Our driver Mark was ill and so I had to takeover the driving of the shred truck (it was the first time in 9 months) – I had 9 customer visits to carry out, starting in the Crewe area and finishing in Manchester.

I set off and it reminded me of the Channel 4 programme ‘Undercover Boss’ or The BBC’s ‘Back to the Floor’ I was doing the job that we ask the lads to do as part of their daily routine!

Three main things struck me during the experience:

“Over the Christmas period we updated our IT system again, so that now, the moment a customer signs for the shredding when it is completed, they receive an emailed copy of the electronic waste transfer note. This is a critical link in the chain of custody as it ensures the transfer note matches the Certificate of Destruction. This in turn ensures our invoices are easily processed (reducing admin work for all parties).”

“The feedback we received from customers was terrific. Not only were the customers positive about our service but they also commented on how helpful, professional and efficient our guys were. This was a great opportunity for me to ask about the service and get feedback from the people we actually service such as the receptionists and facility staff.”

“Not only did this experience allow me to see what the customers thought of our services but it also gave me the opportunity to see how I could make the job easier for our drivers. I came back with some good ideas which can be implemented immediately. Other ideas that we’re looking to put in place may take a week or so – for example I am going to get all customer postcodes preloaded into the vehicle sat-nav systems!”