Happy staff leads to happy families according to award winners

When parents or carers drop their children off at one of Sesame Lane’s 14 centres across Moreton Bay, they are greeted each morning with a friendly smile and hello.

It is the staff’s cheerful attitude and willingness to go above and beyond to help their customers that saw the company win the Customer Service Excellence Award at last year’s Moreton Bay Region Business Excellence and Innovation Awards.

Head of Sesame Lane Care and Kindergarten Kerri Smith says winning the award was a wonderful way to recognise how caring and devoted her team is to their customers.

“We were very surprised to win the award because there were so many good applicants, and all of the finalists were deserving of the award,” Kerri says.

“But we 100 per cent believe in our service and our people, so this award reconfirmed all the good work our people do.

“For us, customer service is one of the most important things - we invest in customer service and go over and above for all our customers, which is what makes us leaders in the early learning sector.

“It separates us from our competitors and shines a light on all the wonderful things we have done and achieved.

“I believe if you have happy staff, you have happy customers, and happy children.”

The win also boosted morale among their staff and attracted new employees.

“Not only did the award give our company recognition, but it also enhanced the morale of the 400 employees who work at our centres across Moreton Bay,” Kerri says.

“The staff were happy to be recognised for their efforts, and it also helped us to attract new quality employees because they want to work for someone who is a leader in their sector.”

With the awards set to return for 2022, Kerri says she will once again enter Sesame Lane in the hope of being named a winner again. 

She also encourages other businesses to throw their hat in the ring.

“When it comes to looking after the community, the Moreton Bay Region does this really well by supporting local businesses,” Kerri says.

“It is also a fantastic way to network with others. We have connected with other finalists since last year’s awards, and we have found it to be very valuable to make those new connections.”

How to register

The Moreton Bay Business and Innovation Awards are returning in 2022, with an earlier start date and additional categories for businesses and individuals to celebrate their achievements.

The awards, which are delivered by Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism (MBRIT) with sponsorship through its partner Moreton Bay Regional Council, celebrate the outstanding achievements of local businesses and individuals.

The awards are free to enter, and nominations open on May 16 at 9am.

They close on July 17 at 11.59pm.

To find out more, visit the website.