Entry forms issued for OLOTY Awards 2016
Awards scheme can help independent off-licences identify areas for improvement within their business
Print19 May 2015
Entry forms for the 2015 National Off-Licence Awards have just been issued to NOffLA members. Judging for round one of the awards scheme will take place from Sunday, 31 May to Sunday, 5 July (five weeks). The second round of judging will be carried out between Monday, 7 September and Friday, 2 October (four weeks). The award finals will be held on Monday, 25 January 2016.
Judging for the first round of the awards will take the form of a visit from a “mystery shopper”, who will assess customer relations, the appearance of outlet, promotions, facility atmosphere as well as staff knowledge. A new aspect of the 2016 awards is that each entrant will receive a customer service award based on their performance, which can be used for promotional purposes later.
These awards have become an important process for those interested in setting and maintaining standards of excellence in the independent off-trade. Those who have participated in the scheme in the past would encourage all NOffLA members to enter the programme, the payback for which is about much more than the chance to win an award. Because of the structured nature of the adjudication process, the preparation for, and participation in, the scheme helps to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of a particular outlet. Information gleaned from the report of the judges indicating where marks were awarded under various headings may be used to identify areas for improvement.
The very decision of entering for the awards places one in an objective frame of mind. It enables NOffLA members to stand back and take a long, hard and dispassionate view of their business. Given the frenetic pace of the independent off-trade, this is something that many proprietors very seldom get an opportunity to do properly.
Winning a major award is a motivating factor for all entrants. However, those who enter the awards for the first time, perhaps tentatively, have discovered a range of benefits that accrue to participants:
- It allows you to look at the key performance indicators in your business and compare them year-on-year
- It gives you a mechanism to gauge how good a shop you run in comparison to your peers
- It allows your staff to work towards improving standards
- It builds consumer and trade awareness through an established PR campaign working with the media
- An invitation to attend a gala evening with all your friends in the off-trade.
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