The Reddtich-based Righttrack Consultancy is celebrating the success of its customer service training programme in Kuwait. IKEA Kuwait asked Righttrack to develop a bespoke programme to boost the skills of the furniture retailer’s customer service staff – and, after experiencing this programme – IKEA has been voted best furniture retailer in the recent Kuwait Service Heroes awards.

Since the global downturn, Righttrack claims that it has seen a rise in the demand for customer service training, as firms compete more aggressively for customers. It believes that more and more companies – in the UK and overseas – are realising that good customer service can make a big difference to sales and profits.

Comment: If the Righttrack programme is as good as the judges in Kuwait believe, IKEA should consider introducing it throughout all its stores – or at least in its Wembley store in north London where, if my family’s experience is anything to go by, actually being helpful to customers seems something of a novel idea.