Bob Little Press and Public Relations - 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


Media Centre Echelon Learning Master List PRESS INFORMATION ISSUED ON BEHALF OF: Echelon Publishing Darwin House, 236 South Ealing Road, LONDON W5 4RP tel 020 8568 1500; fax 020 8560 6612; web http://learningmatters.com London, UK: 30th August 2007 BL/ELL/14/07 NB: Pictures to accompany and illustrate this news story are available on request from Bob Little Press & PR (tel 01727 860405; email bob.little@dial.pipex.com) 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. "Building a service brand", according to Echelon director David Hill, "starts at two points in an organisation - from the top down and from the bottom up. "The executive determines the service standards to which the company should aspire and cascades them throughout the organisation. New recruits are inducted into these standards which, in many cases, form part of the organisation's performance management." 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. St Pancras will not only be the key destination for the Eurostar and high-speed rail in the UK, but a major retail and hospitality destination. Facilities include Europe's longest champagne bar, a daily farmers' market and world class brasserie, and an individual mix of independent boutiques along with some of the best known names in High Street retailing. The Echelon initiative plays an important part in the development of the unique St Pancras brand. "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 ends Pictures are available on request from Bob Little Press & PR (tel 01727 860405; email bob.little@dial.pipex.com) Released August 2007 on behalf of Echelon Publishing by BLP&PR Media contact: Peter Muir Tel + 44 (0)1296 715228; Email: echelon@pmpr.co.uk Sales contact: David Hill Tel + 44 (0)20 8568 1500; Email: david@echelonl.com Editor Note: About Echelon Learning Echelon Learning is a consultancy-led publishing house that integrates electronically-delivered knowledge and learning into the development of management skills and business performance. Echelon Consulting spearheads the company's service with the development of new content in meeting clients' requirements. This is usually derived from analysing employee knowledge and learning needs captured during client learning programmes. Where appropriate, Echelon Publishing then offers this new content to a wider audience by publishing the material in generic format. This is made available in the form of easy to use 'learning nuggets' and is complimented with business development information licensed exclusively from one of the market's best-known providers, Bloomsbury. Echelon e-Learning provides the electronic systems which enable content to be published, distributed and usage tracked, and offers work-based solutions to a global audience. Now Echelon's blended learning based on a bespoke site populated with material selected to support specific courses, builds knowledge prior to the event and refreshes application when back at the desk. About Echelon Publishing Echelon technologies help organisations place solutions at people's fingertips, whether solving everyday business and work-related problems or helping gain qualifications and continued professional development. Echelon: Has a content management system enabling informational or learning material to be developed or converted into XML so that it can be published and distributed in text and/or via the web. Has a learning management system to provide ready access via the web to highly structured information, which is easily searched and retrieved, and whose usage can be tracked and learning logged. Publishes and/or reformats content for professional bodies and commercial organisations to help students and employees maintain or develop requisite skills throughout their careers. Supports people from the outset of their careers in working with professional bodies to develop and deliver the learning content required by students in preparing for examination. Frees up the knowledge and learning contained within a business so that people have ready access to these resources in helping them to solve problems or develop their careers. Works with a number of blue chip organisations and professional bodies, including: COMMERCIAL BUPA Coventry Building Society Lincoln Financial Moat House Hotels Modernisation Agency (NHS) Novartis Pharmaceuticals NHS Logistics Vodafone INSTITUTIONAL Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply Construction Industry Training Board Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators Institute of Chartered Accountants in E & W Institute of Civil Engineers Royal Town Planning Institute

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