Following the intense three-day St. Maarten SuperHost customer service training & certification workshops, which were conducted in early June, the staff of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) unanimously passed, and were officially certified as St. Maarten SuperHost ambassadors, on Monday June 28, 2010.
"As our SuperHost program partner, we are extremely proud to officially present the SHTA team with their pins and certificates," says Jacqueline Louis, General Manager of IMC – the official agents of St. Maarten SuperHost. "Given our shared passion for providing our tourists with quality service, it is essential to continue to build this team of SuperHost ambassadors throughout our businesses and organizations."
Also present in these trainings sessions was David McGregor, of the UTS–TDC (Training & Development Center). McGregor is the latest addition to the esteemed team of St. Maarten SuperHost facilitators.
The St. Maarten SuperHost Tourism Customer Service Certification Program is a very interactive training. Led by St. Maarten SuperHost facilitator, Valda Woodley-Hazel, the training curriculum covered areas such as ‘The Power of First and Last Impressions,’ ‘Great Communication Skills,’ ‘How to be Attentive,’ ‘The Power of Listening,’ ‘The Importance of Tourism’, and other fundamental skills for providing quality customer service. Participants experience various scenarios and are completely engaged in the activities, with participation representing 50% of their scores. The certification is valid for two years with program follow-up and refresher courses given throughout that term.
Superhost workshops exist to ensure that service related businesses and organizations have a professional, well-trained workforce, and also to build a strong tourism product throughout St. Maarten/St. Martin and the region. As a result, this enhances the customer experiences, and motivates them to return time and time again, meanwhile improving the long-term sustainability of our island’s economy.
SuperHost Customer Service Training was first introduced in 1985 to prepare British Columbia’s tourism workforce to host the world at EXPO ‘86. The program’s excellence is recognized internationally. After an extensive search for the best in the world, American Express selected SuperHost as its customer service program.
St. Maarten SuperHost is one of several prestigious entities certified and licensed to give this consumer service enrichment program. SuperHost is the official customer-service training program for St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA).
For further information about the St. Maarten SuperHost Customer Service Training & Certification Program, please contact Jacqueline Louis at (599) 543-2150 or jl****@ey***.net.