The 2015 DRF Awards dinner was held on Wednesday evening at the brand new Football Hotel opposite the ‘Theatre of Dreams’, Manchester United’s home ground.
The awards include Advisor of the Year with just two finalists both of which are team members of The Debt Advisor. The judging panel were member of the DRF Complaints Committee which includes David Hawkes of Advice UK and Anthony Sharp of Money Advice Liaison Group (MALG). This year’s winner of the Advisor of the Year Award was James Darrell, a member of the IVA team who specializes in pre-appointment work.
The judges were reportedly impressed with James’s testimonials from Clients who have said he has treated them with “sensitivity and understanding” and his attitude is “very professional” and he is not judgmental. One client has recently given him “a million thanks for your help” and feels that James’s customer service is “second to none” for his assistance in fighting against their former bank to obtain on the anxious client’s behalf a repayment of a refund they received that was paid into their old account in error.
According to James’s colleagues: “James is a very friendly member of the team, and although he is very easy-going, he does not rest on his laurels. James is able to focus on the job in hand and provide clients with their completed proposals in a timely and efficient manner. He has a vast level of knowledge and is able to both offer advice and opinions on cases with colleagues, as well as explaining the ins and outs of IVAs and their terms to clients, prior to and upon approval of their IVAs.”
This is the second time one of our advisors has won the award since entering for the first time in 2013.
Commenting on the win, James Darrell said: “I am very grateful to The Debt advisor for the support I have received during my time here and for fostering a culture where the customer is at the centre of what we do.”
Bev Budsworth, Managing Director of The Debt Advisor added: “The DRF awards are great for recognizing and rewarding talent in the debt solutions industry. James has a lovely disposition and has turned around our IVA pre-appointment team taking an average of only 32 days from receiving a client’s paperwork to a creditors’ meeting. His performance reinforces the ethos of The Debt Advisor of exceeding client’s expectations. James is also on a roll having won the TDA Director’s Award in August, the DRF Advisor Award in September and on the 9 October 2015 he gets married and then jets away for a well earned break and honeymoon. We wish James and his soon to be wife, Rachel the very best for their future life together.”
The Debt Resolution Forum (DRF) is a membership organisation for companies, individuals and partnerships that offer personal debt solutions. Members must comply with their codes and standards which are monitored annually by the Insolvency Practitioners Association.
