This year, for the second time, the German Association of Carpentry and Joinery (Tischler Schreiner Deutschland) and Deutsche Messe AG will be awarding the Prize for Service to the Joinery and Cabinetmaking Trades.

Germany’s joiners and cabinetmakers were given until 31 December 2010 to vote for those firms who they thought provided the best level of service to their trades. A shortlist of ten nominees has now been finalized, and the overall winner will be selected from among their number by an expert jury.

From among the ten firms nominated for the 2011 Prize for Service to the Joinery and Cabinetmaking Trades, Häfele GmbH & Co KG, of Nagold, Germany, was selected by the expert jury as the winner.

The jury praised Häfele for its outstanding service to its customers via its website and in person via its highly trained and competent employees. The firm confirmed and processed inbound orders directly and quickly, always kept to agreed deadlines and managed its pricing in a transparent and clear manner. Häfele’s website was well structured and easy to navigate, provided a wealth of helpful information and featured a blog as well as online recommendations for cost-effective pricing. The jury also noted Häfele’s excellent technical support and the “can do,” solutions-oriented approach of its employees when dealing with out-of-the-ordinary challenges and special requests. It was thanks to this strong customer-focus, the jury noted, that Häfele stood out as a reliable and service-oriented partner to the joinery and cabinetmaking trades.

The jury made special mention of the nominees Ostermann GmbH and Burger Holzzentrum / Karl Burger GmbH & Co. KG, who were also rated very highly by the participating joiners and cabinetmakers.