We’re proud to announce that Lanes Group has been named the winner of the ‘Retraining/Upskilling Initiative of the Year’ at the British Training Awards 2025, held at the Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden, London.
This award recognises our bespoke customer service training programme, for our teams working on our contract with Thames Water, aimed at transforming the performance of our schedulers and planning coordinators.
The initiative was built around eight ‘brilliant behaviours’ identified by Thames Water, and delivered through 124 workshops to 60 colleagues.
The results have been outstanding, including:
39% increase in call quality audit scores
87% reduction in manager callbacks to customers
The programme’s success has already attracted interest from other organisations with customer service operations, and we’re now building on this momentum with the development of a ‘Compassionate Customer Care Programme’ to support customers with specific needs, such as disabilities or serious medical conditions.
Sian Williams, Learning & Development Advisor, said:
“It was a tough category full of big names, so it meant a lot just to be in the mix, it means even more for us to win! I'm so thrilled with the achievement.
"We couldn't have done it without the receptiveness and hard work of the teams. It was a joy to create and run, and I can't wait to do more soon!”
James Brewer, Learning and Development Specialist, added:
“This recognition means the world because it celebrates something we deeply care about: empowering our people with the mindset, skills and behaviours to thrive and to deliver for our customers, every single day.”
The British Training Awards received over 360 entries this year from organisations across the UK, ranging from start-ups to global enterprises.
Winners were revealed during a ceremony hosted by comedian Lucy Porter, which featured networking, an interactive AI-themed activity called Secret Robot, a panel discussion on Lifelong Learning led by Liggy Webb, and a surprise performance by a Mexican marching band.
The judges praised Lanes Group’s initiative as an “excellent submission,” highlighting its “clear purpose and impact that has delivered results for employees, the organisation, and customers.”
We’re honoured by this recognition and excited to continue driving innovation in learning and development to better serve our people and our customers.