WYTS Primary Authority: Acorn Stairlifts In this feature l partnerships l enabling growth l winning awards In it together Partnering with trading standards has helped a West Yorkshire business Acorn Stairlifts to thrive. Jackie White explains W The business has received excellent support, guidance, policy and procedure reviews est Yorkshire Trading Standards Service (WYTS) has just celebrated its 30th birthday as part of a shared resource offered by West Yorkshire Joint Services. During that time, we have seen many changes to our approach to working with business, but one thing thats been constant throughout has been our ability and will to engage with business at all levels, ensuring compliance and enabling growth. In 2010, WYTS adopted the Primary Authority scheme and, since then, has evolved to offer businesses different packages to meet their needs, providing a wider service than before. The service expanded its offering in 2012 to a sector with a mixed reputation and that quite often lacks consumer confidence by engaging with Steeton-based Acorn Stairlifts. Acorn supplies its products, mainly through direct sales, predominantly to elderly consumers. It is one of the largest stairlift suppliers in the world, exporting from its UK factories to 80 countries, including the USA, where it is the market leader. Over the previous year, the service had received a number of enquiries about Acorn, and we needed to establish the cause. Onmeeting Acorn Stairlifts representatives, it was evident that the business was happy to engage with the service and that it wanted to bedoing right by consumers and to operate in a compliant manner. Since that initial meeting and for the last four years Acorn has proactively engaged with the service and has been receptive to the suggestions made to improve its customer service. We give the business monthly complaint analysis reports, enabling both them and us to identify trends, which has led to improved practice. We also hold a weekly business update, ensuring there is openness and transparency. The business has received excellent support, guidance, policy and procedure reviews, as well as training from West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service, which has allowed it to grow both in the UK and abroad. As a service, we have seen a significant reduction in the levels of consumer complaints and trading standards referrals. JOINT SuCCES S If you were in business and a trading standards officer came knocking, what would you do? Invite them in and put the kettle on, says Dave Belmont of Acorn Stairlifts. Theres a perception that if your business has dealings with trading standards it has a problem, but in our case the opposite is true. Since the inception of Primary Authority, the number of successful West Yorkshire Trading Standards Primary Authority Partnerships with businesses within West Yorkshire and beyond including direct partnerships with businesses and coordinated partnerships with trade associations has grown continuously. As a result, the level of compliance has vastly increased in the region, contributing to business growth and success. Recognition and support In 2014, the successful partnership between Asda Stores and WYTS was recognised at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Primary Authority Awards, with the partnership announced the overall winner of the Business category. Further accolades followed at the 2016 Primary Authority Awards, where WYTS and Acorn Stairlifts were nominated for two awards, the first in the Partnership category and the second in the Officer category. In the Partnership category, the nomination in recognition of the advice and support offered to Acorn Stairlifts over its commercial practices said that it was clear that openness and transparency were at the heart of the success of the partnership, and the 2016 Primary Authority Awards panel described the arrangement as an excellent example of how a partnership can work to improve marketing practices of a business, contributing to improved business reputation and growth. The nomination led to Acorn being named in the finalists listings andreceiving a Highly Commended award. The company is the only supplier of stairlifts and mobility equipment to have been commended atthe event. Company secretary Dave Belmont said: Acorn is proud of its customer service and its partnership with West Yorkshire Trading Standards Service. When we are seen in the same light as retail giants such as Asda and Boots, and not-for-profit organisations like Anchor Housing, we must be doing something right. Acorn mainly supplies its stairlifts to elderly consumers. Receiving excellent support, guidance and training from West Yorkshire Trading Standards has allowed us togrow our business both in the UK and abroad. Having a secure home market and assured advice helps us in a number of ways. We find we are already compliant with overseas requirements and this puts us ahead of our competitors. Our trading standards endorsement has helped us gain many accreditations in the past 12 months, which has increased consumer confidence in our business and which, in turn, has resulted in higher sales. In a second category, regulatory compliance officer Caroline Kilbride was nominated as Primary Authority Officer of the Year for her work with Acorn and, despite being shortlisted, just missed out on making the finalists listings. Belmont said: Since first looking after Acorn under the Primary Authority scheme, back in 2012, Caroline has provided us with excellent support, guidance and training. She has always been proactive and supportive. Caroline is an excellent ambassador for the Primary Authority scheme. After the awards success, Belmont accepted an invitation to be a key speaker at the West Yorkshire Joint Services Big 30 Open Day, celebrating 30 years of West Yorkshire Joint Services, of which trading standards is a key component. I was delighted to be asked to speak and hopefully to persuade other delegates to adopt a Primary Authority partnership approach to benefit their business, he said. Credits Jackie White is business, growth and development manager at West Yorkshire Trading Standards. Images: Julia Tim / kotoffei / Shutterstock From left: Acorns senior operations manager, Nick Wilson; company secretary Dave Belmont; Caroline Kilbride, of West Yorkshire Trading Standards; and Duncan Johnson, deputy director of regulatory delivery at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), during the awards ceremony It was evident that the business was happy to engage with the service, and that it wanted to be doing right by consumers and to operate in a compliant manner To share this page, in the toolbar click on