Skipton puts customers first

In 2006, the society was the first financial institution to be awarded Customer First accreditation.

Customer First is an assessment standard that recognises organisations achieving high standards of service. To achieve and retain the award, the society has to undergo a rigorous assessment by an independent panel who judge it against a comprehensive framework of guidelines.

As well as its customer service, they also investigate criteria such as the organisation's work culture and whether its employees feel they receive enough training support.

Chris Worts, head of human resources at Skipton Building Society said: "As an established mutual, Skipton prides itself on the personal and friendly service our members receive. And after achieving Customer First compliance for a third time, we are determined to keep raising our standards to keep this prestigious accreditation.

"The financial services sector has experienced a turbulent time over recent years, and we're especially delighted that the independent assessors found that we have consistently maintained our high customer care standards throughout the last five years. We believe in building a genuine relationship with our members - putting us in the best position to meet their evolving financial needs in an ever changing financial environment."

In their report, the Customer First assessors said: "Skipton Building Society's passion for, enthusiasm about, and loyalty to its customers - and its desire to offer excellent service - are apparent across all its operations."