Submitted by Miles Phillips, Oregon Sea Grant/Oregon State University Extension for the May 2025 NET Newsletter Western Region Spotlight.
In the tourism industry, first impressions matter. Whether it’s a front desk clerk at a hotel, a server at a local restaurant, a guide on a farm tour, or a park ranger greeting visitors, frontline staff are the face of a community’s hospitality. Their ability to provide excellent customer service can mean the difference between a memorable experience and a missed opportunity. As tourism continues to grow and diversify, investing in practical, accessible training for these key staff members has never been more critical—especially for small businesses operating with limited resources and high employee turnover.
Customer service is more than just being friendly. It’s about communication, empathy, local knowledge, problem-solving, and professionalism under pressure. These skills are not always innate and often require development, particularly in roles where staff interact with people from different cultures, languages, and expectations. Unfortunately, many tourism-related businesses—such as farms offering agritourism experiences, small inns, visitor centers, and community attractions—often lack the time or budget to implement formal training programs.
This is where free, flexible, and practical training becomes a game changer.
The Oregon Sea Grant Extension offers an excellent solution: a free 20-minute online training titled “Practical Customer Service.” This short but impactful course is designed with tourism in mind and aims to equip frontline workers with essential service skills in a highly accessible format. You can find the training at: https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/tourism/training/practical-customer-service
What makes this resource particularly valuable is its focus on realistic, actionable tips tailored for the tourism sector. The training emphasizes how to welcome and engage visitors, handle common service challenges, and represent your community positively. It’s also mobile-friendly and self-paced, making it ideal for onboarding new hires quickly or refreshing skills during a slow shift.
In an industry where staff turnover is common—especially in seasonal positions—this kind of quick, effective training can maintain consistent service quality. For small businesses and rural attractions that may not have HR departments or formal training budgets, this resource removes barriers to providing top-tier visitor experiences.
Moreover, good customer service has a ripple effect. A visitor who feels welcomed and valued is more likely to spend money, return in the future, and recommend the destination to others. In rural or coastal communities where tourism dollars support the local economy, that kind of word-of-mouth marketing is invaluable.
By investing just 20 minutes, businesses can empower their staff to become confident, capable ambassadors for their region. That’s a small time commitment with a big payoff.
In short, customer service isn’t just a skill—it’s a strategic advantage. With free tools like the Oregon Sea Grant Extension’s training, every frontline worker in the tourism sector can be equipped to make every visitor encounter a positive one.