"After my seminars people would always ask if I had a training program they could bring back to use with their staff. I did not," explains customer service expert Holly Stiel. "Eventually, it became clear to me that I needed to create a solution." This month, following a string of successful customer service training programs for the hospitality industry, Holly's training company is releasing its fourth interactive DVD program, The Neon Signs of ServiceTM for spas and salons.
According to Stiel, author and internationally recognized former concierge, "The spa industry in general has a deep understanding of service — it's the main component of their offering. People come to spas to feel good and have a relaxing and healing experience. However, there can be a huge gap between that intention and their actual service experience — which will significantly impact that customer's loyalty and intention to return. Great service in this business is absolutely crucial to the bottom line."
Judging from the initial response, the Neon Signs of ServiceTM training seems to be filling that need. According to TJ Weaver, President of Douglas J Salons (www.douglasj.com), "...We'd been looking for a good customer service training program for years. We purchased several but they didn't have the quality or effectiveness we were looking for. We even sent people to the Ritz Carlton training and that didn't have the take home value we needed either ... We bought the Neon Signs of Service for our salons and institutes and are very, very happy with the results. Our teachers, coaches, employees and students have all been inspired by Holly's unique "from the heart" training. Without hesitation, we would recommend it to anyone seeking an effective customer service training program."
Presented on DVD, Neon Signs of ServiceTM is a complete training solution built around twelve engaging video lessons, each about thirty minutes in length. The lessons, designed to be fun and memorable, include topics like The Psychic Salary, Stay in Touch with The Challenge, It Isn't Personal, The Art of the Apology, Look for the Love, Keep Dancing, Forgive and Bring Your Sense of Humor to Work. A major focus of the training is to teach service providers how to take care of themselves while they are taking care of their customers — which increases employee retention and customer loyalty.
The complete training package includes a comprehensive step-by-step Facilitator's Guide, a "Getting Started" video for trainers, a set of Service Standards, Participant Workbooks (with license-free reprinting from an included CD-ROM), a helpful job aid for training reinforcement at the front desk and even props to help make the training sessions fun and memorable.
"Holly has a unique gift for capturing the fundamental challenges faced by customer service professionals and creating completely fresh ways to handle them." According to Peggy Wynne Borgman, President of Preston Wynne Salons (www.prestonwynne.com), another Stiel fan. "Our front line staff has become more relaxed and confident in handling stressful customer service episodes since they integrated Holly's concepts into their approach. We're enjoying our highest customer satisfaction ratings ever.'
"We designed the training to be fast, fun, flexible and facilitated," says Stiel. "Neon Signs of Service is a comprehensive program that provides everything a manager or trainer will need to easily run effective, culture-changing training sessions for their staff. The lessons can be scheduled once a week, once a month, or all together over two days — whatever fits the needs of the business."
The price of the complete Neon Signs of ServiceTM package is $1950, with discounts available for multiple units or educational users. It can be purchased online at www.stielmedia.com, at industry site www.spatrade.com or by calling Stiel Media at 415 331-1660.
About Stiel Media: Getting to the Heart of Customer Service
Stiel Media, LLC and award-winning media partner Arnowitz/Hurn Productions create premiere, customer service training solutions. With products and services ranging from state of the art interactive training, to live training events, to keynote speeches — the partnership caters to the customer service training needs of the hospitality, salon and spa industries. The partnership currently has programs training over 35,000 employees, in more than 1500 locations throughout the US. Clients include Aveda, Aveda distributor Fredric's Corporation, Hilton hotels, Hampton Inns, Hilton Garden Inns, Marriot, Hyatt Hotels, Premiere Resorts, Bank of America and many other Fortune 500 companies. Stiel Media DVD based training products include: The High Road to Service; Concierge Express; Neon Signs of Service for Hotels and Neon Signs of Service for Spas and Salons. Stiel Media and Arnowitz Hurn Productions are located in Sausalito, California and on the web at www.stielmedia.com.
About Stiel Media Partners
Stiel Media partners have an extensive background in service, training and production. CEO Burt Arnowitz is credited as one of the pioneers of educational multimedia, producing the first complete multimedia biology and computer literacy curriculum products (Holt, Rinehart and Winston and Southwest Publishing) in addition to best selling multimedia "edutainment" programs. Partner, and Director of Instructional Design, Aimee Lyndon-Adams was the Director of Service Quality at Charles Schwab and Citibank. More recently as Senior Consultant for Omega Software, she designed and developed large-scale sales and service training. Partner, and Producer, Jeff Hurn has created interactive training courseware consistently rated top of its class by CBT Magazine.
About Holly Stiel — Teaching the Art of Customer Service
Holly Stiel, M.A. is a pioneer in the field of customer service. Stiel single-handedly started the concierge department at, and was the San Francisco's Grand Hyatt chief concierge for 17 years — a model for entire Hyatt brand. She was the first American woman admitted to Les Clefs d'Or, the exclusive international concierges' association.
Stiel has been featured as the keynote speaker for numerous professional organizations and companies, including: I-SPA, Aveda, VISA, Disneyland, Hilton Hotels, Marriot, Bellagio Hotel and Resort, Professional Association of Innkeepers International, Society of Human Resource Management, numerous other professional organizations and Fortune 500 companies.
Stiel is the author of three books on customer service. Ultimate Service, The Complete Handbook to the World of the Concierge, Thank You Very Much - A Book For Anyone Who Has Ever Said, "May I Help You" and her most recent book, The Neon Signs of Service Getting to the Heart of the Matter in Customer Service.
She has a Masters Degree in education and has taught at the Hospitality School of The University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the International Concierge Institute, U.S.A. and Canada. In 1999 Holly was awarded the "Distinguished Visiting Professor" award from Johnson & Wales University, Charleston Campus.
PRESS CONTACT:
Holly Stiel
Stiel Media, LLC
415 331-1660
[email protected]
www.stielmedia.com
According to Stiel, author and internationally recognized former concierge, "The spa industry in general has a deep understanding of service — it's the main component of their offering. People come to spas to feel good and have a relaxing and healing experience. However, there can be a huge gap between that intention and their actual service experience — which will significantly impact that customer's loyalty and intention to return. Great service in this business is absolutely crucial to the bottom line."
Judging from the initial response, the Neon Signs of ServiceTM training seems to be filling that need. According to TJ Weaver, President of Douglas J Salons (www.douglasj.com), "...We'd been looking for a good customer service training program for years. We purchased several but they didn't have the quality or effectiveness we were looking for. We even sent people to the Ritz Carlton training and that didn't have the take home value we needed either ... We bought the Neon Signs of Service for our salons and institutes and are very, very happy with the results. Our teachers, coaches, employees and students have all been inspired by Holly's unique "from the heart" training. Without hesitation, we would recommend it to anyone seeking an effective customer service training program."
Presented on DVD, Neon Signs of ServiceTM is a complete training solution built around twelve engaging video lessons, each about thirty minutes in length. The lessons, designed to be fun and memorable, include topics like The Psychic Salary, Stay in Touch with The Challenge, It Isn't Personal, The Art of the Apology, Look for the Love, Keep Dancing, Forgive and Bring Your Sense of Humor to Work. A major focus of the training is to teach service providers how to take care of themselves while they are taking care of their customers — which increases employee retention and customer loyalty.
The complete training package includes a comprehensive step-by-step Facilitator's Guide, a "Getting Started" video for trainers, a set of Service Standards, Participant Workbooks (with license-free reprinting from an included CD-ROM), a helpful job aid for training reinforcement at the front desk and even props to help make the training sessions fun and memorable.
"Holly has a unique gift for capturing the fundamental challenges faced by customer service professionals and creating completely fresh ways to handle them." According to Peggy Wynne Borgman, President of Preston Wynne Salons (www.prestonwynne.com), another Stiel fan. "Our front line staff has become more relaxed and confident in handling stressful customer service episodes since they integrated Holly's concepts into their approach. We're enjoying our highest customer satisfaction ratings ever.'
"We designed the training to be fast, fun, flexible and facilitated," says Stiel. "Neon Signs of Service is a comprehensive program that provides everything a manager or trainer will need to easily run effective, culture-changing training sessions for their staff. The lessons can be scheduled once a week, once a month, or all together over two days — whatever fits the needs of the business."
The price of the complete Neon Signs of ServiceTM package is $1950, with discounts available for multiple units or educational users. It can be purchased online at www.stielmedia.com, at industry site www.spatrade.com or by calling Stiel Media at 415 331-1660.
About Stiel Media: Getting to the Heart of Customer Service
Stiel Media, LLC and award-winning media partner Arnowitz/Hurn Productions create premiere, customer service training solutions. With products and services ranging from state of the art interactive training, to live training events, to keynote speeches — the partnership caters to the customer service training needs of the hospitality, salon and spa industries. The partnership currently has programs training over 35,000 employees, in more than 1500 locations throughout the US. Clients include Aveda, Aveda distributor Fredric's Corporation, Hilton hotels, Hampton Inns, Hilton Garden Inns, Marriot, Hyatt Hotels, Premiere Resorts, Bank of America and many other Fortune 500 companies. Stiel Media DVD based training products include: The High Road to Service; Concierge Express; Neon Signs of Service for Hotels and Neon Signs of Service for Spas and Salons. Stiel Media and Arnowitz Hurn Productions are located in Sausalito, California and on the web at www.stielmedia.com.
About Stiel Media Partners
Stiel Media partners have an extensive background in service, training and production. CEO Burt Arnowitz is credited as one of the pioneers of educational multimedia, producing the first complete multimedia biology and computer literacy curriculum products (Holt, Rinehart and Winston and Southwest Publishing) in addition to best selling multimedia "edutainment" programs. Partner, and Director of Instructional Design, Aimee Lyndon-Adams was the Director of Service Quality at Charles Schwab and Citibank. More recently as Senior Consultant for Omega Software, she designed and developed large-scale sales and service training. Partner, and Producer, Jeff Hurn has created interactive training courseware consistently rated top of its class by CBT Magazine.
About Holly Stiel — Teaching the Art of Customer Service
Holly Stiel, M.A. is a pioneer in the field of customer service. Stiel single-handedly started the concierge department at, and was the San Francisco's Grand Hyatt chief concierge for 17 years — a model for entire Hyatt brand. She was the first American woman admitted to Les Clefs d'Or, the exclusive international concierges' association.
Stiel has been featured as the keynote speaker for numerous professional organizations and companies, including: I-SPA, Aveda, VISA, Disneyland, Hilton Hotels, Marriot, Bellagio Hotel and Resort, Professional Association of Innkeepers International, Society of Human Resource Management, numerous other professional organizations and Fortune 500 companies.
Stiel is the author of three books on customer service. Ultimate Service, The Complete Handbook to the World of the Concierge, Thank You Very Much - A Book For Anyone Who Has Ever Said, "May I Help You" and her most recent book, The Neon Signs of Service Getting to the Heart of the Matter in Customer Service.
She has a Masters Degree in education and has taught at the Hospitality School of The University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the International Concierge Institute, U.S.A. and Canada. In 1999 Holly was awarded the "Distinguished Visiting Professor" award from Johnson & Wales University, Charleston Campus.
PRESS CONTACT:
Holly Stiel
Stiel Media, LLC
415 331-1660
[email protected]
www.stielmedia.com