Prince Edward Island Liquor Control Commission recently completed a customer service program for front-line staff jointly initiated by the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island (TIAPEI). The Commission is enhancing customer relations and service at their outlets with a vision of becoming the best retailer on PEI.
The program was initially put in place to help the tourism industry to keep abreast of best practices for customer service and to provide employees with the skills to satisfy customer needs in the industry. Every year, hundreds of employees from various tourism operations take the course provided by TIAPEI.
"As I have said on many occasions, the tourism industry is based on partnerships between private industry and government," noted Tourism Minister Greg Deighan. "It is the people of Prince Edward Island that ultimately pay the wages of the staff of the LCC, and we want to reciprocate that contribution with outstanding service. The Tourism Industry Association of PEI provides an excellent program and we intend to maximize the opportunity to have training geared to our staff. Everyone is buying into this, and everyone, most importantly the Islanders and visitors that visit our outlets, will benefit."
The SuperHost program is a highly interactive session which is customized to suit the training needs of various employers. The key objectives of the program concentrate on professionalism and pride, and it is designed to establish a standard for service excellence and encourage consistency in service delivery to the public.
The program was fine-tuned to meet the needs of the LCC, noted Kim Green, President of TIAPEI. "Typically, we would have a lot more tourism information for the group, but we looked at the needs for the year-round staff and created a training program that met those needs. It has been a highly successful venture. We find that many operators feel that the program makes a tangible positive impact on the quality of service for their properties."
"We saw an opportunity to enhance the service provided by the LCC staff," noted W.J.R. (Mac) Macdonald, Chair of the provincial Liquor Control Commission. We have great service now, but we should always strive to improve, and this program fit our needs to a tee. We will look at everything from the way people are greeted to offering to carry product to vehicles for elderly and physically challenged individuals. The little extras go a long way."