VIVID has launched a new customer-focused training credential for all employees, becoming the first housing association to roll out a programme certificated under City & Guilds Assured.
The “Customer Advocate” credential will be delivered to all staff over the next two years, with new starters required to complete it within their first six months, as part of a wider push to embed customer experience across the organisation.
The programme is designed to standardise customer service skills across all roles, using flexible, role-specific learning based on real-world scenarios, followed by an assessment to validate knowledge, behaviours and decision-making.
Successful participants will receive a City & Guilds Assured digital badge and certificate, aligned to the organisation’s global quality benchmark for internally developed training.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE STRATEGY
VIVID said the initiative forms a core part of its customer experience strategy, aiming to ensure consistent service delivery and decision-making across all teams, not just front-line staff.
Susan Noone, Director of People at VIVID, says: “We’ve always made sure our teams have the technical skills they need to do their jobs well, and they already bring a huge amount of experience and dedication to supporting our customers.
“What we haven’t had until now is a company-wide customer-focused learning programme that brings all our expectations and promises together. The Customer Advocate credential does exactly that.
“It develops our teams and gives staff the chance to earn something with real value – both here at VIVID and throughout their careers. Just as importantly, it reinforces that customer skills are every bit as essential to our success as technical expertise.”
SHARED UNDERSTANDING
Alex Nagle, Customer Service Director at VIVID, adds: “Great customer experience is something we create together. It isn’t just shaped by our customer facing staff – it’s influenced by how we work with each other.That’s why everyone’s getting involved in the Customer Advocate credential.
“It brings our Customer Promises to life by giving all our teams a shared understanding of what good looks like. It celebrates the strong customer skills we already have and helps us build on them, so we can keep improving the experience we deliver every day.”
