Customer Service Award

Winner: Royal Mail Sleaford

Sponsors: Sleaford BID

PRESENTING the award, BID manager Emma Batty said: "This year we honour something that everyone has, not everyone knows theirs, nor ever sees theirs, although they are about six-days-a-week and even in these days of electronic communications, they still bring us all manner of things from across the world or from the next street.

"Letters, birthday cards, bills, parcels and more, they all find their way to homes and businesses with their help.

"We're talking about our postmen and postwomen who, regardless of the weather, get up early, sort the mail in the Sorting Office on Station Road and then set off on foot, or by bike or van, to deliver our post.

"Nominations came in from several different areas of town so we know that it's the whole team that is appreciated.

"There are 17 separate delivery rounds that cover Sleaford, although the Sorting Office itself covers the area reaching from Folkingham in the south right up to Ruskington and Heckington.

"Some deliverers have around trip of up to 70 miles a day.

"The town's full-time staff start at 5.15 every morning, coming into the Sorting Office to start sorting the mail, with the rural full-timers.

"Part-time staff begin work at 7am with others starting at 9am.

"Once the mail is sorted they can then set off to their allocated areas and start the doorstep deliveries.

"One anonymous postman was described as being the 'smartest postman in the area, always polite helpful and co-operative'.

"The nomination went on to say that 'most importantly he always has a smile and time for you'.

"This is just one of the many reasons why the 2009 Customer Service Award goes to him and his colleagues at the Royal Mail Sleaford."

Accepting the award, David Lunn said: "Thank you very much for this award.

"It's very much a team effort and I can assure you that this will have pride of place in the lunch room!"