THE Famous Grouse Experience, at Glenturret Distillery, has been awarded WorldHost Recognised Business Status, a globally-recognised customer service training programme.
Says a spokesperson: “The prestigious training scheme is being supported by Perth & Kinross Council who are working with Skills Development Scotland to offer funding to local SME businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector who wish to join the elite organisations who have achieved WorldHost Recognised Business Status and practice exceptional customer service.
“The rigorous training programme and exam has been used to train tens of thousands of staff and volunteers for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and, more recently 3,000 ScotRail staff in preparation for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 of which The Famous Grouse was an official sponsor.
“Over one million people worldwide have achieved the status which was completed this week by 12 members of the distillery team, meeting the WorldHost requirement for at least 50 per cent of an organisation’s team to have completed any of the training programmes.”
This is another string for the five-star visitor attraction to add to their plump and feathery bow after being named Whisky Attraction of the Year at Whisky Magazine’s 2015 UK Icons of Whisky Awards at the end of last year.
Proving that they are not just ‘Famous’ in name, this recognition led to the Crieff-based distillery being shortlisted in the Global Icons of Whisky Awards, going head to head with some of world’s most famous visitor attractions.
Perth & Kinross Council are pursuing WorldHost Recognised Destination Status as part of the WorldHost Regional Destination Initiative. This national customer service campaign will build on the legacy of ‘Scotland 2014’ and help set Scotland apart as a visitor destination.
Stuart Cassells, general manager at The Famous Grouse Experience, said:
“We are immensely proud that all our staff from our reception, hosting and shop teams at The Famous Grouse Experience have completed the WorldHost training programme, enabling us to achieve WorldHost Recognised Business Status and demonstrating our commitment to the very best customer service for all our visitors.
“Exceptional customer service is incredibly important to us and we value its significance and impact. Our customers are central to our success and we are passionate about delivering an extraordinary and memorable experience to our visitors and the WorldHost Principles of Customer Service training has offered us a way to hone these values and develop our team further.”
Suzanne Cumiskey, project officer at Perth & Kinross Council who is leading the project to roll out WorldHost Principles of Customer Service training in the tourism sector in Perth & Kinross, commented:
“After welcoming thousands of international visitors to Scotland, and specifically to Perth and Kinross last year from The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup, our tourism industry has already demonstrated it has world class customer service skills that can compete on a global platform.
“This year, we expect even more interest in our area following extensive coverage of these events around the globe and we are delighted to be able to help local businesses achieve WorldHost Recognised Business Status.
“I would encourage any local companies looking to complete the training programme to get in touch.”
Suzanne continued:
“I’m particularly delighted that the team at The Famous Grouse Experience are the first to complete the training. It may be Scotland’s oldest working distillery, but its customer service skills are as up to date as you can get.
“They are a shining example of the highest standards of customer service, that has already achieved global recognition as a visitor attraction and we are delighted that they are leading the way with this exciting project for businesses in the local area.”
To find out more about WorldHost training opportunities with Perth & Kinross Council, please visit scotland.worldhost.co.uk or call 01738 475 731
To find out more about The Famous Grouse Experience at Glenturret Distillery visit www.thefamousgrouseexperience.com
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About Glenturret Distillery and The Famous Grouse Experience
- The Famous Grouse Experience is located at Scotland’s oldest working distillery – Glenturret. Originally established as a single malt distillery in 1775, today The Famous Grouse Experience is the most visited distillery in Scotland (welcoming an average of 100,000 visitors every year).
- The distillery was fully refurbished in 2014 and was recently awarded UK Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year by Whisky Magazine and finished in the top three at the Global Icons of Whisky Awards for Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.
- It has recently announced the opening of a new café and restaurant on site, Wilde Thyme at Glenturret, a partnership with award winning Comrie based luxury caterers Wilde Thyme offering the very best in locally sourced Scottish produce and dishes that give diners an authentic and delicious taste of Perthshire.
- The distillery offers the opportunity to learn how a single malt is made in the traditional way, as well as learning how some of the Glenturret single malt is then blended along with other grain and malt whiskies to create The Famous Grouse, the No. 1 whisky in the UK.
- Opening Hours 10am-6pm (Nov-Feb 10am-5pm)
- Visitor and café restaurant Opening Hours 10am-6pm (Nov-Feb 10am-5pm) The restaurant will be opening in the evenings in the Spring.
- For more information please visit www.thefamousgrouseexperience.com or call 01764 656565
Tour Experiences
- Distillery Experience: (one hour) Runs hourly. Includes one exceptional distillery tour, and a taste of two fine whiskies. £10 adult, £9 concession (seniors/students/under 18s).
- Tasting Experience: (one hour) Runs hourly. Includes one exceptional distillery tour, a taste of five fine whiskies and a souvenir nosing glass to keep. £20 Famous Tasting, £30 Finest Tasting, Over 18s only.
- Warehouse Experience: (1½ hours) Includes one exceptional distillery tour, a taste of four fine whiskies and a magical peek at hundreds of sleeping casks in our very special warehouse. £40, Over 18s only, Pre-booking recommended.
- Blending Experience: (two hours) Includes one exceptional distillery tour, a tasting of four fine whiskies inside our exclusive bonded warehouse and a unique opportunity to master the art of blending your own whisky, complete with complimentary 100ml bottle and certificate. £60, Over 18s only, Pre-booking recommended.
- Stillman Experience: (10-4pm) Available Tue, Wed, Thu. Includes one exceptional experience with unrivalled access to the unique world of whisky production. Spend the day side by side with our Stillman and our Drammolier™, learn the art of blending, and toast one fine day with a dram from your complimentary bottle of The Glenturret Highland Single Malt. £250, Over 18s only, Pre-booking essential.
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