Why the customer is crucial to our mission to identify excellence and good practice

The Quality Message

When we launched the UK Coach Awards in 2009, we were determined to bring to the competition the techniques we had learned at the UK Bus Awards since we first launched them in 1996: the involvement of customers, impartial expert judging, and checking what happens on the ground.

The authentic voice of the customer – the people who use operators and drivers month in and month out – is an essential part of what we’re about.  It's so important that we've produced a special leaflet for group organisers and industry customers, to explain the Awards from a customer viewpoint.

Tour operators and group organisers are right at the sharp end, coping with things that go wrong, and dealing with sales staff on a regular basis to get quotes and the myriad of other details which go into making a perfect day out or longer trip.

Do your operators help or hinder?  Are they really there for you in the all-important preparation phase?  And above all of course, do they deliver on the day – bang on time, immaculately clean, superbly maintained and of the highest quality that your members and customers demand?

You know all about what makes a good coach driver – identifying for us the members of staff who have that very special combination of personality, professional skills and attitude that delivers a really special journey to your customers.

So we really want to hear from you: tell us all about your favourite operators and what they do for you and your members – both when things go right and how they cope if they don’t. And about your favourite driver too – the one whose talent, skill and personality really make your coach journeys or holidays extra special.

If you tell us, we can reward them with a pat on the back, tell others about their skill and dedication, and inspire the next generation of managers and drivers about how to do the job really well.

That’s the way to ensure that we really do spread the quality message to more operators and more people – which means that, ultimately, we’re all winners!

During the nomination phase, which runs from August until shortly before Christmas, you'll find online forms on this website - visit Customer Nominations for more details of how to nominate.