Christmas came early for the team at Chigwell Bathroom Services. The kitchen and bathroom design and installation business secured its place as December’s Which? Trusted trader of the month. Steve Brightman, who set up and runs the company, told us it was ‘great news’, and said was going to take the team out for the day to celebrate. ‘It’s great to celebrate around Christmas time as well,’ he said. ‘It couldn’t have come at a better time.’

The judges were particularly impressed by the many high-quality reviews on Chigwell Bathroom Services’ profile page, and the detailed and personal responses to them. It was these reviews and responses, together with the company’s consistent engagement with the scheme, that clinched its place as the December Which? Trusted trader of the month.

Get some ideas about how to get more reviews on your profile. Read on for more about Chigwell Bathroom Services.

Friends rather than customers

Chigwell Bathroom Services designs and installs kitchens and bathrooms across Essex, covering everything from minor refurbishments to creating state of the art new kitchens and bathrooms. Steve started off working for another installer, but wanted to be his own boss. So he set up Chigwell Bathroom Services 21 years ago, in 1996.

Steve worked on his own for a couple of years, but now has a regular team of five contractors he works with, plus Sue, who takes care of the office-based work – as well as writing those wonderful responses on the website.

The Chigwell team pride themselves on making customers happy. Steve told us: ‘We’re with each customer for a minimum of two weeks, so we get to know them. At the end of the process they’re like a friend, rather than a customer. And we stay friends afterwards – our Christmas card list is getting pretty long now!’

Chigwell Bathroom Services’ approach is customer-centred from the start. The team take great care to look after their customers’ property and keep everything clean – which customers really appreciate. Sue also makes an on-site inspection, both during and at the end of a job, to ensure customers are 100% satisfied with progress.

Customers rely on the company’s thorough approach. Steve mentioned a job where the bathroom floor needed strengthening before work could progress. His customers told him, ‘We knew there was a problem, that’s why we got you in, because you’d do it right’.

Outstanding reviews

This level of trust and appreciation is reflected in the glowing reviews left by Chigwell Bathroom Services’ happy customers. Such as this one by Suzanne:

'And I thought all these testimonials must surely be a bit too good to be true…they’re not! Believe every word. The professionalism, attention to detail, and sheer friendliness of Steve and Jack (and of course Sue in the office) made our double bathroom transformation project as smooth and straightforward as it could possibly be, and we are completely delighted with the results.’

Many of the reviews mention how clean and tidy the team are, how they go the extra mile and how impressed the customers are with the service. The company’s responses to the reviews are personal and friendly, going above and beyond what we usually see on the site – see more on the Chigwell Bathroom Services page.

Steve told me he often directs customers to the Which? Trusted Traders site to look at the reviews. They bear witness to how he and the team work, and the positive relationships they build up. In fact, Steve said customers often ask him where they can leave reviews, particularly if they’ve already seen the Which? Trusted Traders page.

A winning formula

Steve and the Chigwell team make good use of the logo, putting it on their vans, cars, letterheads and social media. The business website makes frequent reference to Which? Trusted Traders and points towards the profile page.  Together with their amazing reviews, this has proved to be a winning formula.

Chigwell Bathroom Services was one of the first traders to sign up to Which? Trusted Traders, when the scheme launched in 2013. When he first heard about it, Steve wasn’t interested, saying he ‘thought it was a gimmick’. But on reflection, he decided to give it a go - and hasn’t looked back.

‘If you get one job through being a Which? Trusted trader, it pays for itself,’ he said, ‘but it’s progressed beyond that. Being a Which? Trusted trader gives me confidence in what we do. We’re associated with a well-known brand, and that impresses our customers. It’s an important part of how we do business now.’

And what’s next for Steve and the team? He says, ‘Now we’ve won Which? Trusted trader of the month, we’re going to go for Trader of the Year.’

Best of luck Steve, to you and all the team at Chigwell Bathroom Services.

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