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Chapter 13: Challenges and the Future Articles from WTTC Human Resource Centre publication Article 1: Building A Quality Management Program ...Developing a client driven program, using in-house policies, procedures, and standards to provide exceptional service to customers in tourism. CorporaTel's Quality Management Program has achieved: "I want to thank all of the staff at CorporaTel for making my summer a success. The operators who have been hired are very well organized, pleasant, business like, and very personable...Thank you! Jennifer's Place, Louisbourg, Nova Scotia OVERVIEW: A call centre is an organization where teleservice representatives make and receive up to 4,000 calls on a daily basis. Global competition in this area of the service industry is growing as many industries, like tourism, are dependent upon teleservice representatives to conduct tele-contacting. Tele-contacting is the accepting of calls for the purpose of providing customer service for inquiries, reservations, and mailing information. Tele-contacting also includes outbound calls for market research that includes public opinion surveys and dedicated research initiatives. CorporaTel is a leading full service call centre, employing over 300 staff at any given time of the year with locations in three Canadian cities -- Halifax, Saint John, and Vancouver. CorporaTel provides full service tele-contacting for clients ranging from provincial tourism ministries to banking institutions. CorporaTel's philosophy is that the type of service offered is client driven; however, the level of service is the call centre's responsibility. CorporaTel is dedicated to excellence in customer service and telephone professionalism. The type of calls CorporaTel TeleService Representatives (TSR) answer are determined by the client. In order to offer the same services to clients in all parts of Canada CorporaTel has standardized quality control practices across the country.
To achieve quality calls, new and improved monitoring and coaching processes were developed following an analysis of company practice. IMPLEMENTATION: CorporaTel developed and implemented a national strategy to improve its service quality management. The strategy is as follows:
CorporaTel decided that the total quality management program should be applied to all types of calls and to all CorporaTel clients with the objective of satisfying the needs of both the client and the caller. CorporaTel also wanted to improve the average quality rating of calls as well as the corporation's morale, teamwork, and professionalism. It was decided that a total quality management program would not be achieved unless the program was implemented throughout all CoporaTel offices, and continuously evaluated for improvement. The program was implemented and completed in different phases in order to monitor progress and to ensure that each step was properly carried out. Full implementation was expected to take 12 to 18 months, with continual monitoring steps put into place to measure program effectiveness. Identification of Team Leaders and Training to Become Quality Listeners and Effective Coaches. Team Leaders were chosen within each office, each with responsibility for nine to ten TeleService Representatives (TSR). There are 20 Team Leaders in the Halifax and Vancouver offices and 14 in the Saint John office. Each Team Leader completes an intense one-week training process to become a quality listener and effective coach. This intensive course instructs the Team Leader in how to monitor calls and outlines CorporaTel's standards in quality service. Next, Team Leaders are trained to identify strengths and weaknesses for each TSR in terms of their quality of call. Examples include: *voice quality and tone,
The Team Leaders determine in which areas the TSRs require further training. Team Leaders are the role models for TeleService Representatives by portraying all the characteristics of quality TSRs, and providing training and feedback to their team TSRs. Monitoring Needs and Implementation. CorporaTel's monitoring program was modelled after the standards of service established by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS), and the occupational certification process of Reservation Sales Agents. CorporaTel clients identified both TIAC and TIANS as leaders, in terms of excellent customer service. Each TSR is monitored by a Team Leader on a minimum of 10 calls within every two week period. During this period the Team Leaders analyze monitored calls and identify the strengths and weaknesses of each TSR. Each TSR has different levels of the required skills. For example, one may have "excellent" voice quality, compared to the standard, where the next
TSR may have "good" voice quality. This is an example of where the Team Leader will have to identify the "good" and work with the TSR to improve the service to "excellent". While CorporaTel has
based productivity and quality measures equally, agent performance has improved. Coaching the TeleService Representatives. Coaching sessions were designed as a forum in which Team Leaders are able to communicate areas in which a TSR excels, and areas where improvement is required.
Coaching sessions occupy approximately 30 to 45 minutes twice a month for each TSR. This process is very important for ensuring quality and has proved effective. Coaching is not new to CorporaTel and is viewed positively
by TSR's and Team Leaders as each session is useful and non-threatening. Reinforcement/Retraining Sessions. In the final phase of CorporaTel's quality call management program, training tools are used to help TSRs. Most of the training tools, such as video and audio tapes, were purchased through the local telephone company and were specifically designed for call centres. Other tools were developed in-house. The average time to use any of these training tools is approximately one hour. CorporaTel has a monitoring and coaching room and a training facility within the call centre where TSRs can go to complete the self-paced training tools. TSRs are paid if they are required to work longer hours to complete the training. Depending on the time of year and day of the week, TSRs may or may not train during their regular schedule shifts - they may come in early or stay late to complete the training. CorporaTel views training as an essential investment. The total cost for implementing the call management program was within budget and the training tools
required are reusable after the initial purchase. The majority of training was completed in-house with the exception of minimal guidance by a local telephone company. RESULTS: This new approach to total quality management has improved staff morale, teamwork, and professionalism. Once implementation began, the Team Leaders had more
opportunity to discuss morale, teamwork, and professionalism with each TSR. Ninety-five percent of the TSRs claimed that they were happier as a result of this program because it made them feel more a part of CorporaTel's team.
TSRs knew how well they were performing and the impact their performance had on CorporaTel clients. As CorporaTel continuously evaluates every TSR over a two-week period, each Team Supervisor is able to monitor progress in all
areas. There has been a marked improvement in teamwork between Team Leaders and TSRs. Monitoring and coaching processes are directly attributed to improving quality of calls. The average mark for a quality call improved 25%.
Quality calls are critical to ensure satisfied customers, satisfied clients, and increased quality of work. WTTC Human Resource Centre COMMENT: The telephone is a powerful and often under-used tool in supporting friendly, efficient, and effective communication with both customers and business relations.
In the tourism business, TeleService Representatives have a crucial role as the first contact between the customer and services. Given the nature of tourism, small, medium, and large scale businesses, which rely on
inquiries, reservations, mailing information, and market research, can learn from CorporaTel's national strategy and their focus on improving the performance of their TeleService Representatives. Articles from WTTC Human Resource Centre publication Steps to Success: Global Good Practices in Travel & Tourism Human Resource Development Second Article: Source: Steps to Success, Vol.3, No.1 (Nov 1999) Enhancing Self-sufficiency Through Employment Opportunities …A proven, reality based training program that has helped hundreds of disadvantaged individuals develop the skills for full-time employment and satisfying careers with Marriott and other hospitality industry employers. Key words: United States, hotels, occupational skills training, welfare reform, sponsored training, self-sufficiency “Why do I work on the Pathways program? I find the program to be very rewarding, especially when I see what it means to the participants and their families. I’ll never forget the day a graduate of the program told me her children were proud that she was working. Now that’s proof that this program really works. It not only works for Marriott, but also for the people we help.” Fred Kramer, Director OVERVIEW: Marriott’s Pathways to Independence: A Training-for-Jobs Program has trained more than 1,900 people in 38 cities for positions as hotel employees. What makes this program different is that it teaches participants the skills necessary to obtain and hold a job. The program addresses factors that may be standing in the way of an individual holding onto a job: poor communication skills, low self-esteem, inappropriate behavior, underdeveloped work ethic, tardiness and absenteeism, as well as personal challenges such as finding reliable transportation and child care. Considered a national model, Pathways to Independence is a large-scale, corporate sponsored training and employment effort within the United States. It was designed to move welfare recipients to work. Participants who successfully complete the program are offered full-time employment, with benefits, at a Marriott business or with another hospitality employer. The program is a win-win situation for both the participants and for Marriott.
IMPLEMENTATION: Pathways to Independence was created in 1990 by Marriott Community Employment and Training Programs to address the company’s need for developing and retaining qualified employees for Marriott’s diverse hospitality businesses, and is administered by the Community Employment and Training Department at Marriott International headquarters in Washington, DC. The program provides trainees with valuable job skills they can use to gain entry-level positions and build a successful career within the hospitality industry. This training goes beyond job specific skills to include practical skills that will serve participants well at any job and in their personal lives, including: Job acquisition skills: Completing job applications and preparing resumes, developing job interview skills, and exploring career opportunities within the hospitality industry. Skills for retaining a job: Participants gain the skills and attitudes that are critical for success in their first jobs and in every step of their careers:
Basic safety: Preventing workplace accidents and food borne illness, using basic first aid, and applying the Heimlich maneuver. Personal life issues: Building confidence and self-esteem, setting and achieving goals, balancing work and personal life, and managing and coping with stress. Skills for personal financial management: Formulating a personal budget, meeting expenses with entry-level wages, establishing and managing credit, opening and managing a checking account, and differentiating between necessities and luxuries. Pathways to Independence is an intensive, six week program before employment that typically trains 8-18 participants. Written and designed by experienced Marriott managers, the Pathways to Independence curriculum assists individuals in overcoming barriers to employment before they are hired. Other goals of Pathways include:
In addition to 60 hours of classroom instruction, participants undergo 120 hours of occupational training, conducted on-site at designated Marriott businesses by actual Marriott managers and supervisors. The occupational training component features work site activities such as job shadowing (working one-on-one with existing Marriott employees) and hands-on practice in an actual work setting. Pathways to Independence trainees wear Marriott uniforms and build effective communication skills by working directly with Marriott guests, co-workers, managers, and supervisors. This ensures that the training is reality based and current with the needs of the hospitality industry. Pathways to Independence is a bona fide training program. Some of the training programs are paid, some are unpaid depending on the structure of the training contract. Trainees do not displace any current Marriott employees, nor do they cause a reduction in employee work hours. To further enhance their marketability, participants are evaluated, tested, and counseled by instructors who bring their experience as Marriott human resources and management professionals to this program. Once participants successfully complete the program, they are offered full-time positions, with benefits, at a Marriott business. To help them continue on their successful career path, program participants will continue to receive appropriate training and counselling. Flexibility is another strength of the Pathways to Independence program. The program can be tailored to accommodate individuals with disabilities, public assistance recipients, and those who have little or no work experience. Because Marriott continues to update and enhance Pathways
to Independence, it ensures that the program continues to meet the needs of participants and the hospitality industry. RESULTS: Pathways to Independence has received numerous awards for its ability to prepare individuals for the world of work in general, and, more specifically, entry-level jobs that lead to a career in the hospitality industry.
Because many of the skills taught in the program are applicable to all work situations, other companies have expressed interest in hiring graduates of the program. And, as an additional indicator of the program’s success, many businesses outside the hospitality industry have approached Marriott for assistance in developing their own training for jobs programs. Another reason for the program’s proven track record: both participants and instructors have a vested interest in the success of the program. Participants
understand they are being trained by their potential employer; managers and supervisors know that they are training individuals who may become their employees. With the enactment of welfare reform legislation, programs such as Pathways to Independence are in great demand throughout the United States. To meet this need, Marriott is interested in expanding the program to other cities and exploring partnership opportunities with funding sources and community based organizations.
WTTC Human Resource Centre COMMENT: Lower cost per placement (by eliminating the expense of using separate training institutions and outside job placement services); guarantee of full-time job offer; job retention; high quality, reality based training; and innovation are just some of the reasons why Pathways to Independence is a proven success. Marriott, in turn, is in a better position for meeting the challenges of developing a qualified workforce by taking the responsibility for training individuals who are not otherwise qualified. This good practice is a model for businesses outside the hospitality industry and one such program that will persist as it is flexible and easily adaptable to the specific needs of the partner agencies and the participants.
Chapter 13 Suggested Web Sites: 1. Canadian Tourism Commission The CTC’s Tourism Business Site offers easy access to this chapters’ referenced paper titled Challenges for Canada’s Tourism Industry. Under the Tourism Resources link, click on the Publications link to access a key word search locating the document order form. The document is offered free of charge.
2. Global Code of Ethics for Tourism On the World Tourism Organization (WTO) web site one can find the full text of a new global code of ethics for the tourism industry. The purpose of the document
is to serve as a frame of reference for the stakeholders in world tourism. 3. Health Canada’s Laboratory Centre for Disease Control Quarantine and Migration Health (QMH) As analysts predict, the future of travel and tourism is one of growth. This means, globally there will be more people travelling, whether for business or
pleasure, more opportunities for employment, and new travel markets opening up. With the movement of people, conveyances, and goods brings concern from national health agencies of infectious diseases. Within Canada, Health
Canada’s Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Quarantine and Migration Health is responsible for protecting Canada from the importation of dangerous communicable diseases that might pose a threat to the public’s health.
Students visiting the QMH web site will learn about this Health Canada’s Occupational Health and Safety Agency, the Quarantine Act and Regulations, the Travel Medicine Program, as well as Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres in Canada.
4. Tourism Work Web Wanting to make tourism connection in Canada, then the Tourism Work Web web site is the place to visit. Whether you are a professional looking for a job, or an
employer searching for a qualified professional, the Tourism Work Web has been created specifically for the Canadian tourism industry with input from those who work in the industry. It is a national site with a local focus.
Created for use by job seekers and employers across Canada, the Tourism Work Web searches in specific regions or across the country using skills to make the match. Based on National Occupation Standards created by industry for
industry, the site’s skills checklists are relevant to employers in Canada’s tourism industry. Members of SkillNet.ca can navigate between Canadian industry job-matching sites with ease. The Tourism Work Web is also linked to
Industry Canada’s Campus Worklink (which hosts over 75,000 job seeker resumes) and to the Canadian Tourism Commission’s CTX site, a key business development tool for over 5,000 tourism businesses. 5. National Association of Career Colleges (NACC) The National Association of Career Colleges (NACC) is an association of private career training institutions from across Canada combined with companies offering
products and services to those institutions. This national umbrella organization has two categories of membership - Active and Associate. Active members are private career training institutions. Associate members are companies
offering products or services to those institutions. NACC's purpose is to encourage excellence in the private training sector and to promote the interests of its members at the national level. Looking to further your education
in a private career training institutions, then look no further than the NACC web site. The site has provincial listings noting the name, city, and type of all the member institutions. 6. Canada Select and Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Select is a national industry program operated by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador to ensure quality accommodations are available throughout the province. In a cooperative initiative with the Newfoundland and Labrador Accommodations Rating Council, properties participate in the Canada Select Accommodations Rating Program and pay an annual assessment fee. Those who achieve the appropriate standards are awarded star ratings between one and five, as well as half-stars where applicable. In each category, properties are rated based on the range and quality of the physical facilities and services offered. The program has proven to be a success within industry because it provides guidelines for operators and serves as an effective marketing tool. Visit the Atlantic provinces Tourism Education Council to learn more about the many human resources development products and services available for all people
involved in Canada’s tourism and hospitality industry. This site explains the features and benefits to membership, upcoming conferences, workshops, and special events, as well as communications and policy. Industry Links will explain several joint tourism initiatives that have been undertaken on a pan-Atlantic basis by industry and both orders of government. These include, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Tourism Destination Management System (TDMS).
7. Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) is a federal government agency. Headquartered in the Atlantic Region, ACOA's goal is to improve the economy of
Atlantic Canadian communities through the successful development of business and job opportunities. 8. Tourism Destination Management System (TDMS) The Tourism Destination Management System (TDMS), established in December, 1996, represents a tourism information and reservation network for Newfoundland and Labrador. DESTINATION Newfoundland and Labrador, a business unit within NewTel Communications, manages the reservation component of the TDMS. DESTINATION works closely with Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador and the provincial Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation on the continual development of the province's tourism industry. All licensed and graded accommodations listed in the provincial travel guide are included in the TDMS database information. However, only those properties that
become active participants with DESTINATION have room inventory available in the TDMS for reservations. In addition to fixed-roof accommodations and the provincial parks, the TDMS has now expanded its reservation products to
include tour package operators, outfitters, and car rentals. This growth of reservation services is ongoing and consistent with DESTINATION Newfoundland and Labrador's goal of providing a one-stop shopping option for tourists.
9. Canada Direct Available from your local telephone company, Canada Direct service connects you to the Canadian telecommunications network so you can place your long distance
calls back to Canada with guaranteed access to a bilingual Canadian operator, and billing at Canadian rates. This convenient, cost-effective service is available to you before you travel through a Canada Direct Travel Card. You
can easily learn how to place calls with your card, discover the payment and savings plans that apply, or access basic rate information. Canada Direct service is brought to you by the Stentor Alliance of Canadian
telecommunications companies - an alliance made up of the following organizations: Bell Canada, BC TEL, Island Tel, MTS, MT&T, NBTel Inc., NewTel Communications, SaskTel, and TELUS. Associate Members are NorthwesTel and
QuébecTel. 10. Examples of some applied research centres at Canadian universities The McGill Tourism Research Group is an interdisciplinary association of academics at McGill University. The multidisciplinary linkages reflect an approach to
the study of contemporary tourism that transcends traditional academic boundaries Centre for Quality Service Research, Ryerson Polytechnic University Providing research, data analysis and advisory services to business, education, and government organizations in health care, manufacturing, service industries,
and tourism. Centre for Tourism Policy and Research, Simon Fraser University The Centre for Tourism Policy and Research provides leadership in developing and delivering research and professional education that encourages excellence in
the management of tourism. World Tourism Education and Research Centre (WTERC) The World Tourism Education and Research Centre is a world-class learning environment dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of tourism.
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