CLOSING DATE: TUESDAY, 1SEPTEMBER, 2015 ENTRY GUIDELINES

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1 CLOSING DATE: TUESDAY, 1SEPTEMBER, 2015 ENTRY GUIDELINES

2 Entry into the Awards We welcome entries from any business within the Scottish wedding industry which has been trading for a minimum of 18 months at May 18, Whether you cater for 10 or 10,000 weddings a year, you will have an equal chance of being shortlisted. Benefits of Entering Showcase you and your business - a great platform to exhibit the exceptional service you offer to existing or potential clients and customers while benchmarking your company against some of the best in the industry. Gain publicity - the awards will publicise your company if you make the shortlist and of course, if you go on to win the award. We will also detail all shortlisted companies on The Scottish VOWS Awards website. Boost staff morale - recognising the hard work and achievements is a great way to say thank you to those who help make your business what it is. Network - the event is a great way to introduce you and your business to other wedding industry experts and build relationships. Attended by 660 suppliers in 2014, the guest list is set to grow!

3 How to Enter Follow these three steps to enter your business for The Scottish VOWS Awards REGISTER your company for The Scottish VOWS Awards Log on to and follow the link or The Scottish VOWS Awards COMPLETE a business review form. Within 72 hours of registering, you will be sent a link to a business review form by . This is your opportunity to explain why your company deserves to be recognised, examples of the ways in which you deliver consistently high levels of customer service and provide us with evidence of how this meets our criteria. REQUEST the support of your clients. In order to be considered for the next stage, each entry must be supported by 8 customer testimonials. Your customers will be asked to evaluate your skills in 5 key customer service areas, provide evidence of when you delivered exceptional customer service and evaluate how likely they would be to recommend your services.

4 Business Review Form Once registered, all companies will be asked to complete a business review form. This is your platform to tell the judges why you deserve to win a VOWS Award. You will be asked to showcase your business and more importantly, the initiatives which enhance your customers experience and your business results. The form will ask you to assess your business in the following areas: Measuring customer satisfaction How do you measure success in customer service? Innovation in customer service What practices have you introduced/developed to ensure that you meet and exceed your customer's needs? Handling complaints and feedback How do/would you deal with complaints and negative customer feedback? Making a difference What makes you different/stand out from your competitors? We will look for evidence of: How the business incorporates customer care into its business strategy Policies and best practice protocols Effective and consistent communication with customers Reaction to change or innovation with new products and services in line with enhancing the customer experience How effectively it deals with customer complaints Evidence of excellent customer service through surveys and testimonials Quality and craft of writing will not be judged. The final decisions are made by the judging panel.

5 Customer reviews For a business to qualify for the judging stage of The Scottish VOWS Awards, we must receive 8 supporting testimonials directly from newlyweds or members of the wedding party. Customers can submit their testimonials online at We will provide an update of the number of customer testimonials each entered company has received on a monthly basis. The 5 highest quality testimonials will be put forward to the judges. Customers will be asked how their expectations where matched in the following areas: Communication Product Knowledge Flexibility Quality and Value of Service They will also be asked to provide an example of when you delivered exceptional customer service and how likely they would be to recommend your services.

6 Checklist In order to be considered for the shortlist, you must ensure all supporting parts of your entry are submitted by the deadline: Registration with The Scottish VOWS Awards 2015 A completed business review form for each category you wish to enter A minimum of 8 supporting customer testimonials for each entry Once collated, this information will be examined by our research team to formulate a shortlist. The judging panel will then be presented with the business review form of each nominee as well as 5 supporting testimonials. The judging panel are responsible for deciding the finalists and winners of The Scottish VOWS Awards Entries must be received by: 5pm on Tuesday, 1 September, 2015 Completed or incomplete entries received after this deadline will not be presented to the judging panel. Entries can be submitted by following the link on The Scottish VOWS Awards website, by to info@vowsawards.co.uk or by post to: The Scottish VOWS Awards, DC Thomson Events, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee, DD4 8SL. If you have any questions, contact the VOWS team on info@vowsawards.co.uk or GOOD LUCK!