Intercontinental Hotels Group

As part of its mission, InterContinental Hotels Group strives to ensure that meeting the additional needs of disabled guests and employees is business as usual. IHG recognised that simply by enhancing the quality of service offered to disabled guests, they could improve the standard of service for all guests.

Not only was there a strong legal imperative to comply with Part III of the DDA 1995, but IHG also wanted to exploit this business opportunity and simultaneously minimise any associated risk. They identified that employee training was key in giving us a strong competitive advantage, and helping IHG to achieve brand recognition amongst disabled people.

'Listen, inform and ask' are the main principles used by employees, including the Birmingham-based central reservations office. John Bamsey, IHG Chief Operating Officer UK&I and EFD Board Member explains: “IHG doesn't want to single out disabled customers; it's more about giving employees the confidence to provide the same high level of customer service to all guests. For example, just in the same way that a receptionist might encourage a jet-lagged guest to register on the comfortable sofa, she or he could inform disabled customers about the lower station on the reception desk or a clipboard available for registering, if appropriate.”

Confidence to Serve All

With the assistance of Goss Consultancy Ltd, specialists in disability and diversity, a bespoke training programme to change the fundamental service culture of the UK division was developed. Our primary aims were to increase employee confidence in their approach and service to disabled guests, to promote an understanding of the definition of disability and discrimination and to create an awareness of the correct disability etiquette.

IHG developed a bespoke three hour training session entitled 'Confidence to Serve All'. This was designed to be interactive and fun with the introduction of an easily recognisable character, LIA, based on the acronym 'Listen, Inform and Ask' (LIA). LIA was used as an instant memory aide for employees so that regardless of skill level or first language, they could gain a thorough understanding of the key behaviours involved in providing excellent customer service to disabled people.

The training was supported by terminology pocket cards and posters; an eight foot by six foot games mat to consolidate training; a trainers toolkit and hotel information pack and training record sheets to log progress.

The training programme was delivered to 9,000 IHG hotel based employees and 4,000 franchisee employees in six months, by a team of managers from HR and Training. They formed the HR DDA working party, and were trained by Goss Consultancy Ltd.

To compliment the custom-built training, 750 corporate employees received training via CD-ROMS from Employers' Forum on Disability, with an evaluation quiz to be passed. Train the trainer events were also held for 54 people from the company's franchised hotels in the UK division.

In addition, Manual handling training was rolled out to hotels with Evacuation Chairs so that wheelchair users can be transferred to safety in the case of an emergency.

Disability confidence training is now an integral part of employee training in the hotels in the UK and as such, it is included in orientation for new employees and refresher training sessions are conducted on a six monthly basis. It is recorded and measured as with other statutory training for the company.

The Impact

The training was validated by post-training quizzes and an evaluation questionnaire. A sample survey of 5% of trainee delegates of all grades showed a measurable increase in confidence when serving disabled guests, a decrease in anxiety about disabled people and disability issues, and a raised level of awareness of disabled people and disability issues both in and out of the workplace.

The training, which took place during a period of organisational change, had a positive motivational impact on employees as it provided them with an opportunity to work as a team.

An additional benefit of this initiative was the increased support InterContinental Hotels Group were able to offer to its UK franchisees, as 'Confidence to Serve All' was one of the first training packages offered to this community. The training has been widely accepted and has enabled IHG to promote disability confidence throughout the UK hotel industry and share corporate knowledge on the subject.

Mystery guest audits, conducted in 2004 by 'Tourism for All' using disabled people, demonstrated improvements in guest satisfaction levels with special improvements noted in the use of appropriate terminology, information on the provision of disability related issues and responses to requests for disability related adjustments.

IHG have also gathered evidence of an increase in demand for accessible guest rooms during the initial training period.