Today sees the end of an era for Health Care Services, as we say good bye and ‘bon voyage’ to the founder of our business, Michael Bonser as Michael is retiring after 29 years of being associated with and working in the Company.
He first started the business in 1989, quite by chance, when he saw an opportunity. At the time he was running a company offering a baby nappy delivery service to local new mums, and one day a nursing home rang and asked him if he could supply them with adult style incontinence products.
Michael instinctively said, “Yes, of course we can”; he saw a customer with a need and he wanted to help them fulfil it. At this stage he hadn’t any experience of working with adult incontinence products, but he made sure that he went out and found out and was able to fulfil the order and then thought who else might need these products? So, he started to contact other local nursing homes and care homes and that is how the business began as he started to supply more care homes in and around the area.
Michael, who retires today from Hcsuk.
As Michael continued to visit his care home customers, they would to ask him, “Can you also supply me with other products, gloves, pressure relieving mattresses, (known as ‘spencos’ at that time!) and beds?” And each time Michael would say yes, and he would go away, do his research, find suppliers and come back equipped and able to give his customer the solution that they were looking for.
That was nearly 30 years ago, and the business has gone from strength to strength, adding on a retail division, Health Care Mobility, to help people remain living at home independently with aids for daily living. Michael was also instrumental in the launch of our Health Care Servicing division where field service engineers go out to service, repair and maintain essential equipment in care homes to help residents stay safe and care home providers complying with all of the relevant legislation including LOLER and PUWER. And we still maintain the same values which Michael instilled in the business all those years ago.
Due to the wide experience he has gained working in various departments of the business, Michael has been a great asset to the team because of his ability and flexibility to switch between different roles as and when needed, including sales, distribution, warehouse and servicing.
Michael set the standards of high levels of customer care from the outset, which have remained throughout, are now embedded throughout the team to this day. His attention to detail, coupled with his cheeky style and unfailing sense of humour, has enabled him to build some great long and lasting relationships with many customers over the years. Some of which we are fortunate to still provide services to, nearly 30 years on.
We are extremely grateful to him, for giving life to Hcsuk so many years ago and we all wish him well as he and his wife Debbie, embark on new adventures. Please do share your memories of Michael with us.
