Pictured above: (l-r) Will Powell, Louise Dennery and Bill
Powell
When Bill Powell registered his family business, Powell &
Son butchers in Sutton Coldfield, for customer services training,
his son Will was a little dubious. The butchers had been open
for over 20 years, and had built up a great reputation in the area,
and Will was unsure whether training in customer services was
something that they needed.
However, after just a few weeks into their training, both father
and son could see the benefits.
Will Powell, from Powell & Son butchers, said: "At first I
didn't think that we needed this training as I believe that we've
always delivered a great level of customer service. However,
through this training we are all more mindful of what makes good
customer service, and we consistently deliver it to our
customers."
Powell & Son first heard about the free training when Accent
on Training's local assessors visited small- and medium-sized
businesses in the Sutton Coldfield area, offering National
Vocational Qualifications at Level 1 in Customer Services. The
training is funded by the West Midlands Councils' and Skills
Funding Agency's regional European Social Fund (ESF) programme
which supports several different areas of training across the West
Midlands.
Louise Dennery, Powell & Son assessor, said: "While Bill was
eager to take advantage of the free training on offer, Will had
reservations. However, as soon as we began the training, both
Bill and his son Will recognised that they'd made the right
choice.
"It is important for businesses to deliver high levels of
customer service as customer loyalty plays a huge role in the
success of local businesses within a community."
Cllr Philip Atkins, chairman of the West Midlands Councils,
said: "Many people think that training is something you do before
you enter the workplace, but continuing to develop your skills is a
vital part in developing both yourself and your career."