Welcome cannot be put on hold

Citation

(1999), "Welcome cannot be put on hold", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 31 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ict.1999.03731cab.011

Welcome cannot be put on hold

Welcome cannot be put on hold

Keywords Hospitality industry, Instructors, Telephones, United Kingdom

How businesses deal with enquiries and answer questions on the telephone can make the difference between success and failure. Few people in the growing tourism industry receive adequate training and often sales are lost and the business suffers.

A new, practical qualification from The English Tourist Board (ETB) is now tackling this problem. Called "Welcome Line", the programme has been devised in response to industry requests and aims to assist all types of tourism, transport and hospitality organizations.

Results proven during extensive pilot trials in London, Birmingham and York, show that participants benefit from:

• •

  improved active listening skills, voice control and better questioning techniques;

• •

  a better use of the telephone to support sales and marketing activity;

• •

  increased confidence in handling calls;

• •

  learning how to deal with complaints and difficult callers;

• •

  devising a personal action plan to implement when returning to their job.

The one-day programme is being run throughout England with the involvement of the training departments of most Regional Tourist Boards. It is priced at £65 per participant (plus VAT) and training by qualified instructors and use of specially created training equipment is offered either in-house, for businesses with larger workforces, or on open-course events at pre-set dates and venues.

For further information, contact ETB at Thames Tower, Black's Road, London W6 9EL. Tel: 0181 846 9000; Fax: 0181 563 0302.