Thirty Four UAE nationals from Emaar Hospitality Group have completed the American Hotel and Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) Certified Guest Service Professional Workshop Certification in partnership with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.

The only hospitality group in the Middle East and North Africa to undertake the AH&LA’s programme, Emaar Hospitality Group awarded the graduates with certificates and gold lapel pins in recognition of their achievement. Ibrahim Yaqoot, executive director, Corporate Support of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing presented students with the awards at Emaar Business Park.

Supported by the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), nearly 90 per cent of UAE nationals working across Emaar Hospitality properties were enrolled in the ‘Basic Hospitality’ two-day AHLA workshop.

Patrick Heuze, chief executive officer, Emaar Hospitality Group said: “Professional training is an integral component in improving overall employee performance, and with the AH&LA Basic Hospitality Workshop, Emaar Hospitality Group provided vocational training for UAE nationals, expanding their knowledge base. This training played a vital part in enriching associate experience, promoting values of professionalism, teamwork, communication and leadership skills.”

He added: “We will endeavour to expand our scope to include more workshops spanning different aspects of the hospitality, highlighting our commitment to nurture Emirati talent and support the growth of Emiratis in Emaar Hospitality Group.”

The workshops covered an array of topics including soft skills, welcoming guests, telephone etiquette, customer care, dealing with customer complaints, urgency in requests, appropriate behaviour in the workplace, grooming/hygiene, going the extra mile to wow guests, attitude towards guests and their satisfaction, importance of teamwork, and overall knowledge and information know-how on Dubai. - TradeArabia News Service