Archive for September, 2009

All feedback is good feedback - but some is better than others!

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Someone once said that the only problem with running a business was staff and customers! I thought that whoever said that probably shouldn’t be running a business.

The comment comes from the fact that as a leader in a business you inevitably end up dealing with problems and letters of complaint (crap always floats to the top), and indeed a mark of how a business is run is how you deal with complaints.

We don’t get that many (and I hope I don’t pre-empt a rush with this blog!), but every one we get, particularly if the complainant is justified, hurts and I take them like a smack in the face. That said, all feedback is useful and I welcome it all – it’s really only through direct communication with customers that we’re able to continue to improve and hone our product, so that each new Urban Splash development is better than the last.

However, I must admit that I do enjoy positive feedback at the end of a hard day’s work. It’s a rare joy and sometimes out of the blue when someone writes a letter of congratulations, and so I was really pleased to receive the following letter:

Dear Mr Bloxham,

My wife and I would like to thank you wholeheartedly for the pleasure we derived from the recent visit to Morecambe, the first for a few years. We could not believe the transformation that Urban Splash has made to “The Midland Hotel” - a true story of “The Frog Turning into a Prince”. It was an experience to savour, as my wife and I stepped into the hotel foyer and we gasped with sheer delight at such an awesome sight.

Let’s hope that Urban Splash carries on “Doing What They Do, Do Well!!”

Kind regards,
Barry & Pam Evans

This made my day, perhaps we should all remember to write a nice letter occasionally. If you would like to send Urban Splash your feedback please email me at tombloxham@urbansplash.co.uk.

The Loft Shop gets a makeover!

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

loftshop

It’s a bit of a Manchester landmark. Everyone knows it, and everyone has their own name for it. It has been called many things, including ‘the tube’, ‘that silver thing on stilts’ and ‘the space ship’, but we fondly refer to it as the ‘Loftshop’ – our home to residential sales and rentals. You see it rising incongruously amongst the post-industrial landscape of Castlefield, just off the Chester Road roundabout.

Well, it’s been there for over 9 years now (I worked there when I first started with Splash all those years ago), and we’ve just done it up! We brought in our old friend and interior designer Fiona Woodward-Kelly to design the makeover. The space was dark and a bit tired, so Fiona felt the key was to brighten the space and make it more user friendly and welcoming. It now sports our lovely new logo on its flanks, while inside is a wonderfully welcoming space where you can come in to chat with our residential team. We’ve got comfy sofas, soft lighting, and our favourite luscious green rug so it really feels like home.

And you can discuss your dream home with us when you come to visit. Whether you’re looking to rent or buy an apartment, or are interested in one of our government-backed affordable schemes, Max, Toby, Dave and Helen would love you to pop in to say hello – let them know you’re coming, and they’ll get a brew on!

Opening times remain the same:
Mon, Tue 11am – 6pm
Wed, Thu 1pm – 8pm (late nights)
Fri, Sat, Sun 11am – 6pm

Loft Shop, Ellesmere Street, Castlefield, Manchester, M15 4LD
Tel: 0333 666 9999 live@urbansplash.co.uk
www.urbansplash.co.uk