice drove their mobile chippy into central Doncaster to feed around 100 homeless and needy people.

They also handed out six bags full of warm clothes, including coats, to help keep them warm and we were more than happy to help out by making a donation. Good work guys!

Chip in for Hazel!

Our fabulous colleague Hazel Silvester is pounding the pavement throughout February for a very good cause. She’s walking 58 miles for Refuge, a charity which supports thousands of women and children each day who are victims of domestic abuse. Good luck Hazel – and if you would like to donate, click below : https://www.facebook.com/donate/330778679916083/10232974741216800/

Supporting those who need us

We are all feeling the pinch. From rising business costs to the price at the pump, nobody is immune from the cost-of-living crisis. But sadly, some are feeling it way more than others. For millions of families across Britain, simply having enough food to feed themselves has become a constant struggle. That’s why here at Collins Seafoods, we are proud to be helping a pair of charities doing extraordinary work to ensure no child goes hungry.

Who do we support?

Both Feeding Families, based in Blaydon, and the Leeds South and East Foodbank are both very close to our hearts. Both are located near our depots and provide emergency food supplies to vulnerable families all year round. In the North East alone, Feeding Families provided over 350,000 meals in 2022 while in Yorkshire, over 40 per cent of those supported by Leeds South and East Foodbank are children.

What we do to help

As we operate in the communities these charities serve, we sadly see firsthand the daily struggle faced by many of those living here. That’s why we sponsor both charities and our teams have staged frequent collections to gather supplies, while we are also proud to say that out staff have also spent time volunteering with both charities.

We take up any opportunity we can to help them out – but sadly they still need more support. Over the festive period alone, Feeding Families helped over 11,000 families. And the cost-of-living crisis has meant that in Leeds, demand for the Leeds South and East Foodbank has rocketed by 30 per cent year-on-year.

Our commitment

We strongly feel nobody should go hungry. That’s why we are firmly committed to helping both charities throughout 2024. Demand for food banks sadly shows no sign of ending – in fact, current demand is frightening. In 2008/09, around 25,000 people used Trussell Trust foodbanks. Now, they are used by around three million people. So do what you can – as nobody quite knows what is around the corner.

Meet the Team!

Martin Mould has been part of the Collins team for the past 20 years, and works as our Transport Supervisor in the North East. We sat down with Martin to talk about his life in and out of work.

What does your role entail?

Every morning I take all of the orders from the answer machine and add them to the orders received the previous day. As the drivers pick their stock and load their vans, I check each van to make sure it is correct before each driver leaves. I work in the warehouse a few days a week, unloading and loading wagons and sorting the freezer, doing stocktakes in the freezer and assisting with any maintenance or issues that arise in the warehouse. The rest of the week I am out in the van making deliveries.

How long have you worked for Collins?

I started with Collins in July 2004 so it will be 20 years this year!

What do you enjoy about your role?

I enjoy my role in the warehouse, keeping on top of stock and making sure everything is where it should be, and then out on the road, making deliveries and interacting with customers. I like the variety. Also, as I often stick to the same delivery routes, I have known a lot of the customers for many years so can interact with them on a personal level.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I love taking the dogs for long walks and relaxing with my family. I also enjoy cooking and spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen.