Not too big to care

Affinity for Business (AfB) are an independent water retailer in the open water non-household business retail market. The company puts its success down to having the right culture – both for customers and employees. We asked AfB to tell us more.

Focused on the right culture to succeed

When the market opened competitively in 2017, Affinity for Business (AfB) became an independent water retailer. We wanted to shape a culture that was commercially successful but not too big to care – about employees and customers. The culture Helen Gillett (our Managing Director) introduced, was built on her own lived experiences with mental ill-health which she shares openly both internally and externally. Fundamental to this are our company’s values of honesty, integrity, inclusivity and learning. As a result, AfB staff are role models in helping to make conversations around mental health and well-being in the workplace normal.

Happy people and a safe workplace

Watch: Affinity for Business – Best Place to Work from Keely Brooks on Vimeo.

In 2018, Helen signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge, demonstrating AfB’s commitment to continue building a psychologically safe workplace. A wide range of new benefits and initiatives have been introduced and developed, some top-down, others self-organising from the bottom up. Company-funded examples around Mental Health include:

• the roll-out of a Mental Health First Aid Team;
• Bupa Healthcare;
• access to a high-quality Employee Assistance Programme; and
• a pilot project with start-up wellbeing directory management service BetterSpace.

Our employees also organise more informal initiatives. This includes:

• bring your dog to work days;
• regular charity events; and
• designing a new well-being and relaxation room.

An integral part of our strategy has been great communication, monitored and improved through employee feedback.

Image: AfB pledge group

Achieving sustainable business success led by employees and customers

Due to our open and honest culture, we have consistently improved our customer service levels and achieved an ‘Excellent’, 5-star rating on Trustpilot, allowing us to rank as one of the top performing water retailers for customer service.

Customer feedback has had a major influence on our company culture, helping us to understand the aspects of customer service we are excelling at, whilst analysing constructive feedback which contributes to making crucial improvements to our processes. Our culture is also reflected in independent feedback through Glassdoor.

Creating an award-winning team

As well as commercial success, the strategy around improving customer service and mental health in the workplace, has meant AfB have become an award-winning team, having won ‘Best Place to Work’ at the UK Business Awards in 2018. Recently, the team were delighted to be shortlisted as finalists for the second time in 2019, for the ‘Best Place to Work’ and ‘Well-Being at Work Award’ categories as well as Helen being a finalist for the ‘Inspirational Leader’ category once again.

Image: AfB at the UKBTA 2018 awards

Delivering excellence, value and stewardship

We think our approach supports and contributes to the sector vision in terms of:

• delivering everyday excellence; and
• adding value for money.

We’re not complacent though. And we are continuing to improve our business for both our customers and employees. Because you’re never too big to care.

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