Providing consistently excellent customer experiences across property and facilities teams is central to how organisations succeed and differentiate themselves today. In environments where roles range from front-of-house reception to security, maintenance and operations, a shared understanding of service expectations can strengthen teamwork, occupier satisfaction and overall business performance. WorldHost customer service training helps organisations build that shared service mindset across varied roles, equipping professionals with practical skills and confidence they can apply every day.

In this Q&A, Emilia Rogers from MAPP Property Management, a member of our Approved Trainer Network, shares her experience of delivering WorldHost to property management professionals and explains how she brings the programme to life for teams that don’t always think of their work as “customer service”.

1. Can you briefly describe the context in which you deliver WorldHost at MAPP?

At the heart of exceptional service delivery is shared understanding. That’s why our WorldHost training is designed to reach every part of the customer journey; from first welcome to lasting impression. Our learners include our front-of-house teams; receptionists, reception managers, community managers, supervisors, as well as our security officers and cleaners. But we don’t stop there. We also deliver the training to our wider group of direct employees, including building managers, assistant building managers, guest experience managers, credit control, purchase ledger, service desk and sustainability teams, alongside our service partners. The aim is simple: to build a consistent, high-quality experience across every role and relationship. By investing in a common standard, we support operational harmony, ensuring that wherever someone fits in the service chain, they understand what excellence looks like and how they contribute to it. It’s not just about better service: it’s about alignment, cohesion and care – the cornerstones of how we work at MAPP.

2. What was your focus or priority when you first started working with this audience?

Our first priority was to embed a “one team” mindset, reinforcing the idea that everyone, regardless of their role, plays a part in the successful running of the business and the overall customer experience. From service desk to front-of-house, security to sustainability, we wanted every learner to see themselves not in isolation, but as part of a wider, joined-up effort. By anchoring this thinking early, we lay the foundations for a culture where each contribution supports the next, and the whole system moves with greater ease, consistency, and care for our clients and occupiers.

3. We know property and estate teams don’t always think of their work as “customer service.” How have you helped them connect WorldHost principles to their everyday roles?

A key part of the training centres on understanding who our customers are, and how we meet their needs and expectations, whether they are external partners or internal colleagues. We emphasise that the same standard of care should apply across the board. For roles not traditionally seen as customer-facing, we use practical examples – from internal meetings to cross-team collaborations – to show how first impressions, clear communication, and a thoughtful before-during-after mindset make a difference. It’s about helping people realise they are already part of the customer service experience, and that their contribution matters. This recognition is essential to ensuring every interaction, seen or unseen, supports the overall quality of service we deliver.

4. What’s one activity or exercise that consistently helps learners in this environment “get it”, especially when they are sceptical or unfamiliar with customer service training?

One of the exercises that consistently lands well is “Who Benefits”. Learners often begin with a degree of scepticism, but by the end of the activity, there is a clear shift. They begin to see that great customer service does not just serve the customer; it lifts their own experience, strengthens the team around them and contributes to a smoother, more effective organisation overall. That moment of realisation is powerful. You can see engagement deepen and confidence grow as people start to connect everyday service behaviours to tangible outcomes.

5. What’s a small delivery change you made that had a big impact with this group, or a technique you have you found most effective in engaging participants?

One delivery change that has had a significant impact is intentionally leaving time in the second half of the day for open discussion. Learners share real situations they have encountered and reflect on how outcomes could have been improved using the principles covered in the course. This approach helps make the learning practical, relevant, and immediately applicable.

6. Are there any particular discussion prompts or scenarios that you find work especially well with property or operationally focused teams?

When we explore attitude and perspective, the focus is on helping learners draw a clear line between circumstances they cannot control and their thoughts and attitudes, which they can control. This approach resonates especially well with operational teams. It gives people the tools to take ownership of their reactions, even in high-pressure or unpredictable situations. That sense of agency is vital, not just for individual growth, but for fostering a culture of operational harmony, where steady, considered responses contribute to smoother, more resilient ways of working across the board.

7. What’s your top tip for other trainers delivering WorldHost to teams that are not ‘traditional’ customer service audiences?

My top tip is to focus on practical, everyday behaviours such as email communication, shifting perspective (what I can control versus what I cannot), and personal accountability. These areas help non-traditional customer service audiences see how service principles apply directly to their roles.

8. What advice would you give to trainers looking to link service behaviours to core organisational values, to help operational teams internalise a service mindset as part of everyday culture?

I would advise trainers to bring the focus back to the individual and the value their everyday work brings to the wider organisation. When learners recognise that their contributions matter and align with organisational values, this is often when a genuine shift in perspective occurs and service becomes part of everyday culture. It’s exactly what we aim for at MAPP. Whether through coaching, reflection or everyday interactions, we create the conditions for people to take ownership of their behaviours, see the impact of their action, and feel proud of the part they play in how we show up – together.