The Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality
Customer Service Statement

How to join CTH
CUSTOMER SERVICE STATEMENT
 
CTH is committed to providing exceptional customer service. We believe that responsiveness and flexibility is essential in our communication with both centres and candidates.
 
  1. Accessibility of CTH Staff
    CTH is committed to taking all reasonable steps to ensure that its centres and candidates have access CTH products and services:
    • The CTH office opening hours are 0900 to 1730 Monday to Thursday and 0900 to 1700 Friday GMT, excluding UK Bank Holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year.
    • The CTH website, www.cthawards.com, is available at all times. CTH is committed to ensuring the website is kept up to date with the documentation and policies required by candidates and centres.
  2. Approved Centre Support
    Only CTH approved centres are authorised to deliver CTH qualifications and administer CTH assessments. CTH is committed to supporting their approved centres by enabling them to deliver exceptional standards of customer service for CTH candidates.
     
    CTH will:
    • Acknowledge all approved centre requests for documentation and enquiries, in writing (by letter or email), within one working day and respond within ten working days.
    • Process and respond in writing to all approved centre applications within 30 working days. Where more information is required the process may take longer.
    • Publish fees for the forthcoming year by June each year.
    • Provide a Centre Manual for all approved centres, at the point of approval, that includes information on all CTH processes from candidate registration to certification and guides approved centres to all CTH policy documents. Further copies of the centre manual are available by email on request.
    • Will send centres and candidates printed copies of our publications, by second class post, within three working days of request.
    • Provide comprehensive candidate and lecturer training materials for candidates studying a Travel Programmes qualification.
    • Provide mock question papers within the student support materials for candidates studying a Travel Programmes qualification.
    • Provide syllabus support materials for our Management Programmes qualifications.
    • Provide past examination papers to approved centres for our Management Programmes qualifications on request.
    • Provide training events throughout the year for centres interested in delivering our qualifications. Information on training events will be communicated via the website www.cthawards.com.
    • Provide Train the Trainer events throughout the year for centres interested in delivering our qualifications. Information on training events will be communicated via the website www.cthawards.com.
    • Develop bespoke training events on request.
    • CTH audits the performance of its approved centres on an annual basis. Details of the audit process can be found in the Centre Manual.
    • Keep approved centres updated with changes in syllabus, assessment, policies, procedures and all other key information via an approved centre email.
  3. Centre and candidate administration
    Administrative procedures are outlined for approved centres in the CTH Centre Manual and to candidates via the website, www.cthawards.com.
    CTH are committed to supporting centres and candidates from registration to certification with the following service levels;
    • Register candidate memberships for Management Programmes qualifications within two weeks of receiving them.
    • Process exemption requests for Management Programmes qualifications within two weeks of receiving them.
    • Provide approved centres and candidates the materials for Travel Programmes qualifications within ten working days from receipt of request.
    • Respond to requests for reasonable adjustment within five working days. A copy of the CTH equal opportunities policy and Reasonable Adjustment and Special Consideration Policy is on the website. www.cthawards.com.
    • Provide approved centres the examination papers and assessment materials no later than seven working days before the date of the examination.
    • Provide examination dates for self-study candidates for Travel Programmes qualifications four times per year.
    • Provide centres with written examination results for Management Programmes qualifications eight weeks after the end of the examination week, (providing candidate's examination scripts are returned promptly by the centre).
    • Provide centres with written examination results for Travel Programme qualifications within three weeks of receiving the candidate's examination script.
    • Provide centres with candidate certificates within six weeks from the date of issue of results.
    • Communicate with centres if there is a problem with any stage of the registration/certification process which might cause delays.
  4. Decisions Affecting Centres or Candidates
    Centres or candidates can request information on the status of their enquiry to CTH at any time, through the 'Points of Contact' outlined in section 12 below. Examples of typical enquiries are; a centre's enquiry on their application to become an approved CTH centre, or a request for confirmation from a candidate that their application to sit an exam has been approved. A response will be made within two working days of receipt of the enquiry and will either constitute of a decision or a clear date for when the decision will be communicated. This policy does not relate to enquiries about a result or assessment, appeals, a request for special consideration, a request for reasonable adjustment or an allegation of malpractice. These policies are outlined below or in the document titled 'CTH Centre Manual'.
  5. Communication
    To keep you up-to-date with CTH products and services, CTH will:
    • Provide qualification and assessment materials in English. A position statement on CTH Language Policy can be found on the website, www.cthawards.com.
    • Acknowledge or respond to any telephone message, email, letter or fax within one working day of receipt.
    • Provide approved centres with printed copies of any revised qualification information or course materials for the qualifications they are approved to offer whenever changes are made. Materials will be sent to the approved centre nominated point of contact by second class post.
    • Ensure information on fees for the current year are available at all times on the website, www.cthawards.com.
    • Provide information on fees for the forthcoming calendar year by June of the current year.
  6. Feedback on Candidate Performance
    CTH will provide a written report from the Chief Examiner after every examination which outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the cohort and provides centres with feedback on improving standards. This report will be made available via the website, www.cthawards.com, eight weeks after the date of the examination.
  7. Enquiry about Results
    • Details of the CTH Enquiry About Results Policy can be found on the website www.cthawards.com
    • CTH will acknowledge receipt of all Enquiries About Results within five working days.
    • CTH will respond in writing to any enquiry about results within fourteen working days.
  8. Appeals
    • Details of the CTH Appeal Policy and processes can be found on the website, www.cthawards.com.
    • CTH will acknowledge receipt of all Appeals within five working days.
    • CTH will respond, in writing, with the outcome of each stage of the appeal within 30 working days.
  9. Malpractice
    • CTH will acknowledge receipt of all malpractice cases within three working days.
    • The CTH Malpractice Committee will normally investigate, consider and make a decision on the outcome of a malpractice case within 30 working days.
    • CTH will advise, in writing, the outcome of a malpractice committee decision within ten working days from the decision.
  10. Complaints Procedure
    CTH welcomes feedback on any aspect of its products and/or service by telephone or email at any time. Formal complaints about the quality of CTH customer service should be sent in writing to the General Manager.
    The General Manager will acknowledge the receipt of all complaints within five working days. The General Manager will investigate the complaint and respond in writing within 20 working days.
    If the complainant is dissatisfied with the response he/she may refer the complaint in writing The CTH Academic Council. The Academic Council will investigate and respond to the complaint in writing within 30 working days.
  11. Monitoring and Evaluation of Customer Service Levels
    The performance indicators in this customer services statement will be monitored on an annual basis through the following mechanisms:
    • An annual approved centre questionnaire will be used to obtain feedback on customer service levels from centres and candidates.
    • The Academic Council will undertake an annual review which will include an analysis of feedback from centres, feedback from candidates, complaints and internal monitoring of customer service benchmarks. The Academic Council will provide a report to the regulatory authorities on CTH performance in relation to customer service.
  12. Points of Contact
    Management Programmes:
    Telephone: 020 72589850 or email: info@cthawards.com
    Travel Programmes:
    Telephone: 020 72589860 or email: travel@cthawards.com
    Customer Service and General Complaints:
    Sue Graham, Head of Operations and Compliance
    Telephone: 020 72589850 or email: sue.graham@cthawards.com
    Website:
    www.cthawards.com

A student's experience

Francesco

"I am Francesco, Italian and I have a natural passion for the hotel industry. I enrolled on the Diploma in Hotel Management programme and after completing my first semester I got a position at the five star deluxe Hotel "Langham". This gave me the possibility to under-go a cross-training programme across all the food and beverage outlets since I am food and beverage orientated. I have since joined a tailored management programme to become a manager within the next couple of years. I believe studying at CTH has been my most valuable experience and it has been a clear sign to my company that I am focused on a career within the hotel industry."

Francesco from Italy

 
To read more success stories take a look at our Student Experiences page


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