Yodel will provide its drivers and customer facing employees with the first recognised customer experience qualification in the industry, with the launch of its Customer Experience Academy.
Having spent the last two years developing the programme, the company has worked with experts from Talent Training UK and Derwentside College to create the framework and content of the course.
It will see a thousand Yodel driver and service centre staff from across the country go through a 12 month programme to achieve a Level 2 Diploma in Customer Excellence in Logistics.
All participants will attend a series of workshops and one-to-one coaching sessions, covering 12 core units, throughout the year.
“The Customer Experience Academy is aimed at supporting drivers and other colleagues to deliver the highest level of customer service, said chief executive officer Neil Lloyd.
“We believe our investment in creating and delivering this programme is testament to Yodel’s commitment to developing our workforce and strengthening customer experience skills.”
The company’s network of self employed couriers, owner-drivers and agency partners will be able to complete a “Lite” version of the course, with the full programme set to be made available for them from 2014.
The course is delivered by Talent Training and has been funded by Yodel and Derwentside College via the Government’s Skills Funding Agency. Enrolment has taken place and induction packs are to be sent out next month.
“Although the content of the programme is driven by Yodel, we hope that this will set a standard for the industry and that the framework will be adopted by other logistics companies,” added Lloyd.
The announcement comes after Yodel recently became a founding member of the Smart Business Academy, a collaboration of industry employers who have teamed up to improve the perception of careers in their sectors and help create business growth and jobs.
Yodel has been working hard on its customer service after coming bottom in a poll in January by Money Saving Expert, the web site of TV consumer champion Martin Lewis.
In February, it won an industry award for ‘Going the Extra Mile’. It was presented with the trophy at MetaPack Delivery Conference on 7th February.
