National Customer Service Week 2025 Productivity, Innovation and Growth
08 October 2025
As part of National Customer Service Week, today we’re recognising the vital role of Productivity, Innovation and Growth and there’s no better team to spotlight than our Quality Assurance (QA) department.
Often working behind the scenes, the QA team acts as Carpenters Group’s safety net, ensuring that everything we deliver meets the highest standards of quality, reliability, and performance. Their work helps us provide outstanding customer service, while also supporting our colleagues with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.
About the Team and Their Role
Led by Richard Norbury, the QA department brings together several specialist teams:
- Customer Service Team - Led by James McConville
- Risk & Compliance - Led by Holly Houghton
- Insurance Services QA - Led by Lauren Dunne
- Legal Training - Led by Maria Ingoe
Together, they cover compliance, auditing, training and customer support across all legal and insurance services.
“We’re the bridge between development and delivery, making sure quality customer service is always at the forefront of decisions.”
On a typical day, that might mean reviewing processes, running audits, supporting colleagues with training, or contributing to major projects, such as the successful onboarding new insurer clients. Each initiative involves careful planning, testing, training, and due diligence, all led and supported by QA.
Insurance Services and Risk and Compliance
diverse expertise in compliance and process management.
Driving Productivity and Growth
The team’s impact is measured in many ways, such as customer satisfaction data and audit scores as well as colleague retention and feedback. But often, their success is seen in less noticeable ways, like making sure colleagues feel confident in their roles, ensuring smoother customer journeys, and monitoring consistent delivery across the business.
The QA team prides itself on being proactive and innovative. Recently, they have introduced a new knowledge platform within insurance services, which is designed to continually address knowledge gaps and reinforce learning. “The new platform will ensure better compliance, increased productivity and improved colleague engagement which ultimately supports a high standard of customer service.”
Innovation and Fresh Thinking
QA’s focus on growth also means keeping pace with change. The team regularly invests in training, attends industry events, and embraces leadership development opportunities. They’re also preparing for emerging trends, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, exploring how these tools could transform quality assurance in the future.
“As the organisation grows, our role will evolve to become even more strategic. It’s about smarter processes, stronger training, and embracing technology to enhance the service we provide to customers.”
Collaboration and Pride
A hallmark of QA’s success is collaboration. The team meets regularly to share insights and problem-solve together, bringing diverse expertise in compliance and process management.
“Our ability to work both reactively and proactively makes us effective. We’re proud not of one single achievement, but of the continuous improvements that ripple across every department.”
What motivates them most is seeing the results of their work, whether it’s a colleague graduating from our in-house Legal Academy, or a customer enjoying a seamless service thanks to the systems they’ve put in place.
Celebrating National Customer Service Week
For the QA team, great customer service means being responsive and always striving to exceed expectations. Every piece of feedback, positive or negative, is an opportunity to improve.
As the QA team reminds us, customer service is more than a department, it’s the thread that runs through everything we do. By innovating and maintaining the highest standards, they help Carpenters Group deliver service we can all be proud of.
