Tourism South East's twinning approach drives up customer service

Citation

(2004), "Tourism South East's twinning approach drives up customer service", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 36 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.2004.03736cab.001

Tourism South East's twinning approach drives up customer service

Tourism South East's twinning approach drives up customer service

National and regional tourist boards have long recognized that those working in the transport sector are often the first to meet and greet visitors at a destination. The quality of service these transport employees deliver can shape visitors' perceptions and make or break the enjoyment of their stay. A positive attitude, knowledge of the area and its facilities, and skill in handling customers are vital if visitors are to be encouraged to return and, even more importantly, recommend a destination to friends and relatives.

The impact of developing and maintaining a reputation for service excellence at destination level plays a key economic-development role. The potential for visitor revenue is ever increasing, whether it be from overseas visitors, conference delegates, those staying with friends and relatives, shoppers, or visitors to attractions, leisure centres, restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs.

Against this backdrop, Tourism South East (TSE), the official regional tourist board for southern and south-east England, decided to develop an innovative programme of learning aimed at raising levels of customer service in the transport sector. Following talks with local authorities and trade organizations, it became evident that the programme should focus on taxi drivers, coach and bus operators, since they play a key ambassador role at destination level.

Based on Welcome to Excellence, the national suite of one-day customer-care training courses that regional tourist boards were already successfully delivering across England, TSE set about tailoring Welcome Host and Welcome All to the sector. Welcome Host is a one-day customer-service course aimed at improving levels of service offered by all front-line staff. Welcome All is a one-day customer-service course that seeks to raise awareness of the needs of those with special needs and disabilities.

Working alongside a trainer who had previously worked as a coach driver, TSE produced specific learning materials and resources. It also developed an additional but linked module on local tourism knowledge, which encompassed a range of learning activities including guided walks, talks and presentations on local facilities and services, and discussion sessions on the value of tourism and the role of customer service in boosting business.

TSE elicited the help of Pride in Pompey – part of Portsmouth City Council's Department for Economic Regeneration and Tourism – and suggested it might like to be the first local authority to pilot the programme. Pride in Pompey jumped at the chance and saw it as an opportunity to improve failing relationships between the Taxi Driver Federation and the licensing department. This programme ultimately provided the catalyst needed to facilitate more positive working between the two parties.

Pump-priming money was provided through a TSE European Social Fund project. This meant that good quality, specially tailored training and promotional materials could be produced. It also enabled the package of learning to be offered at heavily subsidised rates – an important consideration because taxi drivers are mostly self-employed and lose valuable business if they are not able to work. Local employers from visitor attractions, restaurants and other facilities provided vouchers and money-off coupons to encourage participants to become tourists and gain first-hand experience of the products on offer.

Without the help of a “champion” from the Taxi Driver Federation, this programme would never have taken off. The federation chairwoman embraced the initiative with enthusiasm. She lobbied drivers, gave presentations, raised awareness of the need for improved levels of service and worked with TSE and Portsmouth City Council to make things happen.

In October 2002, 15 Portsmouth taxi drivers took part in the 3 day programme. They, in turn, became ambassadors for the programme and for the City of Portsmouth. This resulted in much better working between the agencies involved and higher levels of customer service within the city.

A press campaign was undertaken to promote this work and, shortly afterwards, TSE was contacted by the Maltese Tourist Authority. Its representatives wished to discuss something similar for the transport sector in Malta because there had recently been some bad press in the local Maltese newspapers from tourists who had received poor service, especially from taxi drivers. Following a series of meetings, the Maltese Tourist Authority submitted, and was successful in securing, funding from the EU vocational-training programme, Leonardo. This was used to part-fund development costs and to subsidise participation, including travel and subsistence.

In September 2002, 15 Maltese taxi drivers came to Portsmouth to undertake a 2 week programme of learning. In addition to the 3 day core customer-service elements, we added trainer- training sessions and a series of mentoring and coaching modules. Some of the delivery was undertaken through an informal-learning process whereby Maltese taxi drivers accompanied their counterparts from Portsmouth on trips with customers around the area. This included trips in taxis that had been specially adapted for wheelchair users. There were also visits to taxi- driver testing centres and talks and presentations by staff from the licensing department.

In July 2003, 15 coach and bus operators from Malta came to Portsmouth to work alongside First Bus to participate in a similar programme.

TSE is now working with the Maltese on a further Leonardo submission and is about to embark on a 3 year project which will aim to roll out a much bigger and wider scheme to all those working in the service sector. This will involve a raft of training and development initiatives and it is envisaged that training staff from TSE will go to Malta to train trainers, oversee and advise on cascading the customer-service elements of the programme to all levels of front-line staff. TSE will also be involved in quality assurance and monitoring standards through a series of spot checks and mystery-shopper activities.