Sodexo wins Institute of Hospitality's HA award

With a score of 71.1%, Sodexo ranked in the upper quartile of all organisations in the UK achieving the nationally recognised standard for service and business excellence in the hospitality industry this year. Sodexo has been awarded HA accreditation in previous years for a selection of its sites in Scotland, however, it is the first time the company has succeeded in attaining accreditation for its entire operations in the country. The HA accreditation demonstrates that an organisation has made not only a resounding commitment to customer service but also improvements to its business performance and competitiveness. Any organisation wishing to gain the prestigious accreditation must first undertake a comprehensive self-assessment before submitting to a series of external assessments from the independent auditing body Marketing Quality Assurance (MQA). In a report, MQA assessors were particularly impressed with Sodexo's business retention strategy 'Clients for Life'; a programme that enables its operational teams to fully understand their clients' needs and expectations. Ian Griffith, managing director, MQA, said: "Sodexo Scotland is an extremely well run organisation that is absolutely committed to providing its clients and customers with world-class service. Its 'Clients for Life' process is an excellent example of client relationship management, demonstrating the care and attention it pays to understanding its clients' needs and expectations." Ann Corrigan, managing director of Hospitality Assured, added: "By achieving The Hospitality Assured accreditation the Sodexo has proven that it is not just talking about service excellence but actually has processes and procedures in place to ensure that this happens on a consistent basis. I am delighted to congratulate the teams on their fine achievement in gaining such an outstanding overall Hospitality Assured score." Sodexo joins an elite group of companies including, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Marks and Spencer and HSBC, which have also received HA accreditation this year.