How do you evaluate and select external guest service training and development providers or consultants?

1 Identify your needs and goals

Before you start looking for external guest service training and development providers or consultants, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and why. What are the specific guest service skills, knowledge, and behaviors that you want your staff to learn and apply? How will you measure the success and effectiveness of the training and development program? What are the budget, time, and resource constraints that you have to work with? By answering these questions, you can define your needs and goals and use them as a guide for your search.

2 Research potential providers or consultants

Once you have identified your needs and goals, you can start researching potential external guest service training and development providers or consultants. You can use various sources of information, such as online reviews, testimonials, referrals, portfolios, case studies, credentials, awards, and certifications. You can also contact the providers or consultants directly and ask them about their experience, expertise, approach, methodology, curriculum, delivery modes, customization options, and fees. You can also request references from their previous or current clients and contact them to get feedback on their satisfaction and results.

3 Compare and evaluate options

After you have gathered enough information about the potential external guest service training and development providers or consultants, you can compare and evaluate them based on your needs and goals. You can use a simple matrix or a scoring system to rank them according to the criteria that matter most to you, such as quality, relevance, flexibility, innovation, value, and reputation. You can also consider other factors, such as their communication style, rapport, availability, and responsiveness. You can narrow down your options to a shortlist of the most suitable and promising candidates.

4 Conduct a trial or a demo

Before you make a final decision, you may want to conduct a trial or a demo with the external guest service training and development providers or consultants that you have shortlisted. This can help you get a firsthand experience of their services and see how they interact with your staff, how they deliver their content, how they handle questions and feedback, and how they deal with challenges and issues. You can also assess the quality and effectiveness of their materials, tools, and techniques. You can use this opportunity to ask them any questions or concerns that you may have and clarify their expectations and terms.

5 Select and contract the best provider or consultant

After you have conducted a trial or a demo with the external guest service training and development providers or consultants, you can select the best one that meets your needs and goals. You can then negotiate and finalize the contract with them, covering all the details and conditions of the service, such as the scope, objectives, deliverables, timeline, payment, evaluation, feedback, support, and follow-up. You can also establish a clear communication plan and a reporting system to ensure a smooth and successful collaboration.

6 Monitor and review the results

The last step in evaluating and selecting external guest service training and development providers or consultants is to monitor and review the results of the service. You can use various methods and tools to measure the outcomes and impact of the training and development program, such as surveys, quizzes, tests, observations, interviews, feedback forms, performance indicators, and customer satisfaction ratings. You can also solicit feedback from your staff, customers, and the provider or consultant themselves to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of the service. You can use this information to celebrate the achievements, address the gaps, and plan for future improvements.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?