Award confirms that Thatchers cares for its cider and its customers

Thatchers Cider is the first drinks company to come through a national assessment of service standards led by Investor in Customers, gaining a two star, “outstanding” rating.   

Undertaking the assessment for the first time, 1,000 customers, staff and management of the Somerset cider maker were asked to complete anonymous questionnaires which considered the company’s customer relationship performance.

“This is an excellent result for us,” says managing director Martin Thatcher. “For the first time of being assessed, a two star rating confirms that we put our customers first, and have many sound relationship practices at the heart of our business. Our task now is to aim for the elusive three star rating.”

Neil Craig, managing director of Investor in Customers says, “It’s clear from the strong loyalty scores that emanate from our research that there are very high levels of affection for Thatchers from many longstanding customers and employees. The high quality of the company’s products stands out by scoring highly.”  

The Investor in Customers model evaluates how customers are regarded within a business, and whether this is the main driver for processes, innovation and profitability. Once the research has been completed, IIC provides detailed feedback, learning points and highlights actions where improvements could be made.

Martin Thatcher concludes, “The Investor in Customers assessment has confirmed that our company values, as “people who care about cider” – are recognised and embraced by all our employees who are extremely loyal to the Thatchers brand. Importantly, it has highlighted that our customers also recognise these values and are happy to recommend us for product quality.”

Thatchers Cider has been crafting premium Somerset cider since 1904. Run by Martin Thatcher, fourth-generation of the Thatcher family, the company is one of the country’s leading craft cider makers owning over 360 acres of orchard in Somerset. This year, Thatchers is investing over £5 million in its marketing and production facilities in support of its drive for growth across its brands. This includes the continuation of its TV campaign for its flagship brand Thatchers Gold.

Martin Thatcher, Managing Director of Thatchers Cider, with Telesales Co-ordinator Wendy Reed

 

With thanks to Penny Adair