Once again this year we are on track to be recognised as one of Bury’s ‘most loved’ companies and the UK’s most loved security companies. To anyone who has already left testimonial for Authorized Access at thebestof bury website, we thank you most sincerely and if anyone would still like to leave a testimonial during the 14 Days Of Love, leading up to Valentines Day 14 February 2011 then please recommend Authorized Access here!

Anyone leaving a testimonial during this period will be entered into a prize draw each day of the remaining 14 Days Of Love and could win anything from an Apple IPad, Hot Air Balloon Ride and Meal for 2 at a Michelin Star Restaurant to Flowers for a year! But you have to be in it to win it!!

In our 22nd  year of business in Bury, at Authorized Access we aim to improve our customers and clients quality of life by providing appropriate and affordable security solutions, bringing peace of mind and a secure life style.

If you are unsure whether your home or business is adequately secured, then contact us at Authorized Access and we will carry out a security survey at no cost and with no obligation, so you can rest assured you have done all you possibly can to safeguard your family or employees.

In the current economic climate don’t let the fear of crime stop you enjoying life!

Call Lee on 0161 762 9936 for help or advice on any security related matter.

The do kicked off with a Champagne reception and everyone had their photo’s taken, there was a littl delay with the meal due to an unfortunate accident but meal completed, the proceedings got underway with Norman Prince as MC. Ex footballer Paul Fletcher entertained us with witty recollections of his time in the game and then the serious stuff began.

I couldn’t believe how anxious I became as the Customer Excellence category loomed and Authorized Access was spotlighted by Dianne Oxberry, introducing the awards.

“And the winner is….. Authorized Access!!”

The audience applauded and our table erupted. What a feeling, we had won! It’s good to know that we treat our customers the way we believe they should be treated but it’s fantastic to be recognised for it.

Customer Delight has always been central to the companies ethos and its testimony to our staff that its been recognised through this prestigious award, following closely on from being voted 3rd ‘Most Loved Locksmith’ in the UK and Best Service Provider in Bury 2010, Home and Garden Section through the Best Of Bury website, all in our 21st anniversary year in business.

On The Night!

Click on the link http://tiny.cc/5la5t and see the short video to get a flavour of the atmosphere at the awards evening and don’t hesitate to contact us at info@authorized-access.co.uk or phone 0161 762 9936 to seek advice on any security related subject.

Authorized Access is a Master locksmith’s Association approved company, employing qualified Master Locksmiths, providing service and advice to both domestic and commercial customers alike, aiming to make a difference in the community for years to come.

So what!

It’s a lot of work, time and effort to put together a convincing application, time that could really have been spent ‘working’, doing the things I’m supposed to do to make my business successful; you know, sales, marketing, networking, all those things that conventional businesses do.

Well actually, by taking the time to scrutinize what we actually do in our business that makes us think we are worthy of winning such an award allows us the opportunity to apply a different type of thinking, viewing our business the way a customer might view us, thinking about the things that as a customer would give us confidence to invite a company to deliver a service.

The process of evaluation and scrutiny of ones own business from the perspective of a customer is something that any business owner should undertake on a regular basis but I am willing to bet it’s something rarely done.

Whether we win the award or not, having undergone the process has given me a renewed understanding of just why we do certain things and provided the opportunity to remind my staff why I expect them to gain qualifications in relevant areas, wear clean identifiable uniform with clear identity badges, answer the phone with confidence within a certain number of rings and treat each and every customer, regardless of spend, with a friendly respect, along with all the other unmentioned things. Having done so, I am certain; we will have improved the experience each customer enjoys when they do business with Authorized Access.

Every business has customers, so if you own or work in a business, consider this:

What Is A Customer?

• A CUSTOMER is the most important person in any business.

• A CUSTOMER is not dependant on us. We are dependent on him.

• A CUSTOMER is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it.

• A CUSTOMER does us a favour when he comes in. We aren’t doing him a favour by serving him.

• A CUSTOMER is a part of our business, not an outsider. A customer is not just money in the cash register. He is a human being with feelings and deserves to be treated with respect.

• A CUSTOMER is a person who comes to us with his needs and his wants. It is our job to fill them.

A CUSTOMER deserves the most courteous attention we can give him. He is the life blood of this and every business.

You now have the chance to decide your future, to choose which path to pursue – that of apathy or that of responsibility.

It’s time to vote. And I strongly recommend that you vote… For yourself.

Whichever politician gets in today, their focus is not yours or your families individual security but that of Britain as a collective although they’re all set on convincing you of how important they are to you and your life.

The truth is, our goal as responsible people, spouses, parents and business people is to make politicians irrelevant to the security of our lives.

I think elections are fascinating but I’m under no illusion that the ‘right’ choice will make a huge difference to my future or yours. Their decisions will certainly influence you and your family’s future but only within the context of UK PLC.

Yours and your families personal security is in your hands, take the time to have your security at home and work checked by a professional. AUTHORIZED ACCESS is a Master Locksmith’s Approved Company who offer a FREE of charge, NO OBLIGATION security survey to ensure that your security complies with the Minimum Security Requirement on your insurance policy.

We have the knowledge and are able to help, but only if you invite us to and sometimes that’s the hardest step. Give yourself peace of mind and contact AUTHORIZED ACCESS today to arrange your FREE of charge SECURITY AUDIT.

Security is a selfish thing, it doesn’t stop crime but it moves the criminal down the street to the next weakest link. Give yourself peace of mind, don’t be the weakest link.

“Remember – Always use a Master Locksmiths Association ‘Approved Company’ when securing your property, where you can be assured that trained staff will provide a quality service with integrity to give you total peace of mind.”

For assistance contact  AUTHORIZED ACCESS or call 0161 762 9936, where our fully trained staff will guide you through the process.

1st April 2010, 21years later, still here (phew). Many lessons learned, not quite so ‘gung ho’ and needing to conquer the world. Some of those people from way back then, still loyal customers and many many new ones along the way. Realised early on that giving my customers the great service they deserved was the only way, forget that and your customers will let you know one way or another.

Ok, now for a giggle, do you remember when…

Mobile phones were rare in business and those that did have them needed a back pack to carry them round. I considered myself cutting edge though having a pager, available 24/7 to all who needed me. Hilarious to think that when this little gadget ‘went off’ all you got was a name, telephone number and a cryptic message, you then had to hot foot it to a working pay phone with your 2p and try and contact the person. Nothing like spontaneity and availability!

Communication…well you have heard of snail mail and it truly was! Not just a slur on Royal Mail’s performance, it was everything from typing the perfect letter (Oh and don’t forget the carbon so you can keep a copy!) with no spell or grammar check, to waiting for returned telephone calls or written orders to be received. Everything took so long! I remember my huge deliberation over whether the business actually needed a fax machine, it seemed so unnecessary.

Cash Is King… I smile when I receive letters stating that companies will no longer be accepting cheques as payment. How long will it be before we no longer accept cash in the same way? People always carried cash and a cheque book; hey you even had a lovely leather bound holder to stop your cheque book from creasing! Credit cards were for the rich and famous, you really knew you were dealing with someone of substance if they produced an American Express Card and you would run to get your manual swiper, rummage around to find the dockets and try to remember how it all worked!

In current times we have a world of instant communication. Mobile phones strapped to our ears, e-mails delivered in ways which I still don’t understand and no matter how much money is taken on credit card, if there is little cash in the till, I struggle to see it as a good day. Don’t get me wrong I am no dinosaur and at Authorized Access we have systems coming out of our ears to make business life more effective. But…..old habits DO die hard!

Were we any better off when the pace of business life was slower? I am not so sure and wouldn’t like to give up my modern goodies and go back to the old ways, even though I sometimes curse the intrusion of my mobile phone. I bet I am not alone having taken a business call on the beach.

Where will business be in another 21years!

We would like to say a great big thank you to all those who came and supported us for our 21^st birthday celebrations on Thursday 1^st April, no it wasn’t an April fool and we did indeed give away free safes, a 3 course meal for two at the Metro Fish Bar and a whole host of other prizes. We were grateful to the Deputy Mayor who came along and said a few complimentary words and Radio Rossendale for proving some great sounds.

For those who didn’t manage to come along on the day we will be continuing our celebrations for the first 21 days of April, with all customers receiving a free gift from the ‘Lucky Dip’ bran tub! Gifts include Safes, Alarms, Free Labour and many novelty items.

As a side issue, we believe we may have upset a few people (not many but even only one would be too many!) Our email campaigns are designed to be informative, fun and providing added value to the reader. Some are selling product on special offer while others just want to share some good news or valuable information. We believe that by using email, we are able to reach people without interrupting their working day and these can be read (or deleted) at the reader’s convenience. However there has been an oversight and we have omitted to include an ‘opt out’ facility. Let me assure you, this was an oversight and never intended as a ‘back door’ way of forcing people to receive unwanted mail.

In today’s climate, like all businesses, we are simply trying to reach as many people as possible in the most cost effective way. We accept that a large percentage of what you receive may, at the time, not be relevant however we hope that the content will give you a flavour of what Authorized Access is about, its values and customer service ethos and come the time you or your business requires security then you will bear us in mind.

From here on in you will see a caption on all our e-mails with instructions on how to unsubscribe to our mailing lists. We hope you won’t but understand if you do.

Here’s looking forward to the next 21 years.

Authorized Access cordially invites you to attend their 21st Birthday celebrations

Thursday 1st April 2010    

 Between 12pm and 2pm

RSVP

0161 762 9936      

info@authorized-access.co.uk     

 50b Bolton St Bury BL9 0LL

As a thank you to our customers Authorized Access will be holding

21days of Celebrations starting on 1^st April at our birthday Party.

At our party we will be giving away 21 safes

           (£1000 cash rating worth over £65 each supported by Burton Safes)

                                through a variety of traditional party games.

                                            Come along and have a go.

For the next 20 days, every Customer will be given the opportunity to take part in our ‘Lucky Dip’ and the chance to win anything from key cutting vouchers to a free safe.

A prize every time!

We will be ‘shaking the tin’ for Bury Hospice on the day, our nominated charity for this year

We will be welcoming the Deputy Mayor who opened our new premises in 2008 and Rossendale Radio a great new community radio station.

Come along to support us and join in the fun, what better way to start the Bank Holiday Weekend

For advice on the best solution for your business security,

contact Authorized Access

phone 0161 762 9936 or call into our showroom at

50b Bolton Street, Bury,BL9 0LL

and our helpful staff will advise and assist you

What a week!  Not only did our customers vote us the Best Service Provider in Bury 2010 in the Homes & Garden category, through the ‘Best Of Bury’ website but we also became the 3^rd ‘Most Loved Locksmith’ in the whole UK in a nationwide campaign competed for through the Best Of Websites.

The local award was won by a straight vote between twelve local companies, votes coming from their highly satisfied customers, who took the trouble to register on the Best Of Bury website and vote specifically for their chosen company.

The national award was as the result of a nationwide competition in which over 30,000 UK businesses received nominations and Authorized Access emerged as the third placed business in the Locksmiths Sector.

Owner, David Ramsden says “We are all thrilled and highly honoured that our customers feel strongly enough to have bestowed these awards upon us and thank everyone who voted. We also hope that this will give anyone thinking of using the services of Authorized Access, total confidence that we will satisfy all their security needs.” David believes their success is due to a great team, who’s dedication to exceptional customer service is paying great dividends.

Authorized Access, Bury’s only Master Locksmith’s Association Approved Locksmith, celebrates it’s 21^st anniversary on 1 April this year and is supporting Bury Hospice as it’s chosen charity throughout it’s year of celebration.

Authorized Access!! A local business, employing local people, serving local people for over 20 years…

Information taken from the ‘Federation Of Small Businesses’ Website suggests that the House Of Commons All-Party Small Shops Group estimates that there will be no independent retailers by 2015!

Apparently for the past three years small independent shops have been closing at a rate of 5000 per year, in the UK. This has risen alarmingly in 2009, when 25,000 small shops, which represents 10% of the total, closed in the first nine months of the year and there are another 50,000 shops teetering on the brink of extinction.

Is it the recession that’s responsible for this phenomenon, or is there a more sinister explanation?  Is it inevitable in modern times that price will be the prime consideration when making a buying decision?

Small independent local businesses will never be able to compete on price with large national companies who take advantage of economies of scale or internet based micro businesses whose overheads are so much lower than those borne on the high street.

Service is the key to retaining customers and while small local businesses ignore that fact they give more power to the anonymous ‘big boys’ to drive nails into their coffins. Promise to look after your customer, whatever it takes and you stand a chance of postponing what too many people seem to believe to be the inevitable.

We at Authorized Access know that we do our very best for our customers, we don’t always get it right but we always aim to put it right if things don’t initially go to plan. Our staff are all highly trained, with a recognised qualification in Customer Service, as well as being qualified in their field of expertise.

WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR?

KEEP BUSINESS LOCAL!

When They’re Gone They’re Gone!!

We are offering 25% off all our stock safes through the month of January, purchased and paid for before the 31 January 2010

Offers include Cash and Valuables Safes for Home or Office with insurance ratings from

£1000 to £10,000 cash and £100,000 of valuables

Contact our friendly and helpful staff on

0161 762 9936

or call into the showroom at 50b Bolton Street, Bury, BL9 0LL 

to take advantage of these great offers

Visit our web site AUTHORIZED ACCESS

or sign up for free regular security updates