Perfecting customer service

Customer service is key to a successful business, which is why the Ilembe Chamber’s Skills for Growth Program workshop on March 19 focused on these important skills.

A number of retailers attended the Customer Service Workshop, which was aimed at making affordable training available to the Ilembe business community, so that they can further their business growth.

According to Cobus Oelofse, CEO of the Chamber, training courses, seminars and professional advice tend to be expensive and are therefore often the privileged domain of larger or corporate businesses.

“The Skills for Growth initiative, with its training and development focus, is core to the Chamber’s mandate and, most excitingly, is presented in collaboration with Chamber members,” said Oelofse.

Jannie Koegelenberg from Edge Training, who did the workshop in collaboration with Chamber, explained that passionate customer service in the retail sector is founded on a solid understanding of the generic expectations of customers, the importance of making a good first impression and gaining the trust of customers.

The Skills for Growth program falls under the umbrella of the Chamber’s Business Support Centre and is presented in KwaDukuza (Ballito and Stanger) and Isithebe and sponsored by Tongaat Hulett, Black Balance, King Shaka International Airport (ACSA), Sembcorp Siza Water and KZN EDTEA.

Chamber members that collaborated to present the Skills for Growth programme are, among others, Edge Training, Prusik, Chris Voysey Communications and Amabutho SHEQ, a previous finalist in the Chamber’s The Entrepreneur Programme.