SKILLS body People 1st, in partnership with the National Skills Academy for Retail, has launched a campaign to improve the standard of customer service across Northern Ireland’s retail sector.
The WorldHost customer service programme, which has already trained over 11,000 people across Northern Ireland’s tourism sector, is now being made available to businesses in the retail sector.
The Department for Employment and Learning has committed to fund the scheme’s roll-out across Northern Ireland, following research that shows:
75% of retailers identify poor customer service as the biggest cause for customers to walk away
78% of retailers that are struggling to find skilled staff say that it’s down to a lack of customer service skills among applicants
60% of retail businesses say that customer handling skills among sales and retail assistants needs to be improved.
WorldHost training covers the key principles of customer service, from remembering names to communication and listening skills, with an extra focus on sales skills. Roisin McKee, director of Northern Ireland for People 1st, said: “We are delighted that the Department for Employment and Learning has committed to fund the roll-out of this programme to the retail sector. This will ensure a seamless, consistent level of excellent customer service across the whole of the tourism and visitor economy sector.”
“Customer service is one of the key differentiators in an increasingly competitive market and an important economic driver. This means that getting it right is not just a luxury, it is a necessity. Welltrained staff with strong customer service skills are essential for successful retail businesses.”
Minister for Employment and Learning Stephen Farry, who visited home furnishing specialists, Wardens in Newtownards, one of the first retail businesses in Northern Ireland to achieve WorldHost Recognised Business status, said:
“This initiative endorses my department’s commitment to retail as one of the priority sectors of the economy. I commend the co-operation between my department’s Skills Solutions Service and People 1st in bringing forward this innovative programme.”