SAIF Golden Charter

Award-winning duo

Two independent funeral directors in Fife were recognised for the high quality of their customer service in the recent Retail Business Awards: Alex Little Funeral Directors based in Methil was awarded Fife’s Best Professional Service Provider 2019, while Ian Johnston Funeral Directors was voted best business in Kirkcaldy.

The awards are part of Scotland’s Business Awards, and businesses are nominated online by customers for a range of different award categories. The winners were announced at a glittering awards ceremony held at Keavil House Hotel, Dunfermline.

Commenting on the award, Alex Little said: “We are delighted with this accolade and will strive to continue to provide the best professional service to families in their time of need and at pre-need. We have worked very hard over the last two years and it has been heartwarming to see the business grow from strength to strength.

“We are committed to providing the same level of care and support to families making pre-need funeral arrangements as well as our at-need families and are delighted to be affiliated with Golden Charter Funeral Plans, as we have seen a growth in our pre-paid funeral plan sales.”

Ian Johnston, who also set up his business two years ago in partnership with Ally Caldicott, said his staff “were over the moon” to win the award. He told the local newspaper, Fife Today: “We had been nominated in the Best Service Provider category, which we didn’t get, but then we were announced as the Best Kirkcaldy Business, which took in a whole range of businesses from all over the town.

“We were absolutely over the moon and completely overwhelmed when we realised we had won. It was quite a shock because we were up against some very good businesses.”

He said the first he and his employees knew about the competition was when they were visited by a ‘secret shopper’ who spent 45 minutes chatting to him about the business. He then received a letter informing him that the business was in the final of the competition.

He added: “I just want to say that it is an honour and a privilege to serve the families of Kirkcaldy and the surrounding areas in their time of grief. I want to thank everyone for their support of our business.”