For further information take a look at the new Bookkeeping section on our website.

To get a tailored quote please call us on 0845 337 3419, or complete our contact form.

The Scottish Tourism Week Conference takes place on the 6th March 2012, this year’s theme “Competing for Growth” welcomes senior industry key speakers providing knowledge and inspiration from a range of organisations across the tourism industry, complemented by decision makers for the future.

Speakers include:

• Stephen Leckie, Chair Scottish Tourism Forum & Chief Executive, Crieff Hydro Limited
• Fergus Ewing MSP, Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Tourism
• Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive, VisitScotland
• Stephen Leckie, Chair, Tourism Leadership Group
• Sir Brian Souter, Chief Executive, Stagecoach Group plc
•  Ufi Ibrahim, Chief Executive, The British Hospitality Association
• David Hughes, Partner, Saffery Champness 

For further information on the Scottish Tourism Forum, and Scottish Tourism Week

Visit ASI Outsourcing in the Exhibition area at the Conference, on the 6th March 2012.

ASI Outsourcing have secured their stand in the Technology section at Hotelympia. The show runs from Sunday 26th February 2012 to Thursday 1st March 2012. This is the first time we have exhibited at this event, and are looking forward to building on the success of ScotHot 2011. Visit us on Stand S1825.

For further information on Hotelympia visit their site at http://www.hotelympia.com

During my months on crutches I could not remain office bound so I decided that I was going to carry out my required meetings etc as normal but I would give myself extra time for using public transport.

My first mission was to travel by coach, one I was not relishing as I have done this journey many times and to be honest I have never felt a valued customer.  I turned up early for the coach to avoid causing any unnecessary problems for the drivers by delaying them.  In fact the bus in question was actually running over 25 minutes late.  When I arrived at the bus station I was immediately asked what bus I was travelling on and informed of the delay, this is something as a fully able bodied person I have never experienced.  The conductors at the bus station proceeded to get me a seat, offered to go get me anything I required for my journey from the shop and kept me informed as to how long the bus would be.  When it did arrive I was seated first and offered help to board.  While I was sitting on the bus I felt happy at the customer service I had received then I stopped and thought about it.  My positive experience was due to the crutches not that I was a valued customer as no one else got looked after in the same way and in all the times I have travelled on this service I have never been so well looked after.

The same happened with every shop I went into people stopped to assist me in looking for purchases, yet as an able bodied person I had no offers of such service except from a select few stores.

Please don’t get me wrong I am not complaining at how well people treated me, I enjoyed feeling valued but, are we not all entitled to that high level of service regardless of if we can walk or not?  If we went that extra mile for every customer then all customers would feel valued and would return.

Rewarding staff for going that extra mile will make them too feel valued, there are many ways of evaluating them positively, staff surveys, training, appraisals, customer feedback and mystery shopping, these tools can all bring positivity to the work place if used and implemented in the correct way.

The annual Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) Conference is taking place at the Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld on the 17th and 18th November 2011.

ASI Outsouring would be delighted to see existing and new Visitor Attraction clients at the event. Come visit Steven and Angela in the exhibition area on Stand 4.

Also to be announced are the winners of the ASVA Awards, the shortlist for this year includes:

Marketing

National Museums of Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
Our Dynamic Earth

Rising Star

Gemma Brady (National Trust for Scotland)
Alexandra Forrest (Dundee Science Centre)
Sarah Hammond (University of St Andrews)

Best Visitor Experience

Blair Castle
Brtish Golf Museum
Scotch Whisky Experience

Ever thought mystery shopping was about a free lunch? Well let us give you more of an insight of what is involved and how assignments are allocated.

ASI Outsourcing accepts mystery shopper applications via its website and they will become registered on our agents database. This is only the first stage, being in our database does not guarantee you any kind of work; just the opportunity to apply for jobs.

When we schedule jobs we carefully decide with our clients what demographics we are looking for to recruit the most suitable candidate for the assignment. We email out asking for the chosen demographic to reply with their availability. Once we receive the desired number of applicants we will short list some suitable candidate and then telephone each one before making our decision on who is right for the job. Part of our selection process is to ask if the agent or any family/friends work for the client we are auditing and two competitors. By asking this general question they will still not know who the client is. The client and brief is only revealed to the successful agent who is given the job.

Many companies will use fastest finger first to allocate their jobs. This is common practice across the industry but ASI Outsourcing does not agree with this process. Fastest finger first is when you allow the agents to pick and choose jobs from a job board and self allocate.

Once we are satisfied we have the best agent and a substitute agent in case of sickness the brief and questions are released to the agent.

The visit must then take place within the parameters set on the brief to the letter or expenses/fees will not be paid. We are very strict and operate a one strike policy for agents who do not comply with our rules, no second chances. Thankfully we have very good agents who carry out hundreds of shops year on year and they provide comprehensive reports for our clients.

We believe we are a very fair company and to ensure we have the best agents we must treat them fairly. We always ensure that the expenses claim limits are sufficient for the agents to order everything required to complete the full report. Some assignments also come with a fee and petrol expenses too.

We also settle all expenses on a set day each month with a clear cut off date.

To become an agent please click here

ASI Outsourcing can confirm they will be attending the latest DP Events meet the buyer Hotel Industry Forum in Portugal. Angela Boyd, ASI Outsourcing’s Business Development Manager is looking forward to meeting the attendees.