If you don’t teach your kids good manners, you can’t be surprised when they fail to say “please” and “thank you”. And if you pass on training your destination’s front-line hospitality staff on how to enrich the visitor experience, then don’t be surprised when they respond to the question, “Where is a really great authentic local restaurant?” with a shrug of the shoulders and “Beats me.”
Realizing the importance of hospitality training to the visitor experience, the Greater Lansing CVB launched an intensive Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) Program. The program is grounded in Greater Lansing’s tourism and economic development brand developed in partnership with North Star more than five years ago. “Lansing really understands that all major initiatives need to integrate their brand strategy and narrative,” commends Don McEachern, CEO of North Star. “Front-line staff trained in the spirit of your brand can spread the message faster than all the advertising in the world.”
To measure the success of its CTA training, Lansing again partnered with North Star to implement a two-stage study, with baseline data gathered during the training and comparative data gathered to measure program impact two years post training. (Thus far, stage one of the study has been completed.) Methodology targeted visitors, inquirers, internal hospitality staff and tourism professionals using focus groups, intercept interviews and a quantitative online visitor survey.
“This study was completely customized to achieve Lansing’s specific goals,” explains Shannon Gray, North Star's Director of Research. “But it is flexible enough to be used by a destination interested in identifying the need for hospitality training prior to implementing a program.
“For example, the study found that 83% of visitors to Lansing report asking frontline hospitality staff for recommendations or help during their visit.
About 63% said a hospitality training program would definitely make them more likely to visit a destination and 31% said it might make them more likely to visit. When 94% of visitors and prospective visitors are saying hospitality training could or would impact their destination decision making, proceeding with the training is more than just a highly justifiable expense . . . it’s a no brainer.”
In addition to measuring the value that visitors place on hospitality training, this baseline study looked at how well Greater Lansing currently delivers customer service value. While the numbers were already strong, it is the CVB’s hope they will increase measurably over the next two years. The study also looked at staff attitudes regarding the value of training to them personally. Most staff rate Lansing higher in “fun” and “excitement” following training and report having learned considerably more about Lansing as a destination and how to answer visitor questions. Increased pride, confidence and enthusiasm were unanticipated positive byproducts of the training experience.
Go HERE to watch Lansing Ambassador testimonials
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