Welcome to the KiaOraMai, Essential Service Skills programme.
The name of this programme speaks volumes about what we want to achieve with customers, whether they’re visitors or local people. ‘Kia ora mai’ means ‘be well here’. When we apply that to working with customers face to face, it means giving and receiving good attitudes and feelings, so we can create great relationships with customers.
This aligns with the Māori concepts of Manaakitanga and Kaitiakitanga. Manaakitanga meaning a feeling, implying a responsibility upon a host and an invitation to a visitor to experience the very best we have to offer. Kaitiakitanga meaning our responsibility to care for our environment and each of us making this happen.
KiaOraMai is not about trying to make everyone the same and it’s not just your normal customer service skills course. It’s about lifting the whole customer service experience throughout New Zealand, and understanding what makes your business and service experience special in a New Zealand context. By doing this, we’ll all win – better job satisfaction, increased customer loyalty, stronger businesses, and a stronger New Zealand economy.
Good luck with your KiaOraMai experience. Taking the time to invest in your knowledge and skills now, will stand you in good stead in the future.
This is our place; we are open; you are welcome! Kia ora mai!
Tim Cossar
Chief Executive TIA
