Squire’s Garden Centres has rewarded some of its employees for making a difference to the business.

Each month team members can be nominated by their peers, or by customers, and one person is selected for the “Made A Difference” award. It could be because they offered outstanding customer service, came up with a great idea, went over and above normal duties, or thought of an initiative that has grown or inspired the business.

The 2019 winners were recently thanked with a special lunch served by the management team at Squire’s in Badshot Lea, and the overall winner was also announced - Ben Woolhouse, garden furniture department head at Squire’s in West Horsley.

Ben won the award twice in 2019, and was chosen as the overall winner due to his outstanding “over and above” customer service.

The first time he won was in May last year, when he delivered an order directly to a customer late on a Sunday evening. The delivery driver had run out of time, the garden centre was closing, and everyone was going home. Without being asked, Ben took the delivery out to the customer, as he had promised that they would have their furniture that day.

Then, on Christmas Eve, a customer arrived at the centre with a letter for Santa from her son, who was too ill to come in and feared he wouldn’t get any presents if Santa didn’t have his letter. Unfortunately the grotto had closed at that time, but Ben stepped in, put the Santa outfit on, and had a picture taken as he held the letter. See picture, right.