A SKILLS organisation is hoping to award charter marks for areas providing the best customer service in Scotland ahead of the 2014 Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games.
The places of excellence scheme – led by hospitality and tourism body People 1st – will cover businesses such as hotels, restaurants, transport providers and shops.
The intention is to raise standards across the industries ahead of the arrival of the thousands of extra visitors expected to arrive in Scotland during 2014.
The initiative is based on the Canadian developed Worldhost programme which was used for the Vancouver Winter Olympics and has now been adopted around the world.
In Scotland around 300 people – including those at Visitscotland and The Gleneagles Hotel – have been trained using Worldhost, with the plan for that figure to have increased to around 20,000 by 2014.
Officials from People 1st have started speaking to businesses across Scotland about the charter mark plan with interest coming from a wide range of communities.
David Allen, head of People 1st in Scotland, said: "To all intents and purposes, our offer and service is not bad but that doesn't mean it can't be better.
"Everything is leaning towards Scotland being on the global map in 2014, beyond what has been achieved before with the Commonwealth Games, Ryder Cup and re-running of Scottish Homecoming.
"Millions of visitors are going to come and billions of people are going to watch around the world so we have to make sure we are at the pinnacle of what we can do.
"We have had a number of conversations with cities and communities about creating Worldhost places of excellence where you bring multiple businesses from multiple sectors together.
"We are trying to show that 2014 is a great opportunity to grab whatever is available.
"The idea is about pulling together as an area to develop a customer service ethos and visitor experience to be proud of.
"Things are at a very early stage, but some of the expressions of interest have come from small rural and island locations plus one city centre."
Other organisations such as retail skills body Skillsmart are also involved.
A spokesman from Visitscotland said the organisation would be in favour of any initiative which would improve standards.
He said: "As we head towards 'once in a lifetime' events like the Olympics and Glasgow 2014 and prepare to see Scotland take its place on the world stage, there's no room for complacency. And never more so than when it comes to exceeding visitors' expectations.
"VisitScotland complements the work of People 1st, Springboard and Skills Development Scotland through our grading schemes by monitoring the quality of service at accommodations providers, visitor attractions and restaurants and giving added reassurance to the consumer.
"This initiative helps ensure quality across the broader tourism spectrum; for example in shops, cafes, buses and taxis and in common with VisitScotland, helps enhance the entire visitor experience.
"Anything that helps to drive up skills levels, and therefore improves customer service, can only be a good thing.
"Partnership working is the key to improving customer satisfaction – from taxi drivers to resort hotels; we all play a part in making Scotland a success story."
While Mr Allen admits there are challenging targets to be met he believes there is time to improve things before the major events get underway.
He said: "It is not about seeing other businesses as competition. It is more about seeing all parts of the industries as complementing the visitor experience.
"We are still two years away so we have time to make a difference. "
The Worldhost programme is also being used to train around 30,000 volunteers for the Olympics.
Mr Allen will be based temporarily in London ahead of the 2012 games helping in that process.
He added: "We want to ensure there is a skills legacy and give people the confidence and experience to think they can contribute to society."
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