City businesses urged to aim for gold standard service in 2014
Hospitality and tourism businesses are being urged to get ready for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games with the launch of a unique online programme designed to ensure the city delivers an outstanding visitor experience.
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Michael Russell, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, Councillor Gordon Matheson and Glasgow 2014 CEO David Grevemberg joined forces today (Wednesday 26 February) to launch the Glasgow Welcomes-Online programme as part of Glasgow 2014 Legacy Week.
The online customer service programme, which costs just £5 per person and takes two hours to complete, has been developed by the city’s tourism service initiative, Glasgow Welcomes (previously Glasgow Service with Style) to enable the city’s 40,000 tourism, leisure and hospitality workers to easily access customer service training in the run up to the Games. It has been specially tailored for the Games, with practical advice on how to deliver excellent customer service standards; information about Glasgow’s top attractions so that frontline service staff can offer up-to-date advice on what there is to see and do in the city, and facts and figures on Games events, venues and dates.
The Glasgow Welcomes initiative is an Official Legacy Project and is using the 2014 opportunity to create a lasting legacy of excellent customer service standards across all touch points of the visitor experience.
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Michael Russell said:
“The Commonwealth Games coming to Scotland in 2014 is a huge opportunity for all of the country. We want Scotland to be fitter for the future physically, culturally, economically and socially as a result of hosting the Games.
“Initiatives like Glasgow Welcomes will help us realise that goal, by supporting hospitality and tourism staff to play their part in making Glasgow 2014 an experience for everyone to savour and remember.”
Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, Councillor Gordon Matheson, said:
“Hundreds of thousands of visitors will descend on Glasgow for the Games this summer, presenting a huge opportunity for local businesses. Glasgow is globally renowned for its warm welcome and we need our businesses to provide visitors with an unforgettable experience. Our customer service must be world-class if we want those visitors, and their friends and families, to return time and again.
“Now is the time for businesses to start thinking about how they can make the most of the Games; from capitalising on new visitor markets to really maximising the many opportunities that will come their way.
“The Glasgow Welcomes online programme is an important first step for businesses to showing their support and engaging their workforce. Alongside the athletes, the city and its people will be the stars of the Games, providing a dynamic stage and friendly introduction to the largest party Glasgow has ever hosted.”
David Grevemberg, Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, said:
“The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will see over 6,500 athletes and team officials come to Glasgow for 11 days of amazing competition that will put both the city and Scotland on the world stage.
“With the unprecedented demand for our ticketing programme and fantastic response to our call for volunteers, we know that the city will be bustling with activity like never before for what will truly be a once-in-a-lifetime event.
“By working together to ensure we can deliver an outstanding Games experience for everyone to enjoy, we can secure lasting benefits for communities, businesses, Glasgow and Scotland."
Linda McPherson, director of Tourism, Textiles and Food and Drink at Scottish Enterprise, said:
“Tourism is vital to the Scottish economy, generating over £4 billion in direct expenditure from overnight visitors in 2012 and providing employment to hundreds of thousands of people across Scotland.
“We know that providing a high quality experience to tourists enhances their visit and can lead to longer stays and higher expenditure. Although the online courses are designed to equip tourism employees specifically for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, these skills will become a lasting legacy and embed a culture of quality and professional service for all visitors in the future.”
The Glasgow Welcomes initiative and online programme are funded by Scottish Enterprise with additional support from Glasgow City Council, Skills Development Scotland, Visit Scotland, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and the tourism sector. The Initiative is managed by VisitScotland on behalf of industry and partners.
To take part in the programme or find out more go to www.glasgowwelcomes.com
- Issued by Golley Slater on behalf of Glasgow Welcomes, the city’s tourism service initiative. Contact Angela Hughes 0141 548 8028 / 07970 184 198
- Photographs of the launch and screen grabs of the online programme are available. Comments from additional partners, including VisitScotland and Skills Development Scotland are also available. Contact Golley Slater.
- Glasgow Welcomes, the city’s tourism service initiative (previously Glasgow Service with Style) is a unique city-wide initiative designed to support the delivery of a world class visitor experience across the entire customer journey through training and development opportunities for tourism and hospitality businesses. It aims to further the development and regeneration of the city through the expansion of the tourism sector by raising service standards at every touch point of the visitor experience and improving bottom line benefits to businesses.
- The initiative is supported by the industry-led Glasgow Tourism Leadership Group (which includes Glasgow City Council, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland), and is managed by VisitScotland on behalf of industry and partners. Principal funders are Scottish Enterprise, with additional funding provided by Skills Development Scotland and the Glasgow city partners.
- Glasgow Welcomes is a key element of the Glasgow Tourism Action Plan to 2016. The Initiative is an official Legacy Project for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.