Customer Service on the Map After Bournville College Experience
United Kingdom - South Korean students take Welcome Host Gold training course
South Korean students will be taking the goals of world-class
customer service back home after completing the UK-leading
Welcome Host Gold training course during their eight-week
placement with Bournville College in Birmingham.
29 students, aged 18-22, from 14 different South Korean
universities and colleges, took the one-day customer service
training course.
Their vocational learning-based visit was funded by the South Korean government.
It also included assignments looking at customer service in
practice in Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham, London and
Drayton Manor Theme Park.
Alan Sampson, Deputy Director of International Operations at
Bournville College said:
“We were asked to incorporate an internationally-recognised
customer service short course into the placement. Welcome Host
Gold fitted the bill perfectly. It covers core skills, the
latest techniques and, vitally, practical learning which the
students can take back to South Korea and use in their future
working lives.
“We had highly positive feedback from the students, who
recognise the importance of customer service in the tourism
sector, and saw the added value they can take from the learning
and new skills they have acquired into the wider business
world.”
Sue Gill, Welcome to Excellence national lead and Head of
Training and Skills at Tourism South East said:
“Delivering great customer service is a global ambition for
all countries’ tourism sectors, and in their wider economy.
Bournville College is giving students skills and knowledge that
are highly transferable and valuable throughout their careers.”
The South Korean undergraduates are studying tourism, industrial
and business management degrees back home. Their placement
covered a whole package of activities including visits to
industry, cultural venues and formal learning such as advanced
English language skills, health and safety and the Welcome Host
Gold customer service course.
The students are from these institutions: Ansan University,
Kyungin Women's College, Seokang University, Yeungnam College of
Science and Technology, Kimcheon Science College, Gyeonggi
College of Science and Technology, Yeongjin College, Gumi
College, Suncheon College, Ulsan College, Kyunbunk College,
Kyungin Women's College, Anyang Science University, Induk
University.
Bournville College’s expanding international work has included
recently opening offices in Kolkata and Kuala Lumpur.
Alan Sampson added:
“People from countries as varied as India, Malaysia,
Italy, Spain, the Philippines and South Korea are studying full
and part-time with us. We also deliver courses and training
overseas, often in partnership with local providers.
“Welcome Host Gold is a highly transferable course as the goals
and skills needed to provide world-class customer service are
common to all countries. It is practical and adaptable, and we
will look to incorporate it into further tourism and business
courses and offer flexibly to suit students’ needs as we have
done with the group from
South Korea.”
About Welcome Host
Welcome Host Gold is part of the UK-leading Welcome to
Excellence suite of customer service training courses, taken by
more than 330,000 people in the tourism, hospitality, leisure
and retail sectors.
Clients include Bourne Leisure (Warners, Haven and Butlins),
London Gatwick Airport, English Heritage, Parkdean Holidays,
Chewton Glen, Imperial War Museum North and many local
authorities; with destination-specific courses including Kent,
Dorset, the New Forest, Blackpool and Cornwall. It is a highly
flexible course and meets National Occupational Standards for
Customer Service, with the option to gain a Level Two City and
Guilds qualification. Info:
www.welcometoexcellence.co.uk.
About Bournville College
Bournville College offers courses for school leavers, adults,
employers and international students. It offers a wide choice of
full and part time academic and vocational qualifications
including A Levels, BTECs, NVQs, Apprenticeships and bespoke
qualifications. Bournville College relocated to a brand new £66
million state-of-the-art campus in Longbridge in September 2011.
Info:
www.bournville.ac.uk.
