Staff at Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre have been praised for ‘going the extra mile’ by VisitEngland after scoring top marks during a recent inspection and being awarded the accreditation of VisitEngland Quality Assured Visitor Attraction.
The centre scored 100 per cent for its staff, giving the attraction a nomination for the VisitEngland Welcome Award.
The assessor stated that: “Customer care is about taking things further, spending time with visitors, going the extra mile and making visitors feel welcome and special. This was certainly demonstrated by each staff member observed across the attraction. All staff made small talk and gauged visitors interest levels well. Staff very much have a ‘can do’ and ‘nothing is too much trouble’ attitude. There is nothing else I could have expected staff to do.”
Councillor Callum Procter, portfolio holder for economic growth, housing and tourism at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre is a very special attraction that means so much to our local area. I want to thank the staff for their efforts to make the centre a fantastic and welcoming place for visitors to enjoy.”
David Ornsby, Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre Operations Manager, added: “Like many cultural venues, we’ve experienced very challenging times recently and our team has had to adapt to these challenges and work to provide an enjoyable and safe experience.
“To receive feedback like this gives all of us a much-needed boost. Our front of house team is very committed and we are so fortunate to have the excellent guides that share their passion and knowledge with visitors, and their own experiences of life at sea. We regard the team here as a little family and it is wonderful to have that reassurance and formal recognition of their efforts by an organisation like VisitEngland.”
Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre was scored on a variety of areas, including catering, cleanliness and arrival, with an overall score of 86 per cent. To pass the accreditation, an attraction must secure at least 60 per cent. The report also recognised that Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre scores “a commendable 4.6 out of 5 stars” on Google reviews and 95 per cent of Tripadvisor reviews at either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.
The attraction recently launched online content, including a full 3D model of the historic trawler, Ross Tiger, a virtual guided tour of the ship, and installed new sound systems and historic smells following successful applications to Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund.
The report also gives recommendations for attractions to further improve the offer, which are currently being reviewed to improve the visitor offer even further.
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