The flexible office market is getting more competitive by the day, so keeping customers happy once you have them is crucial. Operators are now investing heavily in staff training so that customers’ user experiences are as positive as possible. GKRE spoke to Valerie Merrill of Merrill Consultants to discuss the training programmes she runs for serviced office operators.
Q: What type of training do you undertake for the serviced office market?
A: It depends upon what the organisation is trying to achieve but mostly it is training relating to sales, customer service, conflict resolution and events.
Q: Which courses are particularly popular?
A: Serviced operators recognise that good customer service is the key to retaining customers so we are running this course regularly at the moment. The course is designed as forum theatre. This is where a facilitator runs the session and two actors role play typical scenarios we have agreed with the client, to give the delegates hands on practice.
The sales training course is also popular. Unlike other sales course where people are left on their own to implement the techniques they have learned, we work on a consultative basis.
Q What other courses have been well received?
A: The conflict resolution course, as the content is useful not just for business but also for life. Areas covered include the need for excellent communication, recognising behavioural signs of conflict and understanding the obstacles to conflict resolution.
