ISPA (Internet Service Providers Association) has announced the finalists for its 13th annual awards with ask4 named amongst the finalists in two categories. The awards ask4 have been nominated for are, Best Consumer Customer Service ISP and Best Business Customer Service ISP sponsored by Geo.

We at ask4 are driven by our commitment to delivering the best possible experience to all our customers and we are delighted that our dedication has been recognised in both the Consumer and Business sectors.

The accolade emphasises ask4’s commitment to providing excellent customer service along with the growth and development of ask4 over recent years. From September ask4 will supply market leading Broadband to around 130 student residences throughout the UK.

The ISPA’s are unique as they are awarded to companies and individuals in the industry by their peers. The finalists will now be assessed by a panel of judges and the winners will be announced on 7^th July at the ISPA’s award ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel.

My week was originally supposed to begin with a couple of overnight stays in the Capital, but due to a change in our schedule, my sightseeing plans have been delayed until next week. On the bright side it left me with the opportunity to once again spend some much needed time in the office and catch up with happenings that had occurred whilst I had been out on the road.

With the Easter bank holidays upon us I was eager to get out and about to ensure all the ask4 clients had everything they needed in preparation for the Easter period. My first visit was a quick one up the M1 to West Yorkshire, to Leeds and then westbound across the M62 to Bradford. As Leeds is the city I studied and lived in for 3 years, I relish every opportunity to pop in to see how the area has changed. I arrived a little early for my first meeting so I decided to have a drive through Headingley, where one of the Leeds Met campus is situated along with Headingley Carnegie Stadium and my former humble abode.

This week my travels took me to a number of places I have never visited, so as I arose Monday morning I was excited to see what these unchartered territories had to offer. I began with a stop off in our second city, a place I frequent regularly, but to a site brand new to myself, the University of Birmingham. Another one of the highly sought after Russell Group University’s, the fantastic university accommodation houses over 4000 students.

Following my picturesque journey up through Scotland, I thought I’d stick around Sheffield to get back in touch with my inner Yorkshire self. After taking a couple of days holiday my work week didn’t start until Tuesday, which left me little time to get organised for the next couple of weeks. As ask4’s head office is based in the steel city and is where the company originated, with both the Chairman and Managing Director being born and bred in Sheffield, it’s an area that ask4 is proud to be prominent in.

The beginning of my final week in the office started with me trying to arrange as many meetings as possible for the next few weeks, beginning with the North East and Scotland. With the number of sites we provide in Newcastle almost doubling next year, it’s clearly a city on the up and a place where I am bound to be spending more time. So I thought I would familiarise myself with the area and trundle up to Tyneside.

With my esteemed colleague spending the next couple of weeks navigating his way down the slopes of Les Arcs, it has been up to me to hold the fort in the office, which means my summer and September planning meetings have been put on hold for the next couple of weeks. These weeks will give me time to get all my paperwork up to date, as well as any outstanding work, along with getting started on new projects and preparing for next year’s intake with regards to the administrative side of the business.