The Yorkshire Building Society has set a new quality standard for British call centres.

The Bradford company has become the first UK firm to achieve the Call Centre Association Standard.

The award was made after three days of assessment by a British Standards Institute team at YBS's offices in Filey Street and Rooley Lane. The inspectors looked at the working environment, the way customer needs were met, and staff management, training and motivation.

The visits included close monitoring of telephone calls - something YBS member contact centre manager John Stansfield said meant there was no room for mistakes. "We are absolutely delighted at receiving the award," he said. "We have worked very hard to ensure that the environment centre is far removed from the battery-hen image of call centres.

"We also have a very strong emphasis on staff training and development, as our members have a right to expect their contact with us to be dealt with both professionally and by an individual who is knowledgeable about our products and services.

"It is this people-focused approach that impressed the Assessors and resulted in the Award."

YBS, which employs 900 people in Bradford, is only the third company in the world to receive the benchmark since it was introduced last year. The others were Bank of Ireland and Morgan Stanley Bank.

YBS is the third biggest Society in the UK. The company notched up pre-tax profits of £64.9 million in 2000.