Member Article

People 1st Training Company gives small businesses the gift of customer service training this Christmas

As the service industry gears up for the Christmas rush, the People 1st Training Company is lending its support to small and medium businesses by giving away 5,000 free passes for its WorldHost Insights online customer service training programme.

Businesses with up to 250 staff will be able to claim free passes for the e-learning programme, which includes elements of the training used to prepare thousands of staff and volunteers for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Customer service is still a major issue for service industry businesses in the UK. 61% of hospitality and tourism businesses report that customer handling skills need improvement within their workforce, along with 54% of passenger transport and travel businesses. Over 85% of employers across both industries say that customer service will be the most important skills need for their business in the next 3-5 years.*

Over an hour-and-a-half course, WorldHost Insights gives staff an introduction into how to connect with customers, communicate effectively with disabled customers and those from other cultures and go the extra mile. It also includes opportunities for participants to test their skills and knowledge and ultimately learn why their role has such an impact on the customers’ experience.

The programme is designed to help staff who have never been trained in customer service and those who want to refresh their skills. Participants receive an official WorldHost certificate on completing the programme.

With many service sector businesses recruiting temporary staff ahead of the Christmas rush, the free training offers a fantastic opportunity to ensure that their teams are prepared to meet customer expectations, at no cost to the employer.

Sharon Glancy, managing director of the People 1st Training Company, commented: “With the busy Christmas period coming up, we wanted to give small and medium businesses something that will help them wow their customers and secure repeat business over the quieter weeks that follow.

“We appreciate that this is a hectic time for service businesses, which makes it especially difficult to release staff for formal training, so free access to our WorldHost Insights is our Christmas present to the industry!

“As the training programme is online, it can be accessed any time, any place – staff can either complete it at home, in bite-sized chunks during quiet periods of their working day or before/after they start their shift. It’s a great way for small businesses to use a proven training product at a time and place which is convenient to them.”

The 5,000 free passes will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Businesses and employees can claim their passes by visiting http://sme.worldhost.co.uk

*State of the Nation 2013 Report Hospitality and Tourism/State of the Nation 2013 Report Passenger Transport and Travel, People 1st

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by People 1st Training Company .