A FAMILY-run fuel company in Sedbergh has been given an excellence award for its customer service.

Dawsons Fuels has won a Feefo Gold Service award, an independent seal of excellence which recognises businesses for delivering exceptional experiences to customers.

The accreditation remains unique as all the awards are based purely on the interactions with verified customers. This feedback has been collated by the Feefo review platform, with the accolades being awarded based on performance.

Dawsons Fuels met the criteria of collecting at least 50 reviews between January 1 and December 31, 2016, and achieved a Feefo service rating of between 4.5 and 5, out of 5.

“It’s a real honour to receive this award from Feefo," said Peter Dawson, of Dawsons Fuels. "To be recognised for delivering exceptional experiences to our customers is a great achievement.

"We’ve been working hard to ensure our customers receive the best service possible, and being able to listen, understand and respond to their needs has enabled us to improve our offering in 2016. We’re looking forward to another successful year ahead.”

The business was established in 1895 by William Dawson and five generations later is now run by two brothers, Peter and Martyn. It specialises in the sale of coal, smokeless fuels and biomass products as well as other outdoor supplies, including compost and bark.

Feefo collects genuine, purchase-verified reviews on behalf of more than 3,000 businesses and ensures that all feedback is authentic by matching it to a legitimate transaction.

Andrew Mabbutt, CEO at Feefo, said: "We would like to offer our congratulations to all the winners of this year’s Feefo Trusted Service award. We are so proud that so many businesses are putting customer service first."