Local partnership boosts Floors Castle’s commitment to first-class visitor experience

As the tourism and hospitality industry continues to grow in the Scottish Borders region, it is vital that those working within the sector have the comprehensive training required to deliver the best possible service to visitors.

Floors Castle, an award-winning tourist attraction situated in Roxburghe Estate, Kelso, attracts thousands of visitors each year and Borders College has recently helped upskill its staff to cope with the ongoing demands of the sector.

With funding available through the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF), Floors Castle met with @BordersCollege Department of Enterprise and Business Innovation (DEBI) to discuss training options.

As a result, 23 members of staff recently took advantage of a number of training initiatives aimed at improving their service in a host of areas. Delivery took place online and employees attended the following sessions:

• IOSH Managing Safely
• IOSH Working Safely
• Bespoke Customer Service
• Copywriting
• Microsoft Office EXCEL Level 1
• Microsoft Office EXCEL Level 2

Hospitality staff undertook training on a bespoke customer service course that was tailored for their needs and a senior member of staff took part in a bespoke copywriting and social media training programme to help promote the visitor experience and on-site produce available at Floors Castle.

Michelle Innes and Helen Richards, senior staff members at Floors who were heavily involved with the FDWF process, had the below to say:

“Borders College was really helpful in the process and it was a great opportunity to augment the skill sets around the Roxburghe Estate team. As the business operates across such diverse areas, the FWDF allowed us to support the team with a wide range of experiences.”

After the success of this training, Floors Castle is again working in partnership with Borders College to create a training plan for next year’s funding.