Corporate Social ResponsibilityIssu

Corporate Social Responsibility
Issue 2009/2010
Corporate Social Responsibility
Deal responsibly with customers and suppliers
Elite work responsibly with customers and suppliers; this has proved to benefit the company with substantial
rewards.
As a wholly owned family business Elite prides itself on our relationship with suppliers and customers. We maintain
our honest and traditional values mixed with modern and progressive attitudes.
Our Statement:
‘Treat others as we wish to be treated ourselves’
The responsible business treats customers openly and fairly, Elite maintain this attitude and it is part of our
employee training programme.
We conducted a forum with our main customers in 1998 requesting advice on how we could improve the way in
which we operate and present ourselves. The feedback highlighted issues that our customers had with other
suppliers. The feedback in turn gave Elite greater knowledge to improve our own procedures and systems.
Some examples are shown below:
* Brochures should be written in plain English, telling the truth without hiding anything in the "small print".
* Be open and honest about your products and services. Tell customers what they want to know, including what
you do to be socially responsible.
* You should avoid pressure selling techniques.
* If something goes wrong, you should acknowledge the problem and deal with it.
* Don’t always buy on price, quality and environmental issues are important too.
In return, for our continued honest and open approach we have formulated excellent relationships with end users
and dealers and in turn they reward us with their loyalty.
Listening to customers is one of the best ways which feedback can be obtained, making it easy for customers to
voice their concerns.
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Corporate Social Responsibility
Suppliers
We always do our best to work with suppliers that are local to the factory facility as much as possible. This helps
Elite to support our community and also reduces the energy wasted in deliveries.
We audit our suppliers as an ongoing process to ensure that they follow responsible working practices. We are
very fortunate that our major suppliers all work to the same standards as ourselves. Relationships between the
supply chains are strong through excellent communications.
Suppliers are treats fairly, particularly smaller businesses that rely on Elite. For example, being paid on time can
make a big difference to them so we ensure this is taken care of. Similarly, we do not abuse our position by
taking advantage of a business that is relying on Elite to deal with them in an honest and fair way.
We have an honesty meeting with our major suppliers every 12 months to establish the implications of price
increases. We are well aware that squeezing too hard might even put our supplier out of business, leaving us
both worse off. Therefore, we discuss the increases and agree what will work for both parties.
The business benefits of corporate social responsibility
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) isn't just about doing the right thing. It offers direct business benefits.
Building a reputation as a responsible business sets Elite apart from our competition. Many consumers prefer to
buy from ethical businesses. Companies often prefer suppliers who demonstrate responsible policies, to minimise
the risk of any damage to their own reputations. This has awarded Elite with substantial business in the
past.
Sales of "environmentally friendly" products continue to grow - and these products often sell at a premium price.
However, fine detail at the beginning of a project can allow price reductions through the clarity of specification
details. i.e. What do you really need? Most products manufactured by Elite can be reduced in terms of manufacturing
specification, clear and honest discussions can save the environment, time and money for all parties. It's
not difficult to cut utility bills and waste disposal costs, bringing immediate cash benefits as a result of communication.
There are other benefits too:
* A good reputation makes it easier for Elite to recruit employees.
* Employees stay longer, reducing the costs and disruption of recruitment and retraining.
* Employees are better motivated and more productive.
* Good relationships with local authorities make doing business easier. We do work with the local Police, Schools
and Councils.
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Corporate Social Responsibility
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Environmental & Market Responsibility
Our Corporate Responsibility is clear and defined; we are committed to reduce our impact on the environment
and surrounding area. Not only do we monitor our own performance, we monitor the performance of our suppliers
and customers.
Marketplace: