Galway’s Connacht Hospitality Group, which comprises multiple hotels and bars in the city has been awarded a much sought after customer service award from Failte Ireland.
In order to receive Fáilte Ireland’s Accredited Service Excellence Award a business must show that at least 75% of its staff have completed the Accredited Service programme to deliver the best in customer service for tourists.
The Connacht Hospitality Group contains some of the most loved hotels and bars in Galway: The Connacht Hotel, currently celebrating 50 years of excellence; the boutique Residence Hotel on Quay Street in the heart of the city’s cultural life; and the stylish Forster Court Hotel which has recently been revamped.
It also represents the multi-award winning An Pucán, one of the best places to watch sports in Galway; Hyde Bar & Gin Parlour with its unparalleled collection of gins; and 1520 Bar in the heart of the Latin Quarter.
Also under the umbrella of the group comes the 24-hour Active Fitness Gym & Leisure Centre.
Group General Manager Wayne Neilon said “We are delighted to have received the Failte Ireland Service Excellence Award for our properties.
“This is an excellent initiative from Failte Ireland supporting front line customer service teams,” he said of the tourism agency’s Service Programme and Award.
“The feedback from our teams on the training provided was very positive and the training was delivered in a very professional and pragmatic way that allowed the team to practically apply their learnings in their day to day roles.”
“As a company we are very appreciative of the training support received from Failte Ireland. We are proud to employ over 350 staff in the city and we pride ourselves on our passion for taking care of our team and who then in turn, take care of our customers.”
In the ever-competitive world of the Irish tourism industry top class customer service is now more important than ever.
Ireland is not seen as a low cost destination, but needs to compete with places with cheaper prices. One way to achieve this is by ensuring visitors to Galway are given the royal treatment.
One key opportunity which must be taken and advocated for is “the provision of best in class service experiences” the outcomes of which will benefit the visitor, the business and Ireland Inc.
The Connacht Hospitality Group is the only hospitality group in Galway which has so far achieved the Accredited Service Excellence Award from Fáilte Ireland.
Martina Kerr Bromley, Fáilte Ireland’s Head of Operations, Enterprise, Food & Hospitality, said that this award is a “great testament to the staff, management and teams of the Hotels, Bars, Restaurants & Fitness businesses across the group”.
She added that the Service Excellence Programme is a benefit to staff and management who “see real value in going the extra mile, in not only meeting but exceeding the expectations of our visitors”.
