Lindström won in three of six ETSA award categories

The European Textile Service Association (ETSA) recognised excellence in the textile services industry at their congress in Prague in May. Lindström had a winning streak. We received awards in three of the six categories targeted to textile service companies and their suppliers. We were praised for our omnichannel customer experience initiative, our corporate social responsibility initiative in Czech and our new employee performance, learning and development platform.

This was the second time ETSA awarded innovative projects and initiatives. In 2022, Lindström’s Workwear Flex service won the Best Innovative Project award. For this year, ETSA has expanded the categories. Adding categories from three to six for textile service companies and their suppliers and one category for national associations. 

Customer Experience Excellence Award

The satisfaction of Lindström customers is on an excellent level and has been so for a very long time. Nevertheless, as the number of touchpoints with customers is increasing, we set out to consider how to keep our customers’ experience consistent throughout the customer journey.

The Omnichannel Experience Framework consists of an Omnichannel Experience Vision and Omnichannel Experience Operating Model. The vision gives the direction and ambition for the experience created by Lindström, and the operating model provides guidance and tools for development. 

The Framework will be utilised in any physical, digital or social interaction with a customer. The first case where the Framework has shown its power was the renewal of our 23 country websites and webshops. Customer feedback has been promising. Customers feel that the site is easy and effortless to use and makes it easy to understand how our service works. This provides a good basis for utilising the Framework in other initiatives as well.

“Lindström’s Omnichannel Experience Framework is an example of an outstanding customer service approach that focuses on the customers’ experience and expectations. The Framework is built from the outside-in and involved asking customers what they expected and what delivered value to those customers.  Encompassing physical, digital, and social interactions with customers, a framework has taken into account the customers’ views before, during, and after the development project.  Lindström has a history of great customer service, but through examples such as the development of the Omnichannel Experience Framework, they show a clear dedication to Customer Experience Excellence,” stated Luke Simpkins, CEO of the Laundry Association of Australia (LAA), who acted as a judge for the category.

Corporate Social Responsibility Award

Our collaboration with Czech social enterprise DobroDílo won the Corporate Social Responsibility Award. DobroDílo is dedicated to tackling employment challenges. They promote social inclusion for people with disabilities, fostering local development.  

Lindström aims to recycle 100% of its textile waste and looks for innovative solutions to upcycle and recycle textile waste. With the help of DobroDílo, the retired workwear got a new life as unique gifts sewn by disabled employees. 

Lindström’s customers have been delighted by the merchandise that combines textile waste reduction while improving the lives of people disadvantaged in the labour market. The project is further developing as Lindström has introduced the idea of recycled merchandise from retired workwear to its customers. One of those is the pharmacy chain Dr Max. Theis employees can now buy products made of their retired workwear from the DobroDilo e-shop. 

“The collaboration between textile service company Lindström and the Czech social enterprise DobroDílo is a wonderful example of how companies can promote social inclusion and contribute to the circular economy at the same time. Great to see how the initiative empowers disabled people, reduces textile waste and fosters local development!” says Elizabeth Kuiper, Associate Director at the European Policy Center, who acted as a judge in the category.

The initiative was also awarded for inspiring collaboration by the Czech social business award, the Zlatá Vážka Award (=Golden Dragonfly).  

Employer of the Year Award

In early 2023, Lindström unveiled Linda, a groundbreaking HRIS system designed to transform employee support. Serving as the backbone of HR operations, Linda streamlined processes, ensured data accuracy, and provided valuable insights. By providing autonomy and centralising processes, Linda embodies Lindström’s commitment to empowering individuals and fostering a culture of care and support.

Beyond its utility as a system, Linda was conceived as a trusted companion for every Lindströmer, enhancing engagement, performance, and development. Empowering autonomy, Linda allowed employees to manage their own information and profiles, fostering a sense of ownership. The Performance and Development module centralised evaluations and goal setting, nurturing a culture of talent development aligned with company objectives. Looking forward, Linda’s evolution continued with the introduction of a state-of-the-art learning management system in early 2024, signalling Lindström’s commitment to ongoing innovation and employee growth. 

“As Chair of the European Business Services Alliance, I am impressed by the activities of Lindström Oy and their Linda project. The platform to enhance engagement, performance, and development is innovative and contributes to the positive image and perception of the European textile services industry through a human-first approach. I congratulate Lindström Oy for the significant investment linked to the Linda project, for collecting concrete data on the outcomes and for disseminating results through a dedicated website,” said Dr. Michael Freytag, Public Affairs Manager at the World Employment Confederation and Chairman at the European Business Services Alliance (EBSA).