Lantern in seventh heaven as it scoops gold award for customer excellence yet again
Yorkshire-based debt management provider Lantern has been recognised for its efforts to support customers and employees, with the company being awarded Gold Accreditation from Investor in Customers (IIC) for the seventh consecutive year.
Lantern was presented with the award at its headquarters in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, with Danny Pickering, Managing Director of Smile Customer Experience which facilitates IIC customer assessments, congratulating the team on its performance.
The accreditation recognises companies both across the UK and internationally who understand their customers’ needs and achieve positive results.
Carrying out an assessment of employees and clientele, with respondents independently selected by the auditor, the IIC provides a business with a score out of 10, analysing their results to identify areas for improvement in their customer service.
The company, which currently manages 1.78 million accounts, supporting 1.27 million customers, has consistently improved its overall score since first achieving IIC recognition in 2017, increasing it from 7.32 to 8.86 in the seven years.
Key drivers of this increase were Lantern’s ability to provide flexible solutions and consistent support, with customers highlighting the company’s helpful, respectful approach.
Danny Pickering said: “This is truly an outstanding achievement for Lantern. It is a reflection of how committed everyone from the board, senior executives, management and employees within the business are to delivering good outcomes for its customers in such a challenging business sector.
“I have been privileged to witness how much this means to everyone at Lantern and the latest IIC Gold Award with an improved score is just reward for all the hard work in the last year.
Paul Mason, CEO of Lantern, said: “This recognition is even more powerful for our business because our customers don’t ‘choose’ us but join us through the acquisition of debt portfolios. It’s therefore so important for us to engage with them and build a relationship which will help them.
“Key to this is investing in the development of our staff. Whether it is helping them to hone their skills with our training programmes or giving them the tools they need in one-on-one sessions with our professional coaches, we make sure everyone is given the confidence to serve our customers to the best of their ability.”
Within the assessment, Lantern scored 9 out of 10 for understanding its customers needs, 8.88 for meeting them, and 8.9 for providing a pleasing service, while achieving an 8.59 score for clients who said they would recommend them.
Meanwhile, employees pointed to the company’s supportive culture, career development opportunities, and commitment to customer-first principles as reasons behind the strong feedback, with the company achieving a 4.7 out of 5 score on Trustpilot and a 4.9 score on Indeed.
Lantern provides customer-focused solutions for individuals who are struggling with their financial obligations, supporting them with sustainable repayment options.
Since 2008, Lantern has supported over 2.5 million people clear their debt, providing them with flexible solutions that work for them and winning awards for its customer service.
For more information about Lantern, visit www.lanternuk.com.