Business telecoms mavericks, Comms Supply, attended the Eastern Daily Press Business Awards last night; one of three Norfolk companies shortlisted in the Future50 One to Watch category. The awards event took place on Thursday 7 November 2013 at the Royal Norfolk Showground.
The EDP Business Awards showcase the very best in Norfolk’s business community, honouring the achievements of individual companies and highlighting the region’s strength and depth. The Future50 One to Watch category, sponsored by NWES, is for early-stage firms able to demonstrate a pioneering approach to business and the potential to flourish and deliver impressive results. Judges look for evidence of drive, impact, vision and potential in assessing the finalists.
Comms Supply provides a wide range of business telecoms services: from comprehensive phone, mobile and broadband packages to simple line rental. Karl Alderton founded the company because he firmly believed that other telecoms suppliers simply weren’t up to scratch in terms of the service they supplied and their approach to customer relations.
Dramatic profits and upselling on individual jobs are not the focus for Comms Supply. Instead, clients are recommended solutions which meet their specific needs. The Comms Supply aim is to foster long-term relationships with clients and this extends to the total lack of automated answerphone messages within the business. When a customer calls, they immediately speak to a real person: if there is a problem the Comms Supply team ensures that clients are updated regularly. Unlike other suppliers, when wholesale telecoms costs dropped, Karl passed these price reductions on to his existing customers. “I believe that customers deserve the very best service and prices we can provide,” he explains. “That’s the only way we will secure their loyalty and have the opportunity to stay with them as their businesses grow.”
Comms Supply has been punching above its weight since day one. Karl works tirelessly to ensure that his clients have access to the best technology available; partnering with some of the world’s leading manufacturers to develop new systems that allow smaller businesses to integrate cloud-based phone systems into their operations.
The two other shortlisted businesses in the One to Watch category were Eco Classrooms based in Thorpe, which manufactures sustainable buildings, and Zing Insights, a market research consultancy located in Tharston. The award was won by Eco Classrooms.
“We were so chuffed to make it to the final of the Future 50 One To Watch category alongside Eco Classrooms and Zing Insights,” says Karl. “Even though we didn’t win this year, we’ve been really inspired to set our sights even higher: we’ll be pulling out all the stops to make the next 12 months even more successful for both us and our clients. The great news is that three of our clients won awards last night. Naked Marketing won Small Business of the Year, Blue Sky Leisure won Business of the Year and Liftshare won Outstanding IT initiative. We’re all about helping our clients to achieve amazing results so seeing them win is almost as good as winning ourselves.”
Karl explains more about the Comms Supply approach: “Many telecoms suppliers are tied to particular manufacturers. This means they have a limited number of products to choose from and can end up recommending products which suit them – and their profit margins – rather than their customers. Comms Supply is totally independent so, once we’ve spent time finding out what our customers want to achieve, we can provide our customers with the solutions that are completely right for them. Our way of working is quite different from many of our competitors but an open, honest approach is fundamental to our customers’ satisfaction and our business success.”
To find out more about the range of services that Comms Supply provides, or to arrange a free business telecoms audit, please call 0333 2020 900 or visit www.commssupply.co.uk.
