Service above and beyond the call of duty

There are very few that aren’t feeling the pinch from the current global economic situation and the need to be prudent with every penny we spend. So it’s no surprise that many people in the United Kingdom and Ireland are thinking of holidaying closer to home this year.

2009 will see more and more people holidaying within the UK and Ireland, avoiding the hassle of airports, increased charges, luggage restrictions and the strength of the Euro against the pound. 

Having predicted a potential rise in demand for their services across the Irish Sea, Norfolkline decided to ensure they were one step ahead of the competition by introducing a redundancy policy for customers, offering fantastic discounts and offer fares and by putting themselves under the microscope with their recent customer research initiative.

Norfolkline conducted a series of focus groups in Belfast, Dublin and Birkenhead with a number of regular customers, in-order to examine every aspect of their service between the Island of Ireland and Great Britain.

The survey showed some interesting findings. Firstly, that ferry travel is a great value holiday option for those wishing to sample the traditional family holiday in England’s North West, the rest of Great Britain or Ireland and secondly that holidaymakers were more relaxed about the fact that they could pack the car full of all the essentials without restrictions or hidden charges.

The independent survey also found that Norfolkline provided an excellent service to passengers and the friendliness of their staff was highly commended, with comments being made on how Norfolkline make their customers feel important, with Norfolkline staff being praised for their “can do” attitude.

Poul Woodall, Route Director of Norfolkline Irish Sea commented “Our aim as a company is to ensure passengers have the most comfortable and enjoyable experience on our vessels and we are extremely proud that the staff have been recognised as one of our most valuable assets.”

It was recognised that the company have gone to great lengths to ensure that the passenger experience is pleasant and comfortable. Once the customer is onboard they can relax with refreshments in one of the spacious lounges before dining in the restaurant and then retiring to their en-suite cabin, arriving fresh and relaxed at their destination.

The research also concluded that Norfolkline staff’s customer service and personal attention is one of the biggest advantages Norfolkline has over all of its competitors.

Poul Woodall concluded, “We will continue to strive to improve our customer offering and ensure value for money. Please check out our website at www.norfolkline.com for more information on our services and for the best deals available.”