UAE. Dubai Duty Free has hailed the success of a seven-month training programme aimed at creating new liquor specialists.
The programme was introduced in collaboration with PATH Bar School, a training division of Dubai-based alcohol distributor African & Eastern. It included globally-accredited courses from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and The Whiskey Ambassador.
According to Dubai Duty Free, the project included training that would rival most specialised whisky bars and “set a new standard for specialised beverage training in the Gulf region”.
The Whiskey Ambassador Global Operations Director Sue Beatt said: “We are delighted that Dubai Duty Free is demonstrating such commitment to staff and customers by having their team members gain Whisky Ambassador accreditation.
“Our award-winning programme has been shown to increase customer satisfaction, staff motivation and sales. They now have the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage with customers and make informed recommendations.”
The final training programme was delivered by PATH Bar School Regional Manager Richard Cohen and considered potential travellers’ tastes and preferences.
“The team first built up familiarity around the whole spirits world, ensuring they had in-depth knowledge of both production processes and different flavour styles,” Cohen said. During the course attendees tasted more than 300 different labels.
“It was then about translating that raw category knowledge and understanding of styles, and applying sales techniques that offer genuine benefits to both Dubai Duty Free and its transient customers,” he added.
WSET Chief Executive Ian Harris commented: “WSET qualifications allow the team to offer a superior level of customer service that will drive sales and lead to better business as well as higher customer satisfaction.”
Dubai Duty Free is halfway through the training cycle for the second batch of specialised sales personnel, as the airport retailer focuses “unprecedented” investment towards staff upskilling across the business.
PATH Bar School Team Member and recognised bartender Jason Clark commented: “Whether in an award-winning bar or top-end retail outlet, the need for product knowledge and understanding of flavour profiles are the same, as is the need to engage with customers and build their trust.
“When training the Dubai Duty Free staff, we have used the same techniques as when training teams in the region’s five-star hotels, which means that travellers can have a genuine conversation with the liquor specialists around different spirit categories and receive honest advice based on actual experience opposed to staff that have only received the standard brand trainings.”
In support of the programme, Dubai Duty Free has commissioned a re-write of its Spirit Category training platform. Through its intranet, 54 short videos and other pieces of online content are available to staff.
Dubai Duty Free said the training programme is part of its efforts to meet the demands of visitors and transit travellers by anticipating new travel and retail trends.
“This programme may only be one part of the puzzle in Dubai Duty Free’s continuous efforts to achieve this, but the results already prove a big step in the right direction,” the company stated.
