New customer service training programme launches

The Dorset and New Forest Tourism Partnership (DNFTP) is launching a new customer service training programme.

'Welcome Host Gold' aims to help staff at tourism destinations and individual businesses to improve their customer service skills alongside specific local visitor and tourism product knowledge.

The new course is part of Welcome to Excellence, the customer service training initiative, and includes an option to gain a City & Guilds qualification.

Sue Gill, Welcome to Excellence national lead, said: "Frontline staff can add real value through outstanding customer service - such as taking on a more proactive sales role. This benefits businesses' bottom line, and the wider industry.

"As we move towards 2012, we need to raise standards to enhance visitors' experiences, and better promote tourism businesses, the local area, and Britain as a destination."

Welcome Host Gold covers a range of topics including:

Effective communications skills
How to deal with difficult situations
Product knowledge of businesses and destinations
Understanding the sales role, up-selling and cross-selling
Effective team working in a frontline customer-facing environment

Jo Edom, project manager for the Dorset and New Forest Tourism Partnership, said: "Understanding our customers is key to meeting their expectations and product knowledge is key to selling the area. This course is an all-round winner.

"Local knowledge is fully integrated into our Welcome Host Gold course, so people learn it in a customer service context. With Weymouth and Portland's status as a 2012 host venue we will be welcoming many people to Dorset for the first time. Upskilling the workforce is vital to enhancing people's stay and encouraging them to return."

Following a series of pilot courses, the Partnership hopes to make the tailored Welcome Host Gold course available to as many as the county's 28,500-strong tourism workforce as possible.

External links

Welcome Host Gold

Training Reference is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Related information

For related news, case studies and research, visit our apprenticeships home page

Learning and development store

Visit our Learning and Development Store for everything from books and e-learning to laptops and projectors.

Source suppliers

Visit the Training Reference Directory to view supplier details for a wide range of courses, products and services.

L&D Store

Visit our Learning and Development Store for everything from e-learning packages and books to tablets and projectors.

Training Reference accepts no liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage caused by the user's reliance on any information, material or advice published on, or accessed from, this website. Users of this website are encouraged to verify information received with other sources. E&OE. All trademarks acknowledged. © Copyright Training Reference 2003 - 2013