Chester BID’s city awards return to celebrate the best businesses in the city

Chester BID’s Annual Customer Service Awards will return after a scheduled break in 2020 due to the pandemic. They ask the public to vote and help to decide which of Chester’s businesses offer the best customer service of the high street.

The Customer Service Awards, now in their 6th year, have become the city’s annual way to recognise the hard-working individuals and businesses who provide an excellent service to Cestrians, and help to make Chester such an attractive tourist destination.

Chester BID will ask the public to vote on the businesses in the city over the summer, to determine which shops, restaurants, pubs, professional service firms and hotels offer the best service in the city.

The 3 businesses from each category with the most public votes will then be mystery shopped by an external team of independent experts. The awards ceremony will take place at Chester Cathedral on October 19th which will commence with a drinks reception (sponsored by Ellis & Co) immediately followed by an awards ceremony announcing the winners.

There will be 14 different categories to vote across a range of categories including Best Coffee Shop, Health & Beauty Provider and Best Independent Retailer.

This year three new categories have been announced including Best Market Trader, Most Improved Sustainability Champion (sponsored by Chester Zoo) and a Special Award (sponsored by Chester Business Club). The Special Award is predicted to go to the business who has gone above and beyond for their customers during the challenging trading times of the pandemic and various lockdowns.

Voting will close on September 5, with votes easily cast online through www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ChesterStars2021. The voting link will also be easily available through Chester BID’s social channels or website www.experiencechester.co.uk/. As an added incentive, anyone who votes will be entered into a random prize draw for a Chester Gift Card worth £100.

Carl Critchlow, BID Manager said: ‘This year’s awards, celebrating the successes of the city’s businesses, seem all the more important after the most unimaginable challenging trading year possible. Despite the adversity cast upon them, our businesses have proved themselves to be innovative, resilient and forward thinking.

During the height of the pandemic, restaurants switched to takeaways overnight, independent retailers built e-commerce websites and essential retailers devised delivery services to serve the most vulnerable of us. A strong neighbourhood spirit was cemented in Chester city centre, reminding us that we are a small and independent city, where customer service and a personal approach is of utmost importance.

We can’t wait to celebrate the businesses successes– and I tip my hat off to the judging panel as it will be a hard one to judge – we have so many winners in my view.’