SA HOST - A Commitment to Quality Service in SA

16 May 2009

WHAT IS SA HOST?

SA Host is the national programme to develop and promote a culture of customer service in South Africa. It does this by:

• creating an awareness of the importance of the individual’s role in delivering superior customer service in their place of work and their community. The experience gained from similar programmes run in fourteen countries worldwide, has been used to develop the SA Host programme.

OBJECTIVES:

• Improve service standards through training
• Change attitudes towards visitors by creating awareness of the value of the visitor industry to the country and the role played by every resident;
• Elevate national pride.

HOW DOES SA HOST WORK?

• SA Host is a low cost, high impact, two-day customer service skills workshop presented by a licensed SA Host Leader (Trainer).

• Successful workshop participants become SA Hosts and are awarded a certificate and lapel pin which identifies them as people who are committed to providing excellent service and being ambassadors for their community and for South Africa.

HOW DOES SA HOST BENEFIT YOU?

• Benefits for the individual
o Enhanced skills and confidence
o Greater job satisfaction
o A training qualification that is recognised internationally
o Being part of an important national programme to improve service standards throughout South Africa

• Benefits for the organisation
o Improved bottom line as a result of greater customer satisfaction and increased repeat business
o Improved employee morale
o The right to use the SA Host Logo to market the organisation as a customer friendly SA Host Business/Organisation when 60% of employees, including management, are qualified as SA Hosts.

• Benefits for a community
o Improved reputation as a visitor friendly and hospitable destination
o Increased repeat business, longer visitor stays and increased expenditure
o Improved service to local residents and reduced economic leakage
o The right to use the SA Host Logo to market the community as a customer friendly SA Host Community when 60% of all businesses are accredited as SA Host businesses

• Visitors and local customers alike will recognise the SA Host logo as the sign of a customer friendly organisation and choose SA Host businesses for service excellence.

Approach and participant profile:

Due to the structure and methodology of the SA Host workshop material the number of participants needs to be a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 20. As the programme is generic it applies to all industries and all levels within the organisation.

SA Host has found that best results are achieved when management together with their employees attend the workshop. Management needs to experience first hand the benefits of the programme creating support and a culture of SA Host in the organisation as a whole. In the workshop an unthreatening environment is created which allows staff and management the opportunity to express and appreciate their differing individual perspectives.

TOPICS COVERED IN THE PROGRAMME:

1. Getting to Know You
2. What is Service?
3. Who are your Customers?
4. Moments of Truth
5. First Impressions
6. Greeting Customers And Making Conversations
7. Using and Remembering Names
8. The Communication Process
9. Eliminating The Word ‘No’
10. Telephone Skills
11. Listening Skills
12. Active Listening Skills
13. The Nice Customer
14. The Silent Majority
15. Handling Complaints
16. Value of the Visitor Industry
17. What Is Professional?
18. Personal Action Plan
19. Be Proud of your Community!

The programme is scheduled for two days from 8:30 to 16:30 attendance of those two days is compulsory, each leaner is will be assessed throughout the workshop as regards:

• their participation in the class and in group exercises
• their ability to apply their knowledge and skills learnt in the workshop through exercises throughout the workshop
• their completion of tacks; and
• their answers in the multiple choice review exercise at the end of day two

Learners assessed as competent will receive an S A Host Lapel Badge and certificate, learners assessed as not yet competent will be invited to do the programme again so that they have every chance of achieving competency.

For Further Information Please Contact…………………………

Mamokhothu Santho (CIA)
BOTSOI HOSPITALITY ENTERPRISE
Independent Assessor (PR No: GC/096/sm)
Grading (Accommodation Establishments, Conference Facilities and Special Events Venues)
Train (S.A. Host Customer Service)
Mobil: 072 358 2126
E-mail: santho@batsoihospitality.co.za

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