About Us!

We are Andy and Wendy McKenna – former owners of Best Reception – an incredibly successful telephone answering company. Over the past 18 years we have worked with thousands of businesses of all shapes and sizes – from start-ups to multinational companies – across multiple different sectors; from builders to butchers, chiropractors to carpenters, hairdressers to hotels.

We used the skills and knowledge we gained from running a business to support our clients in their business journey, sharing our learning with them. We employed and trained hundreds of staff along the way in excellent customer service, and were extremely proud of the service that our staff provided. Excellent staff retention meant our staff thrived, were loyal to the business and regained the knowledge that they had learned, ensuring that our customers received a seamless service. Our focus has been and always will be excellent customer service – this is at the heart of everything we do.

Having sold Best Reception in 2024, we have started our newest project: Launching Pad. We are looking to use the knowledge and skills that we have gained, to help launch and support other businesses. Launching Pad works with both newly formed and established companies to help with your on-line presence, streamline your processes, focus more on the customer experience and ultimately make your business successful.  

My background for many years was in sales & recruitment, and I eventually started my own recruitment business, recruiting Recruitment Consultants!  In 2006, I started Best Reception – a telephone answering and appointment booking service – and grew this to employing over 40 staff, gaining over 1000 monthly paying clients with over a million calls taken annually. We worked very much in partnership with our clients to ensure their calls were answered with the best possible outcomes and customer focus was central to everything we did. I am extremely proud of the excellent reputation we grew and the fact that we were the “go-to” company for many healthcare businesses.

Best Reception were finalists in the SME London Business Awards 2024 and had a score of 4.9/5 on Trust Pilot – this is tantamount to the excellent reputation achieved in many sectors, especially the health care industry. 

Since moving on from Best Reception in 2024 I am now thriving in supporting small businesses using my knowledge and expertise of running a business.  It is extremely rewarding to speak to new entrepreneurs who have their big idea and work with them to turn this into a real business that makes them money.

I am a “rockstar in training” – regularly playing guitar and singing in my band.  When I’m not performing I enjoy supporting the Scotland rugby team, going to the theatre and wine tasting!

As a mum of 2 teenagers I like to think of myself as being an experienced juggler of family and work life. I initially worked in the NHS for many years as a Registered Dietitian at the same time as working in private practice. I then left the public sector to work alongside Andy, managing Best Reception, a company which used to handle around a million calls a year.

My chief responsibilities were staff management, rota and shift management, completing all accounts duties for both clients and suppliers, and managing the company’s training and marketing pathways.  Working with the rest of the team, I am extremely proud that Best Reception achieved Investors In People status. 

I bring a wealth of experience from all areas of my life to my new role as co-director of Launching Pad and am super excited to support new entrepreneurs. My happy place is the theatre and I love travelling, eating out and spending time with family, friends (and my cats too of course!)