Echelon rail service initiative on track for Customer Service Management

A ground-breaking initiative by London and Continental Railways (LCR) to support the creation of a service brand for the newly-redeveloped London St Pancras International station is featured on the Echelon Learning stand (A80) at the Customer: Strategy and Management exhibition and conference at the NEC, Birmingham, 26th - 27th September 2007.

Together with its case study on St Pancras featuring the actors used in the programme, Echelon showcases its service brand development work for commercial and public sector organisations including, Basingstoke & Deane Council, BUPA, Queens Moat House Hotels, Stena, and Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust.

In the case of LCR, some 400 potential recruits - whittled down by telephone screening from a total application of 1,570 - were invited to attend Arsenal’s prestigious new Emirates Stadium for assessment.

Groups of up to 12 candidates took part in a half-day selection exercise which involved watching scenarios played out by actors and then becoming involved interactively.

Candidates were invited to comment on a scene involving a customer complaint, identify irregularities and potential hazards in a photograph taken at St Pancras, and then draft a report of an incident.

One-to-one interviews rounded off the exercises, observed throughout by a team of Echelon’s assessors - and 77 customer service officers (CSOs) were subsequently appointed.

The second stage in brand building took place during induction, where the CSOs honed their customer service skills and developed an understanding of a role involving a number of job-based service practices.

"Once the new staff have received their technical training and induction programme, they will be undergoing further customer care training, putting in place the fundamental criteria by which these staff can be perceived, and judged, by the travelling public," explains Echelon director David Hill.

Hill adds that the whole programme - from recruitment and selection to induction and customer care training - has been devised to allow the 'seamless' development of a highly professional brand of customer service. Echelon’s use of actors as part of the assessment as well as the training process marks a first for the industry, says Hill.

"The strategy to use actors in such an impressive venue lent the proceedings a real ‘wow’ factor and fast-tracked identifying and developing the best candidates from so many applicants," says Hill.

LCR is now adopting the strategy for the integration of new with existing staff members, and their development both organisationally - in terms of excellent service practices - and personally, through customer service training.

Further information from www.echelonlearning.co.uk

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About Echelon Learning Ltd

Echelon Learning is a consultancy-led publishing house that integrates electronically-delivered knowledge and learning into the development of management skills and business performance.