Customer service boost for Newry businesses

Staff from six local businesses have successfully completed their ‘WorldHost’ customer service training qualifications with local marketing trainer, Lynda Willis.  WorldHost courses are aimed at helping businesses in hospitality and tourism to address the skills and challenges of customer service, deliver a world class experience to all their visitors and ultimately improve sales.  

'Maintaining high levels of customer service is something that you can never be complacent about so having Lynda to train our staff has made a huge difference', said Sean Connolly from East Coast Coaches .  'We want to go the extra mile and provide excellent service to our customers.  This course was a really good opportunity to refresh these skills with our staff.'

The two day course was attended by staff from Deli-Lites, Art Bar Funkel Restaurant, Clanrye Group, East Coast Coaches, the Courthouse Restaurant and the Ti Chulainn Cultural Centre in Mullaghbane.  Not all the time was spent in the training room.  Part of the course included a familiarisation trip of some local tourist attractions.

“We went to Tayto Castle and the Thomas Ferguson Irish Linen Centre in Banbridge.  It was my first time to both visitor attractions and I will now be able to recommend them to the visitors who come to stay with us,” commented Mary Martin from the Ti Chulainn Cultural Centre.  ‘Never has there been a better opportunity for businesses in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry to showcase the best of Northern Ireland and to provide a warm welcome to our visitors that will encourage them to spend more money and come back to see us again in the future.’

 

To help businesses avail of WorldHost training, the Department for Employment and Learning is working with People 1^st and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and has developed a funding package for businesses in the tourism, hospitality or travel sectors.

‘We’re very excited to be delivering WorldHost especially when Northern Ireland will be very much in the world headlines over the next two or three years with a range of major events that are taking place,’ added Lynda Willis, the trainer who delivered the programme on behalf of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board .  ‘Due to the generous funding available, staff in hotels, restaurants, cafes, pubs or visitor attractions can have two days’ customer service training for just £20.” 

More WorldHost courses are scheduled for various dates in January and February.  For more information, call 07773 423675 or email lynda@customersensetraining.co.uk