By Bernard Amaya | 28th June 2021
The service sector has become increasingly customer-centric. Every organization is striving to give quality service to the customer. Consequently, the hospitality training offered by Kenya Utalii College (KUC) has gained popularity for enhancing quality customer service. By nature, hospitality training emphasizes people skills, which are now popularly known as soft skills. Soft skills combined with excellent product knowledge and professional service skills enable an organization to offer the client a memorable experience. The graduates have already made a mark in the industry as a result of the excellent customer focus attributes which have been infused in them during training at the Hotel School.
Many service providers are keen to have their frontline staff equipped with customer care skills, an important ingredient in customer relationship management. Hospitals were the first to discover the value of customer care training to their employees. Premier hospitals such as Nairobi, AgaKhan, and Marter have not only employed the services of Kenya Utalii College graduates as frontline personnel but hired them to manage their health facilities. The effect has been quality customer care to their patients and stakeholders.
Airlines, among them, Kenya Airways (KQ) and the Emirates, also have Kenya Utalii College graduates in their rank and file. A majority of in-flight attendants and customer care agents have received training at KUC. It is not a surprise, therefore, that KQ has been rated highly for its quality customer care. It thus underscores the value of customer care skills, in achieving customer satisfaction.Â
People Also Read: Kenya Utalii College And Its Recipe To Success
Besides the in-flight attendants –cum- customer agents, ground staff who work for Kenya Airports Authority have as well been trained in customer care. Having the ground crew equipped with customer care skills ensures seamless quality customer service. Passengers are treated by friendly and caring staff on arrival at the airport; Thanks to the customer care training by Kenya Utalii College.
The retail sector comprising hypermarkets and supermarkets among other megastores have in addition embraced customer care to give shoppers a memorable experience. Kenya Utalii College graduates are playing a critical role in revolutionizing the shopping experience. Some of the mega stores with Utalii trained graduates are Carrefour and the Naivas supermarkets.
By and large, the wider service sector has customer care at the core of quality customer experience. An increasing number of customers are demanding better treatment by service providers. The Public service sector has not been left behind in promoting good customer service. Public institutions including Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, and the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute, have had their staff trained in customer care by the College. This is a step in the right direction as the government seeks to improve service delivery in the public sector.Â
Above all, because of their strong customer care orientation, the government has always employed the services of KUC staff and students in major functions or conferences. Examples include the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, the African Travel Association, the visit by President Obama and Pope Francis, to mention just but a few, employed hostessing services by the College. The College thus has its work cut out as a customer care training center.
Bernard Amaya is a lecturer and Alumni Coordinator at Kenya Utalii College.
Utalii College Alumni Land Lucrative Jobs Abroad
