When health and safety training provider Astutis first partnered with Feefo seven years ago, they weren't chasing awards – they were looking for authentic customer dialogue.
Today, as they approach their fourth consecutive Platinum Trusted Service Award, those accolades have become powerful proof of a philosophy: treat every customer as a member of your advisory board.
The motivation: opening a genuine dialogue
Seven years ago, Astutis faced a challenge common to B2B service providers: how do you truly understand customer experience beyond anecdotal feedback?
"When we signed up with Feefo, the awards weren't our primary driver," explains Ruth Williams, Director of Brand, Content and Creative at Astutis. "Our core motivation was finding a trusted, verified mechanism to truly understand how our customers experienced our service delivery and to gauge the perception of our quality."
Trust is especially important for a business operating in the health and safety training sector. Customers are making decisions that impact careers and organisational compliance. They need confidence that their training provider will consistently deliver.
"Customer experience is at the heart of everything we do, and we wanted to open up a genuine dialogue with our customers," Ruth adds. "The Trusted Service Awards have been a wonderful added benefit – a tangible recognition that our commitment to putting customers first is working. But ultimately, it's the daily feedback and that open channel of communication that we value most."
That foundation of verified, independent feedback has enabled Astutis to transform their customer experience and drive measurable business results – and the Trusted Service Awards have become the visible proof of that commitment.
The Integration: living excellence every single day
Winning a Platinum Trusted Service Award once is an achievement. Winning it four years consecutively requires something deeper: a systematic commitment to excellence that permeates every customer touchpoint.
Visibility everywhere
Astutis display the Platinum badge with pride, and with intent.
"We display the Feefo badge on every single customer touchpoint—the whole nine yards," Ruth says. "It's on our website, in every email footer, in tender documents, on Google AdWords, display advertising, third-party websites, affiliate platforms, and even in our contracts."
But this isn’t vanity – it’s a mark of differentiation.
"The Feefo Platinum badge represents independently verified, consistent excellence—not just a one-off good month or cherry-picked reviews," Ruth explains. "When competitors are showing generic ratings, our Platinum badge proves our commitment is verified, sustained, and genuine."
Daily commitment to feedback
But visibility alone doesn't sustain Platinum status – consistency does.
"We check our Feefo account—365 days a year," Ruth reveals. "No customer should have to wait to have their valuable feedback acknowledged and listened to. That’s driven by our genuine belief that every customer deserves the same exceptional experience, whether they're contacting us in January or December, on a Monday morning or a Saturday evening."
Reviews are integrated into training sessions, team meetings, and strategic planning.
"We've evolved from viewing reviews as feedback to treating them as our customer advisory board in action," Ruth says. "Every piece of feedback—positive or constructive—informs our training, our processes, and our service delivery."
Celebrating success together
The moment Astutis learns they've won Platinum each year has become legendary within the company.
"Over the years, we've marked each Platinum win with everything from specially crafted celebration cakes to parties and custom celebration t-shirts," Ruth shares. "Everyone makes a point of being in the office on announcement day, and not just for the cake! There's this collective pride that comes from knowing every single team member contributed to this achievement."
This year, approaching their fourth consecutive win, the anticipation has energised the entire team.
"The TSA is far more than external validation for us—it's a mirror that reflects our team's daily commitment back to them," Ruth explains. "Every Platinum award represents thousands of individual interactions where our team members went above and beyond. In terms of morale and retention, the award reinforces that our people work for an organisation that genuinely values excellence and customer care."
The Impact: trust that converts and growth that sustains
The systematic approach to leveraging Trusted Service Awards has delivered tangible business results for Astutis.
Competitive Differentiation
In a crowded training market, the Platinum badge cuts through the noise.
"The Feefo Platinum badge carries weight that generic star ratings simply can't match," Ruth notes. "It tells prospects that thousands of real customers have rated us, and we've maintained exceptional standards year after year."
Converting fence-sitters
When prospects are evaluating multiple providers, verified excellence tips the balance.
"Our customers regularly tell us that the social proof of our excellent service plays a significant part in the trust they place in our brand," Ruth says. "When prospects are comparing training providers, the Platinum badge becomes a crucial differentiator—it's third-party proof that we deliver on our promises, day in and day out."
Measurable growth
The numbers back up the strategy. In 2025, Astutis experienced 10% growth, with customer feedback consistently indicating that verified, independent validation played a significant role.
This builds on their previous success where they saw a 30% increase in interest and a 10% boost to bookings.
"The Feefo integration hasn't just maintained its impact—it's become embedded in how prospects evaluate us and how customers validate their decision to choose us."
Ruth's advice to other Feefo customers
When asked what advice she'd give to other businesses leveraging Trusted Service Awards, Ruth's response is characteristically direct:
"Display them everywhere, and more importantly, live them every single day. The badge is powerful, but it's only powerful because it represents genuine commitment. Check your Feefo account daily, respond to every review, act on feedback, and let your customers see that their voice genuinely shapes your business. Customer experience matters more than any marketing campaign ever could. Reviews and awards are the outcome of that mindset, not the goal itself."
The bigger picture
As they await confirmation of their fourth consecutive Platinum award, Ruth reflects on what the journey has meant:
"At Astutis, we treat every customer as a member of the advisory board—their experience matters. That's not just a tagline; it's our operational philosophy. Feefo has given us the platform to make that philosophy visible and measurable. The four consecutive Platinum awards (fingers crossed!) represent seven years of listening, learning, and constantly improving based on what our customers tell us.
That's the real story here: Feefo doesn't just help us showcase excellence; it helps us achieve it."
Ready to see how Trusted Service Awards can differentiate your business and drive growth? Discover how Feefo can help you build verified trust with your customers.
