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Rochdale Tourist Information Centre is one of the best

Posted on 08/02/2010

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Rochdale Tourist Information Centre has been recognised as one the best in the UK when it comes to visitor satisfaction. Visit England, the organisation responsible for tourism in England rated Rochdale’s centre the best in Greater Manchester, and ranked it 22nd out of over 300 Tourist Information Centres nationwide.

Their annual ‘mystery shopping’ test looked at all aspects of the visitor experience including pre-visit information, external appearance including signage, first impressions, quality of service and customer care in addition to the quality of the information offered. The assessment process is undertaken by an anonymous personal visit, telephone calls and e-mails, addressing all aspects of customer enquiries.
Visit England said staff were “knowledgeable and friendly, welcoming the visitor with a true pride … inexpensive days out were pointed out, and all the information was given in an enthusiastic manner. They certainly exceeded expectations and should be congratulated.”

Rochdale Tourist Information Centre, based in the Touchstones Arts and Heritage Centre on the Esplanade received a Grade 1 rating with an overall score of 88%.

Business Manager Gwyn Fitton said that the team aimed to promote the area in the best ways possible:

"We were able to show that we are consistently providing customers with the helpful information they need. We need to be knowledgeable about the area and we constantly keep our eyes on new or changed attractions so that we can make informed suggestions to visitors. To get such a high score is an excellent achievement.”

Councillor Ted Flynn, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Leisure said:

"It's very important that anyone visiting the area can find out about what the borough has to offer. Congratulations to the staff who work hard to give customers a good service."

This weekend Rochdale Tourist Information Centre and Rochdale Borough Council launch their Groups Guide 2010 at ‘Great Days Out’, a trade exhibition for travel organisers at the Bolton Arena. The show will be used as an opportunity to promote the borough and the new guide with actors from Rochdale’s Skylight Circus and a prize hamper from award winning Bamford tea room ‘Macaroon’. The guide highlights many of the local sights including Rochdale Town Hall, the Co-operative Museum, Heywood’s Queens Park, Middleton’s Edgar Wood Trail, the Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum, Hollingworth Lake and Ellenroad Steam Museum. It will be available from Rochdale Tourist Information Centre from Monday 15 February. Phone 01706 924928 or email tic@link4life.org