Springpack’s customer experience executive Amy Francis looks back on a decade with the leading eco-packaging firm
Joining Springpack in the summer of 2012, I was new to the workplace, having finished college, and was keen to make my mark in the working world. With 2012 being a decade ago, this seems a fitting milestone to share how far Springpack has come.
A brief overview of the history of Springpack – in 1975 my dad established the company from the garage of his house, with all deliveries to customers being made in his own estate car, and my mum was on hand to answer phone calls and make deliveries when needed!
Then, in 1979 the company moved into its first official warehouse – an old bakery. Once the floors had been de-greased and de-floured and the main baker’s oven had been removed, Springpack moved in. There were three staff and deliveries being made by van within a 25-plus-mile radius.
In 1986 we moved to a warehouse of twice the size to facilitate the growth of the company, and it was here that the industrial packaging lines were introduced, and we never looked back! In 1990, with a team of 10 we moved to a building with a larger square footage of space to ensure we could continue to serve customers as efficiently as possible.
The year 2000 was an exciting and notable one here at Springpack. Having our first purpose-built warehouse built with a total of 18,500sq ft, this meant we were able to continue growing and expanding our product range. In 2010 we expanded to an additional unit directly opposite, which meant we had office and warehouse space to cater for our team of 30.
Then in 2019 we moved to a single site which incorporated both offices and warehouse under one roof. This was almost 60,000 sq. ft. in size so it ensured we were catering for our ever-growing valued customer base. We also installed a warehouse management system to enable all colleagues to be as efficient as possible when picking and packaging goods. This system has proved to be a great facilitator in eliminating any possible picking errors, which in turn elevates the customer experience.
So, when I joined in 2012, it was exciting to join and be a part of the family business. My first role was answering customer calls and ensuring that orders were placed and scheduled for when the customer required the goods. I then moved into a Sales Support role, being on hand to support two of the Sales Field Team with any admin or quotations they needed to be raised for a customer while they were on appointments. This was great as it enabled me to obtain an understanding of who our customers were, how they communicated, and what their requirements were from us.
In October 2017, I was promoted to managing the marketing activities in the company, from the day to day running of the website, to ensuring e-shots were scheduled and keeping our social media channels running smoothly. Moving forward to mid-2019, I embarked on a new role within the company as customer experience manager. This enabled me to look at the internal processes within the company and document these for each department and look at streamlining processes where necessary to ensure the customer experience for the customer was the best it could be.
When the pandemic hit in 2021, I moved into a purchasing executive role which involved the all-important processing of purchase orders, dealing with any supplier queries and ensuring goods arrived on time. I stayed in this role for exactly 1 year, and it was very helpful in enabling me to understand how a different but very crucial department within the company works and experience the workings of the company from another angle.
In 2022, I had the chance to move back into the customer experience role. As someone who has a real passion of ensuring the customer receives the best service and experience from us every time, this was an exciting move for me, and one that I was really looking forward to making my own mark on.
One of the many things I enjoy in the role is visiting our customers and discussing their experience to ensure that we are continually improving in any way we can. Also, working with all teams within the business is a fantastic way to get to know all members of the team.
Recently I went out for a day with one of our fantastic delivery drivers, Dean, who has been delivering the goods for almost 25 years! It was great to see the rapport and interactions between the customers and Dean, and how he ensures that we are continually delivering orders on time, with a friendly service. To enhance my knowledge and understanding of how crucial customer experience is within the company,
Springpack has supported me by enrolling me in a course which covers all aspects of how this important part of a business is key in offering customers the best service possible.
I look forward to many more years working with the team at Springpack – it is a privilege to be a part of a prosperous company that puts the customer at the heart of all we do.
If you require any packaging supplies, bespoke packaging designs, branded packaging, automation or eco-friendly advice then do give our friendly, helpful team a call on 01905 457 000, drop us an email to enquiries@springpack.co.uk. We look forward to speaking with you!
