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Made by Us


Meet the Jim Lawrence
Customer Service Team



Behind the scenes our friendly Customer Service Team are busy answering your phone calls, replying to emails, chatting on the website and on hand in our Bath and Hadleigh showrooms to give you any product and styling advice you may need. We caught up with Charlotte, our Customer Service Team Lead, to tell us all about life in customer services...

Charlotte Ruffles, Customer Service Team Lead
Welcome to the Style Journal Charlotte. Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to work for Jim Lawrence.

My first job was working as a sales supervisor at my local branch of Jojo Maman Bebe, a boutique maternity and babywear brand. I learnt a lot about working with people, being part of the team, looking after the shop and I enjoyed helping customers decide what to buy. After a few years I needed a fresh challenge so joined a call centre for a major insurer, but I really didn’t like it, I missed the personal touch, so when I saw Jim Lawrence advertising for customer service advisors, I jumped at the chance – that was 8 years ago now!

We have a high staff retention rate here at JL. What do you like most about working with us?

The people. We are a small and close-knit team here at JL and are good friends both in and out of work which makes such a difference to your quality of life. One of the best things about the job is that we have access to all aspects of the business, from photography to welders. We work as a well-oiled machine, with each department helping each other out when needed. It isn’t often you come across a company that cares about your opinion and suggestions.

Our customers are also lovely. We are lucky that we have showrooms in Bath and our hometown, Hadleigh, so we get to meet many of them. Here in Hadleigh, a lot of customers are local and pop in regularly so it's always nice to have a chat and see how their decorating schemes or renovations are progressing.
Charlotte on the web chat
Customers are at the heart of what we do at JL and we pride ourselves on building an excellent rapport with them. What does the term ‘customer service’ mean to you?

To me it means treating customers the same as you would expect to be treated yourself. It’s important to be a good listener, to understand their point of view, and conduct yourself in a polite, calm and professional manner. And, do your utmost to resolve issues and keep the customer updated with your progress so they know they are being looked after.

One of the advantages of being a small, family run business that manufactures everything on site, is that it is easier to provide a more personal service. We can talk to the people who design, make, pack and deliver our products, so it is easier to get the information we need to pass on to our customers. Our aim is to give them the best experience possible so they feel comfortable coming back to us, trusting that we will always do our best for them.

Talk us through a typical day in the customer services department.

We are the main point of contact for customers, so it is our job to cover the phone lines, web chat, emails and our showrooms in Bath – where we have another team - and here in Hadleigh. Most of us will be on the phones while each day we take it in turns to be on chat and in the showroom - and we all deal with emails.

We start the day at around 9am with a quick catch up on the previous day’s events -sales, new products, returns, issues, health and safety etc – before the phones open at 9.30. No one day is the same, it depends on the type of enquiries we get. Most will be people ordering by phone or wanting to arrange collections and deliveries, but we are also asked for advice on products, what looks best, what colours work well, how to fit them, if they can be adapted, where we ship to etc.
Charlotte with a customer
Manning the phones, responding to the web chat and working in the showrooms demand very different skills. What do you need to master these roles?

Each area requires a very different type of customer service. On the phone you can’t see who you are speaking to, so it is all about achieving the right tone of voice – friendly, efficient and knowledgeable.

In the showroom, it is important to have a good level of product knowledge because we are often not at the desk but talking to customers in different areas of the showroom. People like to take their time viewing products, or chatting about their projects, so it is important to be engaged and patient so they don’t feel rushed.

Our chat system, on the other hand, is all about quick answers and solutions, whilst also offering a service that is personable. A lot of people appreciate they are speaking to a real person on the chat and not a robot!

What do you enjoy most about working in the showroom?

Meeting customers and helping them with their projects. Typically, we get asked a lot about products and design advice enquiries, because in the showroom you get to see products ‘in the flesh’ which helps them picture what it will look like at home.

Customers often use us as a second opinion and run their ideas past us to get our point of view. It’s always fun to chat about ideas and investigate options. A lot of our customers are regulars, so it is always gratifying seeing how their projects are developing and how our products look in their lovely homes. 

Charlotte in the showroom
As we know, home updates and renovations can be complicated. How do you help customers to manage their interior projects from the point of view of a supplier?

Whilst we aren’t trained interior designers, working at JL often means we have an interest and enjoyment in it. Seeing our customers’ homes and products on social media, sharing photos of their finished projects and having our own Jim Lawrence products at home, means we have all developed an eye for styling which customers appreciate.

Because production is based here at our workshops, if we get a complicated enquiry, it is easy to speak to the designers, engineers and welders to find a solution. Everyone at JL is skilled in what they do and have a wealth of knowledge that they are always happy to share with us.

How do you help if something doesn't go according to plan?

As with everything in life, things can happen which aren’t ideal. The most important thing is to understand the customer, take ownership of the problem and do your best to resolve it as quickly as you can. I think as a team we are pretty good at working together to find the best solution and resolve any issues efficiently.

You much get asked a lot of unusual bespoke requests – are there any that stand out?

Years ago, we were asked to make our beautiful Sussex Pendant light, that comes in old gold and features a lot of decorative wheat kernels and leaves, in matt black. It looked incredible – very dramatic! It is always very exciting to see the finished bespoke products the workshop team have made because it really put into perspective how skilled they are.

Charlotte talking to a customer in the showroom

And last but not least, what is your favourite Jim Lawrence product and why?

It is hard to choose one, but I love the Stanton and Leiston pendants, both of which I have at home! I love the shape of the Stanton, it’s classic and looks amazing in my hallway. The Leiston is a large ‘pudding bowl- pendant that fits perfectly over my kitchen/dining table.

I also love the Morland Pull handles and Manson Door handles in antiqued brass. They feel so good to touch, you can tell the quality by the weight of them. I find that once you start buying from JL it is difficult to stop! All our products are so well made the finishes complement each other across our ranges. It’s also very useful to be able to buy everything you need from one place.

Browse the Jim Lawrence website to see all of our hand forged and finished lighting and homeware.


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