Let me make your perfect day Participant Workbook

Let me make your perfect day

Dare to Discover County

Bridgend County has lots going on and much to keep visitors coming back time and time again.

Whilst being positioned between Cardiff and Swansea and just south of the Brecon Beacons National Park is great in terms of accessibility, it can however be very easy for visitors to be attracted by the headlines elsewhere and not explore what Bridgend has to offer.

It is important for those working in tourism locally to be fully aware of what Bridgend has for visitors to do and see and to share this with their guests.

There are so many places competing for visitors’ attention and money nowadays. With so much information available it can be difficult to know what to choose to do and see. Good advice based on strong local knowledge with great customer service is a powerful combination that will keep visitors coming back to the area, writing great reviews on-line and telling their friends about it.

This training course produced by Bridgend Tourism Association is for anybody who welcomes visitors to the area. It aims to give a good grounding in what is available for visitors in the county and also a chance to polish customer service skills.

We want visitors to leave the county having received knowledgeable professional service from whomever they meet during their stay here. Coney Beach Whilst customers may be satisfied with acceptable service, it is only when service that stands out as memorably good that customer loyalty is created.

We want you to leave this course inspired and motivated to create loyal customers. This is not just an immensely satisfying part of a customer facing role. It also helps to build a strong local visitor economy that benefits our communities and helps to build job security in difficult economic times.

Together let’s build a reputation for Bridgend County as the place to visit in South where staff always go the extra mile to make sure their visitors don’t have to.

1 Enjoy Bridgend County

Great Location, beautiful coast, interesting towns, lots to do and festivals to enjoy

Bridgend has lots to attract many types of visitors and to keep them coming back. Returning visitors are critical to a buoyant visitor economy and the key to this is to make sure that everybody working in tourism takes the time to understand what type of things their visitors might enjoy and then has the knowledge to make good recommendations.

Bridgend’s strength lies in the diversity of things to do and see within a relatively small area. The coast may well be the draw for many visitors in the summer months, but with so much going on all year round, there really is potential to draw in the visitors in the quieter seasons too.

Equally a good experience in Bridgend will encourage visitors to base themselves here, even if they want to spend time visiting Cardiff or Swansea during their stay.

There is a good range of visitor accommodation to appeal to all budgets and also great facilities for business visitors too.

Bridgend County

The county covers 110 square miles and is equidistant between Cardiff and Swansea. It has a resident population of almost 135,000. It is geographically diverse with uplands and former coal mining valleys in the north and more gentle countryside and an attractive coastline in the south.

The county can be divided into three distinctive areas:

The 3 Valleys The attractive valleys of Llynfi, Garw and Ogmore meet at Sarn and stretch northwards for around seven miles. These narrow river valleys are former mining communities with a distinct heritage and character. with a population of 20,000 is the main town.

Bridgend and the M4 corridor Bridgend with a population of 45,000 is the main commercial centre for the area. With the M4 passing through, this area is very accessible and many of the county’s jobs are found here. This area has both budget and high quality hotel accommodation catering for both leisure and business visitors.

Porthcawl and the coast Porthcawl is a traditional seaside town with a population of 16,000. It grew rapidly in Victorian times as a port for the iron and coal industries of the Valleys, but little is left to see of its industrial past. Today its main draw is the seven bays and sandy beaches along the coast from in the east to in the west.

When we visit an area, there is nothing more appealing than a person speaking with real enthusiasm for the place they live and work. It’s not just what you know, but how you communicate that and there is nothing better than real passion and love of an area to sell it to a visitor.

Discovering towns and villages

Porthcawl Although the Seven Bays offer seven quite different beaches to enjoy, Porthcawl is probably known best for traditional seaside fun on lovely family beaches and the Coney Beach Pleasure Park.

Porthcawl is moving with the times and has a growing reputation as a great location for all water-sports and surfing in particular, which is celebrated with many events going on throughout the year. It Rest Bay, Porthcawl - Image by Andycam Photography is also home to the Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, one of the best twelve courses in the world and often host to major international golfing events. In July 2014 it will play host to the British Seniors Open.

Bridgend The main county town with traditional traffic free shopping, an indoor market and fine Italian cafes and restaurants. The town is on the banks of the and visitors can get around town via the bridges and new river walkway.

The town is famous for its quirky style events that happen throughout the year such as the Mash Up in the Spring , a street party which brings together sports and arts with free events across the town and Feastival in the autumn, a great food festival where fun features as highly as the food .

When the sun isn’t shining, Bridgend Recreation Centre has a leisure pool and a gym. North of the town is the Bridgend Designer Outlet with over 100 top branded stores and an Odeon entertainment complex.

Maesteg Located at the head of the Llynfi Valley and surrounded by mountain scenery, Maesteg grew up as an iron and later coal town in the Industrial Revolution, exporting its wares initially via a horse drawn railway that went to Porthcawl Docks.

The town is the main centre for surrounding villages and visitors today can enjoy shopping in the town and at the daily indoor and outdoor market. The historic Town Hall has been re-furbished and now offers arts and entertainment and one of the former ironworks has been transformed into a sports centre.

Maesteg also has a bowling green, tennis courts and a children’s play area in Welfare Park.

The new international BMX track at Caerau near by, will appeal to younger visitors and a more gentle cycle or walk can be enjoyed along the new community route of the old horse drawn Dyffryn Llynfi Porthcawl railway.

Villages

Brynmenyn At the entrance to the with traditional stone built cottages. At the rear of the village is Bryngarw House now used as a training and conference centre.

Llangeinor A pretty village with an historic church on the mountainside with great views along the Ogmore and Garw Vallleys. Birth place of Richard Price whose writings were incorporated into the Constitution of the USA.

Ogmore Vale, , Glynogwr and Nant-y-Moel A collection of pretty villages framed by mountain scenery to the north of the M4. The villages have a popular community walking and cycling route popular with visitors. The road through the villages winds higher and higher until it reaches the Bwlch mountain pass with spectacular views over towards the Valley.

Coity A small village with a traditional Inn and Post Office, dominated by the ruins of which stood strong against an assault by Owain Glyndwr in 1404.

Llangynwyd A pretty hilltop town with an imposing tall towered church and an ancient thatched Inn named ‘Yr Hen Dy ‘or the Old House. Home to the Welsh bard Will Hopcyn whose ill-fated love of local girl Ann Thomas is said to have given rise to the old Welsh legend – The Maid of Cefn Ydfa.

Kenfig A Medieval town lost to the encroaching sands in the sixteenth century. Only the remains of the castle can still be seen. The Prince of Wales pub which dates from 1605 was built as a replacement Town Hall and is still used in this capacity as well as being a great place to get a pint and good food. Kenfig Pool and National Nature Reserve has an excellent visitor centre and local walks through the sand www.bridgendbites.com dunes to Sker beach. A quaint village with stone cottages and Inns near to Kenfig. The village has links to St David and there is a well bearing his name in Moor Lane.

Newton Newton was the main port along this stretch of the coast until Porthcawl was developed in the 19th century. The Jolly Sailor Inn, established in 1825, is reputedly linked to the smuggling activities that went on in the area. The village has an imposing limestone church whose origins have been attributed to the Order of St John over 800 years ago.

Pencoed Nestled in the Ewenny Valley and lying in rolling countryside. Home to the Bridgend County Show.

Laleston Located just two miles from Bridgend, this village is ideal for a night out with several good places to eat. It also has an historic church with some remaining 13th and 14th century features.

Ewenny Home to and Church which was established in 1141 and is widely regarded as one of the finest fortified religious buildings in Britain. The village also offers a pottery, garden centre and a craft centre. BridgendBites.com

The Dipping Bridge Merthyr Mawr A beautiful traditional estate village with thatched cottages around a village green. Nearby is the stunning landscape of the extensive sand dune system of Merthyr Mawr Warren.

Tondu A village between Bridgend and Maesteg which grew to provide homes to the workers for the local colliery

Merthyr Mawr Warren - Image by Andycam and ironworks. Today the ironworks are the most complete Victorian ironworks remains in Wales and visitors can learn about the industrial past at Parc . It is also a great place to access the Dyffryn, Llynfi, Porthcawl railway trail which follows the route of the iron and coal from where it was produced to the docks at Porthcawl.

Lots to do and see There is lots to do without ever having to go far. Test your knowledge of visitor attractions in and around the area by matching up the place with its description. Bridgend Designer Outlet 1. Traditional seaside fairground with a www.mcarthurglen.com Megablitz rollercoaster

Porthcawl Pavilion 2. Historic village pottery and shop where www.grandpavilion.co.uk visitors can watch potters at work

Rhondda Heritage Park 3. An historic arts and entertainment venue www.rhonddaheritagepark.com serving the north of the county

Kenfig National Nature Reserve and visitor 4. A family attraction with indoor and outdoor centre play areas, animals and a pets corner

Margam Park 5. Where visitors can learn about the special www.margamcountrypark.co.uk nature of local wildlife and the sand dunes and enjoy a walk through the dunes to the beach

Trecco Bay Holiday Park 6. 1000 acre country park in neighbouring county www.parkdean.com with an 18th century orangery, castle and narrow gauge steam train

Ewenny Pottery 7. Out of town designer shopping with a cinema www.ewennypottery.com complex

Maesteg Town Hall 8. A 300 acre mixed habitat nature reserve www.maestegtownhall.com restored from an opencast coal mine

Coney Beach Pleasure Park 9. Indoor and outdoor water park and outdoor www.coneybeach.com adventure playground based at large holiday park open to day visitors as well as staying guests

Bryngarw House and Country Park 10. Indoor sports facility with swimming pool www.bridgend.gov.uk with wave machine, a gym and activity classes

Wiggleys Farm, Tondu 11. Historic seaside arts venue with a full www.wiggleysfunfarm.co.uk programme of music and entertainment

Bridgend Recreation Centre 12. A reconstruction of a traditional street in a www.haloleisure.co.uk mining community, an underground experience, visitor centre and children’s play area at the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery

Parc Slip Nature Reserve 13. An 18th century house and 113 acre park with www.welshwildlife.org a full programme of outdoor and arts events, just four miles from Bridgend

Activities

Bridgend has a growing reputation as a place for great activities. Water Sports Porthcawl is a mecca for water activities for visitors of all abilities. Visitors can choose from: • Wind, board or kite surfing • Paddle Boarding • Kayaking and canoeing • Yachting www.bridgendbites.com • Jet skiing Stand Up Paddle Boarding at Rest Bay • Wake Boarding • Fishing of all types is popular including sea-fishing all along the coastal strip

For more information on providers see Porthcawl and Rest Bay Water Sports or www.bridgendbites.co.uk

Golf Bridgend is a great venue for golf with 6 very different venues in the county catering for all types of course and ability of player. All courses will accept visitors, although booking ahead is usually required and codes of dress may well apply.

Know your local courses

Royal Porthcawl Golf Club An 18 hole links course described as one of the 12 best in the world www.royalporthcawl.com

Bridgend Golf Complex A nine hole pay and play public course and floodlit driving range www.bridgendgolf.co.uk

Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club 18 hole golf course with panoramic views and lofty sand dunes hugging the coast near Porthcawl www.pandkgolfclub.co.uk

Maesteg Golf Club An18 hole course suited for a wider range of abilities sculpted from natural surroundings - www.maesteg-golf.co.uk

Grove Golf Club A player friendly 18 hole course again near Porthcawl with wide fairways www.grovegolf.com

Coed y Mwstwr Golf Club An 18 hole parkland course located close to the Coed-yr-Mwstwr Hotel, in wooded countryside on the outskirts of Bridgend. www.coed-y-mwstwr.co.uk

Southerndown Located in neighbouring , Southerndown is an 18 hole championship heathland course www.southerndowngolfcourse.com

Not forgetting golfing fun for the family

• Crazy golf at Trecco Bay, Porthcawl • Nine hole public course at Griffin Park, Porthcawl

Walking BridgendBites.com Always a popular activity, Bridgend offers 15 walks including a section of the Wales Coast Path Bridgend Bites - Downloads

Wales Coast Path Mountain Biking BridgendBites.com Keen bikers can enjoy the Darren Fawr mountain bike trails in the Garw Valley. The blue trail is suitable for intermediate riders and the black one is for expert mountain bike riders.

www.gvcc.org.uk

Cycling

A number of cycling routes exist across the county and leaflets are available through the Community Route web link. Bridgend Bites - Downloads

The Coast

The Bridgend coast is immensely varied and knowing what is on offer where will help visitors get the best out of their time here.

Know your beaches

Sker Beach A remote sandy beach backing onto Kenfig National Nature Reserve. Home to wild orchids, insects and wildlife. It is unspoilt and has great views of Swansea and Gower.

Pink Bay A quieter pebble and sandy beach with rocks that have a pink marbling effect. Within easy walking distance of Rest Bay.

Rest Bay A Blue flag beach with summer lifeguards and fabulous for all sorts of water sports. The golden sands that sweep up to a rocky shoreline are great for sunbathing.

Sandy Bay A beautiful flat sandy holiday beach sheltered by Porthcawl’s harbour. It is ideal for family fun and sunbathing. Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl town and Promenade are close by.

Seafront Beach Situated in front of Porthcawl town centre. This tends to be used mainly by very experienced surfers due to the number of rocks under the water.

Trecco Bay A blue flag sheltered sandy and rocky beach close to the excellent facilities of Trecco Bay Holiday Park.

Newton Bay A lovely sheltered sandy bay backed by the Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes. It’s possible to sand sledge down the dunes, but for those wanting a quieter time the sunsets there are really beautiful.

Newton Beach Porthcawl - Image by Andycam Photography

Sker Pink Bay Rest Bay Sandy Bay Trecco Bay Newton Bay

Parking

Toilets

Refreshments

Accessible facilities

Blue Flag Beach

All year

Oct-Apr only

Summer lifeguards

Recommend a beach Choose a visitor group and time of year and ask your partner to recommend a beach and convince you that their choice is a good one!

Combine your beach recommendation with something else your chosen visitor group might also like to do in the locality

Visitor Type and time of year for their visit

Which beach and why?

What else might the visitors enjoy?

Events and Festivals Events and festivals happen all year round and are really important in encouraging visitors to make return visits at times of the year when they might not normally consider a trip. It is really important to let visitors know what is going on when, but how good is your knowledge of local festivals and when they occur? Work with a partner to decide which month each takes place in. Festival or Event Month Bridgend Feastival A weekend event offering local food, foodie entertainment, unusual foods, tastings and street musicians. Putting the real ‘f’ word – fun! into food festivals. www.bridgendfeastival.com www.bridgendbites.com Christmas Day Morning Swim An annual event for the brave at 10.30am Christmas morning at Porthcawl which also raises money for good causes. Bridgend County Show A traditional agricultural show in the grounds of College with animals and craft stalls attracting over 30,000 visitors. www.bridgendshow.co.uk Brass Bands Competition The Grand Pavilion Porthcawl plays host to the Wales Open Entertainment contest each year. www.grandpavilion.co.uk Bridgend Mashup A town centre festival mashing together traditional athletics in the streets with contemporary urban street culture. www.bridgendbites.com www.thebridgendmash.com A Victorian Christmas Bryngarw House plays host to a pre-Christmas weekend event with traditional fairground rides, story-telling, mulled wine and mince pies, carol-singing and a visit from the main man himself. www.bridgend.gov.uk The Porthcawl Elvis Festival Elvis tribute artists and fans converge on Porthcawl to take part in quizzes competitions and karaoke. There also exhibitions of memorabilia and classic American cars. www.elvies.co.uk Porthcawl Interceltic Festival The Celtic festival of Wales with music, song and dance from all the Celtic nations. www.cwlwmceltaidd.com Music in the Park Running every Sunday afternoon during this month, Bryngarw offers outdoor music to suit everyone’s taste and children’s entertainers www.bridgend.gov.uk Porthcawl International Jazz Festival An array of jazz artists and performances in a setting with a stunning coastal backdrop. www.porthcawl-jazz-festival.com Porthcawl Splash Up A pro surf tournament and long board surfing championships at Porthcawl and Rest Bay with BMX competitions, beach sports and street dance. www.splashup.co.uk Bryngarw Bushwaka A new family event with workshops and demonstrations of bushcraft and traditional wilderness living skills. Story telling in a giant tipi. www.bridgend.gov.uk Love to Walk A festival with a mixture of quirky and traditional walks across Bridgend County www.love2walk.co.uk

Telephone Enquiries Contact the helpful and friendly staff on 01656 815338 or email: [email protected] for advice on where to stay, places to visit and things to do Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm.

General Information Visitor and events www.bridgendbites.com Heritage www.bridgendsheritage.co.uk Countryside www.bridgendcountryside.com Vale of Glamorgan www.visitthevale.co.uk Southern Wales www.southernwales.com Wales www.visitwales.co.uk

Local Visitor Brochures / Events Leaflets Visit the tourist information points around the county borough at: McArthurGlen Designer Outlet, Garden Centre, Bryngarw Visitor Centre, Trecco Bay Holiday Park Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl.

Smart Phone Information Dare to Discover is an interactive iPhone and android app. The app will help the visitor discover what there is to DO, where to EAT, places to STAY, EVENTS, WALKS and SPECIAL OFFERS in the County of Bridgend. The app gives the visitor special offers to use while visiting the area and allows the visitor to pick a walk and track progress along the route. The visitor can then create their own points of interest, review and make comments on others, add photos and videos. Use the QR Code to help you download the app to an I-phone or android mobile….

Mobile Tourist Information The mobile tourist information centre will be found at key events / locations around the county throughout the year and is packed with information, leaflets, brochures and maps (nicknamed MobyTIC on twitter #MobyTIC )

Social Media Information Twitter @BridgendBites Facebook Bridgend-Bites Flickr BridgendBites Blog www.bridgendbites.com/blog YouTube BridgendBites

Bridgend Tourism Association Trecco Bay Holiday Park Porthcawl CF36 5NG

Web site: www.bridgendtourism.co.uk Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01656 815331

Bridgend Tourism Association (BTA) is the official trade association for all tourism, leisure and retail businesses in Bridgend County. We are an independent, non-profit making organisation whose role is to support tourism related businesses to build a stronger, vibrant tourism industry. By joining the BTA you will gain a unique opportunity to develop and strengthen your business and allow it to be represented on a local, regional and national level.

BTA hold regular member only events and workshops allowing you meet like-minded, local business people and provide you with an opportunity to exchange ideas, discuss issues and develop valuable contacts within the industry.

Customer Service

What is outstanding service and why is it worth it?

In a customer facing role within our tourism industry it is critical for the success of the business and also for your professional pride to know that you personally make a difference to our customer’s experience. Whilst you may well have very little influence over the facilities on offer, your behaviour choices can have an enormous impact on how a visitor will rate their experience of our area.

This applies whatever your role. You only have to read a few on-line reviews to see how people can make really strong judgements on a business, a service or a place on the basis of a friendly waiter or helpful information provider, to know what an impact anybody who comes in contact with visitors can make.

When you’re the customer....

The best way to recognise the value and impact of memorable service is to think back to our own experience of service and the impact it had on our behaviour

Work with a partner and discuss an example of memorable service you have recently had – good or bad!

What was it that made it so memorable and what affect did it have on your behaviour?

Your example

Why was it memorable?

How did it affect your behaviour?

Your customers

When you are clear about who you are providing service to, then you can start to think about their specific needs and ensure a level of service provision that not only satisfies these but stands out as head and shoulders above your competition!

Work with your partner to identify three visitor types that you often meet in Bridgend and some of their more typical choices such as how long they come for and when they like to visit.

Customer type Profile 1.

2.

3.

Choose some of your customer groups; think about their expectations would be for an outstanding level of service at each stage of interaction

When Expectations A group organising a trip to our area

A family at an event, looking for local information

A couple researching the area and coming across Ambassador Blogs A family wanting to engage with an Ambassador for local information during their stay General expectations

How are expectations changing?

The last fifteen years has seen an unprecedented change in the way visitors find, choose and book their holidays and breaks.

Our expectations of personal service have also changed with newer technology, as it is now possible to ensure we are offered products and services that take account of our individual needs.

It is often hard to keep up with changes and to evaluate which ones are for the better – but whatever we might think, it is critical to have an awareness of how expectations have changed as to provide first rate service we need first of all to know what are customers expect of us.

With changing technology many visitors may well expect:

More rapid service at a time convenient to them More personalised service To be able to use the internet to search for and book activities and accommodation Comprehensive information on products and business to be available on-line To be able to access information via App’s To be able to locate the best value for money deal To be able to read independent reviews of your business on review and social media sites. To be kept updated of events and news via social media Mistakes to be acknowledged, apologised for and compensated

How might these changes impact upon expectation of Ambassador service and provision?

What has changed How can you respond?

What creates loyalty and why is it important?

Think of a business, product or service that you are loyal to?

What makes you stay loyal?

How much is your loyalty worth to that organisation?

Why are loyal visitors important?

If you have ever decided to visit a new place and have researched via the internet or used a travel agent, you will know that we try choosing the holiday or attraction that best suits our needs according to the description, photos and on-line reviews available to help support our choice. Often there are many choices that would suit our needs and budget and we can end up making decisions on random things such as the attractiveness of a particular image.

The marketing cost to attract a visitor for the first time can be substantial, but a returning visitor will be less influenced by marketing and more by the actual experience of the area and the businesses within the area that he/she/they interact with.

Friendly, efficient service that is exceptional in its quality can make a real difference over a choice to return or try somewhere new.

A strong base of return visitors can be worth a lot of money to an area over time, it will also mean great reviews which will attract new visitors. A loyal customer base is also the best possible protection against poor economic conditions.

What reasons might our regular visitors give for returning to the area?

What reasons might our regular clients give for returning to Bridgend Ambassadors for information and support?

Making a great impression!

How long does it take you to form an opinion of a place or a person?

First impressions are quickly made and not easily changed. Our visitors’ first impression might come from a web site, a review, a telephone conversation or simply on arrival. Whenever they are made there are a number of things that make a good first impression.

What makes a great first impression?

Although the first impression is undoubtedly an important one, customers will continue to form impressions of your business every time they have an experience of it. This can include any member of staff that might have contact with a customer. It is therefore critically important that all members of teams are customer focussed and give the same standards of care, whatever their main role.

Customer centred teams

The main objective of any business in the hospitality industry is to provide a great experience for their customers. To this end, everybody within this industry is essentially there to ensure our visitor has a great time even if this is not the main thrust of their role.

An ethos of customer focus throughout a tourism destination is key in ensuring a consistently high standard of service from whomever a customer has contact with. To help achieve this, businesses and Ambassadors should strive to ensure:

All staff / Ambassadors share a common goal All staff / Ambassadors understand what is expected of them in terms of providing excellent service A culture where customer service is highly valued is set by all in senior management and across structures and organisations. All staff’s / Ambassadors’ views and opinions on improving service are listened to and adopted where feasible Any staff / Ambassador team member can be recognised for excellent service whatever their main role

Communicating with your customers

Written communication

Previously written promotional material was carefully scripted and created in either print or in a web format – but either way was essentially static. New and social media has changed that and now often anybody in a customer facing role can find themselves responsible for keeping social media up to date, blogging or keeping customers updated with news.

Likewise customer review sites such as Trip Advisor and video channels such as You Tube mean that customers too can easily upload their views on your business and share them with the world.

The days of a carefully presenting your best face only, are long gone. In some ways that is a good thing as we are all consumers and honest appraisals can only help to raise standards.

List the ways Ambassadors can now communicate with their customers in writing

Getting the writing right

Always keep your tone professional and friendly in a style commensurate with the style of the business and never in the style of a personal communication. Always aim to present your business / service in a positive light, never make negative comments about where you work or your colleagues. Agree on core promotional messages that should be the focus of any promotional communication. Use a spell checker and avoid texting abbreviations. Use the same font, colour and logo in all communications (where applicable) Be truthful - an exaggerated claim will do more harm than good. Take the time to respond to any reviews you receive good or bad – it shows that you care what your customers say. Remember that anything on-line can stay around for many years and avoid any unprofessional or angry comments that may come back to haunt you.

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is a two way process although we can often be more focussed on what we have to say than what we are hearing.

Most people working in a customer facing role in hospitality know that they need to be polite and courteous at all times – but how many are as aware of their listening abilities?

How do you know when somebody is really listening to you?

Bad habits

At times when busy, it can be too easy to not really take in what is being said by our customers / visitors.

Do you ever find yourself?

Making it difficult for a visitor to get a word in until you have finished the process you are engaged in and saying what you want to say. Interrupting a visitor when you think you know what they are going to say. Trying to carry on with another task when someone is talking to you. Picking up a ringing phone when a customer / visitor is speaking to you. Using a more or less standard patter for telling visitors about things to do in the local area because they are things you know about, without properly checking what their preferences are?

We are all guilty of these or other less than ideal behaviours, particularly during busy or stressful periods. Clearly none of them characterise excellent service, so try to become aware of when you are getting it wrong and replace it with one of the behaviours that shows someone that you are really listening. If you can give a visitor your undivided attention and truly personal service, you will always stand out from the crowd.

Communicating without words

You are always communicating

When you are in the presence of another person, it is impossible to not communicate, even if you are not speaking. From the way you choose to present yourself, your posture, the expression on your face, the way you answer the phone or respond to an email. It all tells more about how we are genuinely feeling than any carefully rehearsed speech.

Think back to a tight lipped apology you might have received and how you felt about that. Was the person really sorry? Did you feel better because they had said those words or annoyed because they clearly had not really meant them.

Our non-verbal communication and speech styles often say considerably more about how we are really feeling that the words that come out of our mouths.

Think carefully about the whole message you are giving, not just the words. If somebody is irritated, stressed or bored it comes across very clearly and does not make us feel comfortable as the customer, even if we are not the cause of the issue.

It is very tough to stay on form when you are tired and hungry, make sure that you plan for regula breaks during your day when dealing with visitors. Everybody in hospitality has a personal responsibility for how they come across to our visitors.

What are the challenges to staying on top form as an Ambassador, and how might you manage it?

Creating a wow factor and loyal customers

Excellent customer service depends on understanding what customers / visitors want and then not just meeting but exceeding their expectations.

Creating the wow factor depends on the ability to effectively question customers/visitors to find out their needs, having the skills and knowledge to meet those needs and then being prepared to put the effort in to do it.

It’s also about using your knowledge of what customers need to make you stand out from the crowd, a small touch, an unexpected extra, a level of real welcome that stays long in our visitors’ memory.

As consumers we are typically satisfied when a business delivers what we expect. It is only when something surprises and delights us do we remember, talk about and stay loyal to that business.

What ideas do you have or previous experience of creating the wow factor?

Dealing with tricky situations

Every organisation can get it wrong from time to time. Provided the error is a genuine mistake and an acceptable solution can be found, most customers / visitors will judge the organisation / place on the way the situation was corrected rather than the mistake itself.

A complaint is an opportunity to show how good you really are and how seriously you take customer satisfaction.

However, if you are on the receiving end of the issue it doesn’t always feel like that!

Tricky situations therefore need to be considered from a broad perspective, but also the individual perspective and how we manage both our own feelings and behaviours and those of our customers / visitors.

What are the causes of customer / visitor problems?

What ideas do you have for resolving these issues?

If there are clear flash points that cause issues on a regular basis, not only will these cause on-going customer / visitor dissatisfaction, they will also cause stress for the team. As an Ambassador, it is good to share recurring issues with the team to see what can be done to change things or adapt any misleading information.

It’s up to you

Although some people are able to complain in a calm reasoned fashion, many more may get upset , angry and emotional when something has affected their enjoyment of their break, meal or activity.

Being on the receiving end of an upset customer/ visitor can feel uncomfortable and stressful and at times it can also feel personal.

Remember that however a customer / visitor behaves and however un-reasonable it might feel, you are always in control of how you choose to respond, as nobody else ever has the ability to control your behaviour – it is always your choice.

You can always:

Present a calm front and not raise your voice. Not show how you are feeling inside. Listen quietly while the customer / visitor expresses their issue. Think creatively about a solution. Go further than a customer / visitor might expect to find a solution and thus exceed expectations.

Dealing with an upset customer or visitor

A conflict resolution approach is useful to learn, as it will help you deal effectively with complaints and upset customers / visitors and bring the situation to a positive outcome. You will need to practice the steps in your head until you are comfortable with them as it is so much harder to think clearly and remember them if you are dealing with somebody who is cross and upset.

Step 1 If a customer / visitor is angry or using a raised voice, tell them that you would like to help them but that it is difficult to think clearly if somebody is raising their voice or using aggressive gestures. You may say something like “please Sir I would really like to sort this out for you, but it is really hard to think clearly when you are shouting at me”

Step 2 Tell the customer / visitor what you need them to do so you can focus on finding a solution to the issue. This might include asking them to calm down, stop shouting, using aggressive gestures or even simply slow down with their story so you can understand the situation fully.

Step 3 Acknowledge the validity of their feelings You might say something like – I am so sorry that has happened to you and I can see why that would be so upsetting.

Step 4 Listen to their story and then reconfirm calmly what the crux of the issue is Try to get an understanding of what the real issue is as it might be part of a bigger story involving lots of surrounding context leading up to the issue.

Step 5 Make suggestions as to how it could be resolved – ask for help from colleagues / other team members if necessary.

Step 6 Check with the customer / visitor that your suggestion is acceptable to them and try to find an agreeable way forward.

Role play a typical complaint situation with your partner and try the steps above

Meeting customer needs and creating a profit

When a customer / visitor has chosen to use your business / visit our area, it is in your interests to try to ensure that as many of the visitor / customer’s needs as possible, can be met by your business. Not only will this create more opportunities for you to offer good service, but it also makes good commercial sense for the business or region you are working in.

Never assume that customers / visitors know about all the services or great things to do in an area. Our visitors / customers are often time poor and will not have had much time for research.

Make sure you know what additional products, services, events are available to visitors and how and when you might bring them to their attention.

Repeat Business

Even the most satisfied customer or visitor might need some gentle prompting to return and choose your business / area again. For example, a summer visitor might return in a different season for a local event.

Discuss reasons why visitors do return to your business / area and suggest some new ways of tempting more visitors to return.

What will I do differently after today?

This course has covered lots of ideas on how to provide great customer service. However it would be very easy to put this on a shelf and never look at it again!

Take a few minutes to come up with two things you will personally change in your behaviour.

Things I will do differently

1.

2.