Coast Hotels & Resorts – Making it Right!
In the Fall of 2007, Coast Hotels & Resorts approached WorldHost Training Services to raise the level of customer service excellence in 35 properties in North America with training for about 2,700 Coast Ambassadors.
Customer Service Training Solution
The project involved the development of a customer service training solution to support Coast’s “Making it Right” corporate philosophy and heightening awareness of Coast Hotel & Resorts values with Coast Ambassadors.
Drawing from existing workshop content, and by conducting various focus groups with a cross representation of Coast Hotel & Resort management and frontline staff, the WorldHost team developed a cost effective, targeted training solution.
Two programs were introduced, “Coast Fundamentals” and “Making it Right”, along with customized Coast-branded training materials to support the learning.
Results and Next Steps
To date, the program has successfully completed 75 training sessions for 1,500 Coast Ambassadors in 30 different properties in B.C., Alberta, the Yukon and The Northwest Territories. The next phase of this customized solution is the introduction of WorldHost training for Coast Hotel and Resorts frontline supervisors.
Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games - “2010 Ready”
When it was announced that British Columbia would host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, WorldHost Training Services began planning the “2010 Ready” customer service training strategy, a mass training initiative to create a world-class level of hospitality and service in B.C.
Training and Development
Training development and implementation was carried out with several partners including: the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), host city destinations, First Nations, multiple tourism and business associations, Olympic sponsors, community organizations and various local and provincial government agencies. Each organization’s unique training objectives and requirements were taken into account and accommodated.
An estimated 228,000 hours of training was completed through direct in-class training, Train-the-Trainer programs and online learning. Extensive planning to identify and organize multi-faceted logistics for 60,592 individuals and approximately 240 client groups added to the complexity of training delivery.
Customized Training for Special Partners
VANOC selected WorldHost Training Services to deliver Team 2010 training to special partners outside of the “Olympic fence” spanning several sectors. Working in concert with VANOC to deliver Team 2010 Training was an unprecedented model for training delivery that allowed for maximum exposure of Olympic ideals and values.
In addition, customized training programs were developed for organizations such as the B.C. Olympic Games Secretariat, Royal Canadian Mounted Police - 2010 Integrated Security Unit, Vancouver Police Department, North Shore Tourism Association, White Spot, 7-11 Stores, McDonald’s Canada, and Park Royal Shopping Centre.
A Stellar Success
The resoundingly positive media exposure that applauded the hospitality and professionalism demonstrated by front-line staff in B.C. during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is evidence of the impact that WorldHost customer service training had on the success of this historic event. Research studies conducted with Games-time spectators indicates that our presence on the global stage was nothing shy of stellar.
2009 World Police and Fire Games
WorldHost Training Services collaborated with 2010 Legacies Now to create a customized training program for volunteers. This resulted in training more than 1,800 energetic individuals to provide world-class service to all the athletes, coaches, families and friends that participated in this historic event.
WorldHost for the Taxi Industry
WorldHost training for the Taxi Industry is a component of the TaxiHost Program - Level One offered at the Pacific Traffic Education Centre with the Justice Institute of B.C. This program was created in 1995 with WorldHost Training Services acting as the lead consultant by obtaining input from all of the taxi industry stakeholders in the Greater Vancouver area.
Improved Level of Service
The customized program has elevated the level of service in the taxi industry and helped implement a standardized program that ensures a consistent level of performance standards and professional conduct for all taxicab drivers.
After 15 years of successful implementation, the program continues to thrive, as there have been over 7,000 participants who have completed the training in the Lower Mainland.
Beijing 2008 Summer Games
Working in close collaboration with the B.C. Olympic and Paralympic Secretariat, customer service training was developed for over 200 Ambassadors working in the Beijing 2008 Canada Pavilion during the Olympics.
Olympic Ambassador Training
The venue saw over 200,000 people interact with selected Ambassadors who were trained with intercultural sensitivity and communication skills, cultural and geographical knowledge of B.C. and Canada, and equipped with service excellence skills to create a lasting impression.
Multiple and sometimes simultaneous training sessions were scheduled over periods of about five months for each group of Olympic Ambassadors.
