Top Service News
We have come a long way in 30 years!
Published on
We started in an old damp building with one typewriter, one photocopier, one landline phone and a fax machine in 1991, at the height of a recession.
Telephoning the office when out on the road involved finding a working phonebox and having plenty of change! In those days most businesses paid either by cash or cheque and “the cheque must be lost in the post” was a common excuse for late payment. Another excuse we heard on a few occasions was “I’ve broken my wrist so I’m unable to sign any cheques”. Everything we did was recorded on paper or index cards and stored in boxes, lever arch files or filing cabinets. Our desks had an anglepoise lamp, a filofax and an adding machine.
Phoenix companies were a regular occurrence in those days due to the recession and lax laws. Fraud was also prevalent in the construction sector at the time and all our investigation was done the hard way. We had no computers, no mobile phones and no internet. We spent hours sitting at microfiche readers staring at blurry screens studying rows of figures in an attempt to unravel frauds and scams. Our network of members would all get involved in fraud prevention by keeping an ear to the ground for us. It was like a grapevine of information and, with everyone working together, we were able to stop many fraudsters in their tracks.
There were many more independent businesses 30 years ago. There has been a lot of consolidation since then, particularly in the builders’ and plumbers’ merchants sector. We now boast the use of cutting-edge credit management technology, in order to provide our members with the most up-to-date and accurate trading data which has never been more important in the wake of the worst economic challenge in decades.
Lisa Cardus, Founding Director
In celebration of 30 years in business Top Service Ltd are offering a 30-day FREE trial
The 30-day trial is completely commitment free. Customers will have access to an unlimited amount of credit checks and 3 chasing letters as part of the trial. During the trial customers will also have full and unlimited access to the customer service team who are on hand to provide any support required.
To take advantage of this offer customers are requested to register online and complete a short form (Offer valid until 31st March 2021)