Over the years the phrase “white glove” has become synonymous with a higher quality of service in a wide variety of industries and service sectors – Henley Shipping have prided themselves on providing this level of service since their launch in 2017, promising a “white glove” logistics service as part of their customer focused business model.
Henley Shipping pride themselves on putting the customer first at every stage of the logistics process, right the way through from initial contact and quoting to the final delivery or installation – they have set the standards for white glove service in their industry that competitors can only dream of.
But, where does the phrase “white glove” actually come from originally? The answer is a source of much debate and conjecture.
It’s logical to start by looking at the components of the phrase – white as a colour has long been a symbol of purity and high quality, white is transparent, if there is any imperfection white will expose it and it will quickly show up.
Gloves serve a dual function, protecting the wearer as well as whatever the wearer is handling. As far back as the 16th Century when the household cutlery of the landed gentry was made of fine silver, household butlers wore gloves because silver tarnishes easily when in contact with the oils secreted by the human skin. Butlers would employ the “white glove test” when checking on the quality of cleaning done by the staff around the house – the simple act of running a white gloved finger over a supposedly cleaned surface would expose any lingering dust and dirt.
It’s widely acknowledged that the first use of the phrase in a business context was as recent as 1979, being defined as:
white-glove
ˈ(h)wīt-ˈgləv
Definition of white-glove
: marked by special care or attention : METICULOUSwhite-glove service
Looking at this definition it’s easy to see the relevance of “white glove” to a high-end logistics company like Henley Shipping – it is used as an adjective when talking about the very highest level of service. “Delivering with a white glove promise” neatly encapsulates the Henley Shipping approach to customer service, leaving the client in no doubt as the level of service they can and should expect.
What sets Henley Shipping apart from others in the industry is they way, led by directors Josh Brown and Alex Batten, that they have used this as a business philosophy, a way of working and a benchmark against which the actions of all staff are measured. In a nutshell they use the term “white glove promise” to ensure the customer is at the heart of everything they do.
It is a constant presence behind the scenes but it really comes to the fore in the customers eyes towards the end of the process as their precious piece arrives at it’s destination and is loving transferred, unpacked and installed by the Henley Shipping team of experts. That’s when the delighted client can really see the true meaning of “white glove service”.