Richard Winter is celebrating his second anniversary at the helm of oven valeting service Ovenu Wakefield with a diamond award for customer service excellence.
He previously worked as a sub-contractor for the former franchisee for two years when an opportunity arose to take over the business in the summer of 2019 – allowing him to fulfil a long-held ambition to become his own boss.
Richard’s hard work and dedication have now been recognised with the award from online ratings platform Trustist, following Ovenu Wakefield’s clean sweep of more than 640 maximum five-star customer reviews.
He said: “It’s certainly been an eventful two years in business to say the least, given the challenges presented by the pandemic, but this Trustist award gives me great confidence for the future.
“It’s confirmation that I’m delivering a great service, one that’s really appreciated, as there’s no higher praise than from those who matter most, your clients.
“It’s an honour to be recognised by Trustist in its Top Performing Franchisee category, and I’m extremely proud to receive a diamond rating.”
Richard recalled how he had just begun to establish himself when the pandemic struck, and he took the decision to temporarily mothball his business for five weeks.
However, since reopening his services have been in increasing demand, with more people spending time in the kitchen cooking and baking.
“Despite all the disruption, I’ve a healthy order book and the business continues to grow,” he added.
Rik Hellewell, the founder and managing director of Ovenu, said: “Many congratulations to Richard on the second anniversary of his business, which despite the difficulties of the past 18 month, goes from strength to strength. This award is a testament to his hard work and dedication in delivering a top-quality service.”
Nigel Apperley, chief executive of Trustist, said: “It is important to recognise that individual franchisees, like Richard, play a huge part in building a good reputation for an overall brand.”
Ovenu Wakefield continues to accept bookings at its discretion, with the strict stipulation that both parties observe a two-metre social distancing rule, along with guidelines on hygiene and cleanliness.
As well as the cathedral city, Richard also covers Dewsbury, Ossett, Horbury, Mirfield, Newmillerdam, Carlton, Lofthouse, Ardsley, Crigglestone, Flockton, Woolley and surrounding areas.
The Ovenu valeting process involves dismantling key components of an oven, such as the door, interior panels, fan, and shelves, and placing them into design-registered tank equipment, which uses safe, non-caustic and environmentally-friendly products, leaving the oven in near showroom condition.
