Customer Service Workshop set to inspire local businesses
Published on 17 February 2021
A Customer Service Workshop aimed at local businesses in the Loddon Shire will see operators come away inspired to take action to drive their business forward.
To be held on 16 March at the Wedderburn Goldseeker Motel, the theme of the workshop is Visitor Service Mastery: How to deliver excellence and delight every customer post COVID-19.
Topics to be covered in the workshop include your customer journey, your tourism business and your digital service.
The workshop will be hosted by Institute of Excellence founder Despina Karatzias (pictured). Mrs Karatzias has worked within the tourism industry for almost 25 years since finishing her studies in 1996 and has around 20 years of business and digital marketing experience.
Mrs Karatzias said the Customer Service Workshop would be more than just “having a cup of tea and listening to a presentation”.
“We really want to leave people inspired – and the workshop includes a lot of context, and research, examples, and interaction,” she explained.
“More than anything what businesses can really expect is my promise that they will be come away with simple, actionable strategies to help drive their business forward, including low-cost, affordable initiatives.”
Mrs Karatzias said the workshop would particularly focus on the management of the visitor experience.
“The workshop will look at pre, during and post-customer service. This includes how we are performing in terms of customer service when the customer is not in front of us.
“Customer service doesn’t start when the person is in front of you, it starts well before then,” Mrs Karatzias added.
“It starts when they are challenged to find somewhere to eat, somewhere to stay, somewhere to visit and they turn to our friendly search engines, Google in particular, for the answers.
“This is why, for example, businesses need to make sure their website is up to scratch – including being able to take bookings. This is also part of the delivery of customer service.”
Mrs Karatzias said tourism businesses in particular needed to consider how to manage customer service during these COVID-19 times.
“How do we manage and mitigate when we are very busy on weekends, but when it is quiet during the week? When you are full and are rejecting customers, how are you leveraging them coming back to you? And how are we communicating to our customers if we have made the decisions to change our trading hours?”
Mrs Karatzias added that once a customer has a bad experience, it can be difficult to get that customer to return.
“The training will increase awareness of the interactions we have as customers and how we are made to feel. This includes observing your behaviour when it comes to interactions as customers and with others.
“We have all been on the other side of customer service. So businesses need to make that connection – particularly as to what riles you as a customer. How does it make you feel?
“Conversely, how do you want people to feel in the presence of your business’s space and brand?
“This is how we continue our own customer service journey.”
Having worked previously in regional areas, Mrs Karatzias said she was inspired by the power of collaboration in rural and regional areas.
“This is a key thing in a rural/regional community – working well together and collaboratively, and putting the brand of the region first.
“When it comes to customer service post-COVID you not only want YOU to be successful, you want US to be successful.
“We have to tell a bigger story of what are the benefits of visiting the region – and we all have to band together to support each other,” Mrs Karatzias added.
The Customer Service Workshop will be held on Tuesday 16 March at 9am, at the Wedderburn Goldseeker Motel.
The workshop is free to attend and includes a light morning tea and lunch.
Please RSVP by Friday 5 March by calling the Loddon Visitor Information Centre on 03 5494 1257 or emailing loddonvisitorinformation@loddon.vic.gov.au