Funding & Support

Rugby First Launches Comprehensive Skills Training Initiative for Local Businesses

Town centre initiative addresses skills gaps with customer experience and workplace development courses.

Rugby First has launched an ambitious new training programme offering fully funded business development courses to local businesses, responding directly to business community feedback highlighting the need for enhanced skills support and grant-funded opportunities.

The comprehensive 10-course programme, developed in partnership with Customer Experience Specialist Shaun Cremins CCXP from insight6 and the Warwickshire Skills Hub, combines eight specialist Customer Experience (CX) workshops, plus additional workplace safety and mental wellbeing courses.

What’s On Offer:

  • Eight CX workshops led by Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) Shaun Cremins

  • Two outsourced courses covering workplace safety and mental wellbeing

  • Access to courses at no direct cost to businesses (usual cost: up to £125+VAT per delegate, per course)

  • Maximum 15 participants per session ensuring interactive learning

  • Available to Rugby BID levy-paying businesses with up to 249 employees

The programme launches following a comprehensive Rugby First survey that revealed overwhelming demand from local businesses for enhanced skills training and better access to funded development opportunities - needs that had previously gone unmet in the town centre.

"We listened to our business community and have responded," said Linda Lowne, Director at Rugby First. "This programme represents a significant investment in business skills development for Rugby town centre, and will provide the foundation to build a stronger, more competitive business community that will, ultimately, contribute to the prosperity of the town."

The training programme is designed to deliver measurable business outcomes including improved customer satisfaction, increased revenue, and enhanced staff retention - addressing key challenges facing Rugby's retail and service sectors.

Shaun Cremins CCXP, who will lead the customer experience training, commented: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Rugby First to offer these training programmes. We're seeing businesses across the UK achieve revenue increases through improved customer experience. Rugby's businesses now have the same opportunity.”

Places are limited and allocated first-come, first-served. Rugby BID businesses must register by Friday 26 September 2025 to secure their place.

Skills Courses

Course One

The CX Advantage: Why Customer Experience Matters for YOUR Business

Unlock Your Business Potential with Superior Customer Experience!

As a business in Rugby Town Centre, you know that satisfied customers are the lifeblood of your success. But what if you could move beyond just satisfaction to create experiences that build lasting loyalty and drive significant growth? This foundational workshop is designed to demystify Customer Experience (CX) and show you its direct, tangible benefits, regardless of your business sector. Learn why CX isn't just for big corporations – it's your competitive advantage!

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Understand the "Why": Discover why investing in CX is crucial for your profitability and sustainability in today's market.

  • Boost Loyalty: Learn how a focus on CX can lead to more repeat business and stronger customer relationships.

  • Enhance Reputation: See how positive customer experiences translate into valuable word-of-mouth and better online reviews.

  • Identify Opportunities: Start thinking about your customer journey and where you can make immediate, impactful improvements.

Agenda (90 minutes):

1. Welcome & Introductions

  • Brief introduction by Shaun Cremins CCXP.

  • Interactive icebreaker

2. What is Customer Experience (CX) Anyway?

  • Differentiating CX from traditional customer service.

  • Interactive: "Words that come to mind for CX."

  • Discussing the holistic customer journey.

3. The Business Case for CX

  • Why invest in CX: loyalty, repeat business, reviews, reduced churn.

  • The cost of bad CX vs. ROI of good CX.

  • Interactive brainstorm: "How CX impacts your bottom line."

4. Your Customer: Who Are They, Really?

  • Introduction to simplified customer personas.

  • Interactive: Quick persona creation exercise for your business.

  • Empathy mapping basics.

5. Quick Wins & Next Steps

  • Highlighting 1-2 immediate, actionable steps.

  • Q&A and wrap-up.

Delivered by Shaun Cremins CCXP

Fee: £95 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).

Course Two

Mapping Your Customer's Journey: Finding Pain Points & Opportunities

Uncover Hidden Opportunities in Your Customer's Experience!

Do you truly understand every step your customer takes when interacting with your business? Many businesses miss vital opportunities because they haven't mapped their customers' journey. This workshop provides you with the essential tools to visualise your customer's experience from start to finish, identify frustrating "pain points," and discover exciting new ways to delight them.

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Gain Clarity: Develop a clear, visual understanding of your customer's end-to-end journey.

  • Identify Pain Points: Pinpoint exactly where your customers might be experiencing frustration or friction.

  • Discover Opportunities: Uncover moments where you can exceed expectations and create memorable experiences.

  • Drive Targeted Improvements: Focus your efforts on changes that will have the biggest positive impact on your customers and your business.

Agenda (90 minutes):

1. Recap & Why Journey Mapping?

  • Brief recap of CX importance.

  • Why mapping is crucial for understanding and improving CX. Interactive: "Main steps in a typical customer interaction with your business”

2. Introduction to Customer Journey Mapping

  • What a journey map is and its key elements.

  • Example journey map walk-through.

  • Interactive: Small group activity – list key touchpoints for a common scenario.

3. Identifying Pain Points & Moments of Truth

  • Defining "pain points" and "moments of truth.

  • Interactive: Identify potential pain points and moments of truth in your own scenarios.

  • Brief discussion on gathering customer insights.

4. Brainstorming Improvement Opportunities

  • Turning challenges into positive experiences.

  • Interactive: Brainstorm actionable improvements for identified pain points.

  • Discussion on prioritising improvements.

5. Action Planning & Wrap-up

  • Encourage one actionable step for their business.

  • Q&A

Delivered by Shaun Cremins CCXP

Fee: £95 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).

Course Three

Mastering Customer Communication: Listening & Responding Effectively

Transform Your Interactions with Powerful Communication Skills!

Effective communication is the cornerstone of exceptional Customer Experience. This workshop will hone your ability to truly listen, respond with empathy, and resolve issues efficiently, building stronger relationships and reducing customer friction. Learn practical techniques to make every conversation count and leave customers feeling heard and valued.

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Improve Customer Satisfaction: Enhance every interaction, leading to happier customers.

  • Reduce Misunderstandings: Learn techniques for clear and concise messaging.

  • Handle Complaints with Confidence: Equip yourself with strategies to de-escalate situations and resolve issues positively.

  • Build Trust & Rapport: Develop strong communication habits that foster genuine customer relationships

Agenda (90 minutes):

1. The Power of Communication in CX

  • Recap: How communication impacts the customer journey.

  • Interactive: "What does 'good communication' mean to you in a customer context?"

2. Active Listening & Empathy

  • Techniques for active listening (verbal and non-verbal).

  • The role of empathy in understanding customer needs.

  • Interactive Role-Play (pairs): Practice active listening and empathetic responses.

3. Clear & Concise Communication

  • Avoiding jargon and assumptions.

  • Choosing the right communication channel.

  • Crafting positive language.

  • Interactive: "Rephrase this negative customer statement into a positive response."

4. Handling Difficult Conversations & Complaints

  • De-escalation techniques: Acknowledge, empathise, resolve.

  • Turning negatives into opportunities.

  • Interactive: Group discussion on handling a common "difficult customer" scenario.

5. Key Takeaways & Call to Action

  • Summary of communication best practices.

  • Q&A

Delivered by Shaun Cremins CCXP

Fee: £95 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).

Course Four

Building Customer Loyalty & Advocacy: Turning Customers into Fans

Cultivate a Community of Loyal Customers Who Champion Your Business!

Moving customers from satisfied to truly loyal and even advocates is the holy grail of CX. This workshop provides practical strategies to build genuine customer loyalty, encourage repeat business, and inspire powerful word-of-mouth marketing. Learn how to create "fans" who not only return but actively recommend your business to others.

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Increase Repeat Business: Loyal customers spend more and refer others.

  • Generate Referrals: Advocacy is invaluable free marketing.

  • Boost Brand Reputation: Turn satisfied customers into vocal advocates for your business.

  • Create "Wow" Moments: Discover simple yet impactful ways to exceed expectations and create memorable experiences.

Agenda (90 minutes):

1. Beyond Satisfaction: What is Loyalty & Advocacy?

  • The loyalty ladder: from new customer to advocate.

  • Interactive: "What makes you loyal to a business?"

  • The power of word-of-mouth and online reviews.

2. Personalisation & Relationship Building

  • Simple ways to personalise interactions.

  • The importance of the human touch.

  • Interactive: Brainstorming low-cost ways to personalise CX.

3. Exceeding Expectations & "Wow" Moments

  • Identifying opportunities for delightful surprises.

  • Small gestures that make a big impact.

  • Interactive: Brainstorming potential "wow" moments for your customers.

4. Encouraging Feedback & Reviews

  • Making it easy for customers to provide feedback.

  • Responding to reviews (positive and negative).

  • Strategies for encouraging positive online reviews and referrals.

5. Maintaining Momentum & Next Steps

  • Consistency is key: embedding loyalty practices.

  • Q&A.

Delivered by Shaun Cremins CCXP

Fee: £95 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).

Course Five

Social Media for CX: Engaging Customers & Building Online Presence

Transform Your Social Media from Marketing to Customer Experience Powerhouse!

Your customers are talking on social media – are you listening and engaging effectively? This workshop goes beyond basic marketing, showing you how to use social platforms for proactive customer engagement, support, and relationship building. Learn to leverage social media to enhance your CX, build a stronger online presence, and respond authentically to your community.

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Proactive Engagement: Learn to monitor and engage with customers before issues escalate.

  • Effective Support: Understand how to provide quick, efficient customer service via social channels.

  • Reputation Management: Turn negative comments into positive interactions and build brand trust.

  • Community Building: Use social media to foster loyalty and showcase positive customer experiences.

Agenda (90 minutes):

1. Social Media as a CX Channel

  • Beyond broadcasting: social media for CX.

  • Customer expectations on social: speed, authenticity.

  • Interactive: "What platforms do your customers use?"

2. Proactive Social Listening & Engagement

  • Monitoring mentions and sentiment.

  • Responding promptly and authentically.

  • Interactive: Crafting an empathetic social media response.

3. Delivering Social Media Customer Service

  • Public vs. private conversations.

  • Handling common service requests.

  • Showcasing positive customer interactions.

  • Interactive: Scenario discussion on responding to a social media complaint.

4. Building Community & Advocacy

  • Encouraging engagement and recognising loyal followers.

  • The power of social proof.

5. Tools & Takeaways

  • Brief mention of simple tools.

  • One key action: "Identify one type of proactive content you can share this week."

  • Q&A.

Delivered by Shaun Cremins CCXP

Fee: £95 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).

Course Six

Mastering Online Reviews & Complaint Resolution

Protect Your Reputation and Turn Challenges into Opportunities!

In today's digital age, online reviews are your business's digital word-of-mouth. How you manage them directly impacts your reputation and future success. This essential workshop equips you with practical strategies for effectively managing both positive and negative online reviews, transforming complaints into opportunities for loyalty, and safeguarding your business's online image.

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Boost Your Reputation: Learn how to leverage positive reviews and mitigate the impact of negative ones.

  • Handle Complaints Confidently: Implement a robust framework for resolving customer issues across digital channels.

  • Improve Customer Trust: Show customers that you listen and care, even when things go wrong.

  • Drive More Business: Understand how effective review management can lead to increased customer acquisition.

Agenda (90 minutes):

1. The Impact of Online Reviews

  • Why reviews matter for trust, reputation, and SEO.

  • Key platforms for Rugby businesses.

  • Interactive: "First thing you do when considering a new business online?"

2. Responding to Positive Reviews

  • Why respond? How to craft authentic, varied responses.

  • Interactive: Write a short, personalised thank you for a positive review.

3. Proactive Complaint Handling Online

  • The "ACID" framework for complaints (Acknowledge, Clarify, Identify Solution, Deliver & Document).

  • Responding to negative reviews: staying calm and professional.

  • Taking it offline: when and how.

  • Interactive: Role-play responding to a common negative online review.

4. Encouraging & Generating Reviews

  • Ethical ways to ask for reviews.

  • Making the review process easy for customers.

  • The link between great service and natural reviews.

5. Protecting Your Online Reputation

  • Quick tips for ongoing monitoring.

  • Q&A.

Delivered by Shaun Cremins CCXP

Fee: £95 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).

Course Seven

Measuring CX: Understanding What Your Customers Really Think

Gain Real Insights: Understand What Your Customers Truly Think!

Are you making decisions based on assumptions or solid customer feedback? This workshop introduces SMEs to simple, actionable methods for gathering customer feedback and measuring satisfaction. Learn to move beyond guesswork and make data- driven CX decisions that lead to continuous improvement and business growth.

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Make Informed Decisions: Use real customer insights to guide your CX improvements.

  • Identify Strengths & Weaknesses: Pinpoint what you're doing well and where you need to improve from your customers' perspective.

  • Track Progress: Learn basic metrics to monitor changes in customer satisfaction over time.

  • Low-Cost Solutions: Discover easy-to-use tools and methods for collecting valuable feedback.

Agenda (90 minutes):

1. Why Measure CX?

  • Moving beyond guesswork: The value of objective feedback.

  • How measurement leads to improvement and retention.

  • Interactive: "How do you currently know if your customers are happy?"

2. Key CX Metrics for SMEs

  • Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT).

  • Net Promoter Score (NPS) Lite.

  • Customer Effort Score (CES).

  • Interactive: Create a simple 2-question survey for their business.

3. Simple Feedback Collection Methods

  • In-person: Asking for feedback at point of sale, suggestion boxes.

  • Digital: Simple online survey tools (e.g., Google Forms), email follow-ups.

  • Social media listening.

  • Interactive: Group brainstorm: "Best places to ask for feedback in your customer journey."

4. Acting on Feedback & Closing the Loop

  • Analysing simple feedback data.

  • Prioritising improvements.

  • Communicating changes back to customers.

  • Interactive: "Based on hypothetical feedback, what's one change you'd consider?"

5. Continuous Improvement Mindset

  • CX is an ongoing journey.

  • Q&A.

Delivered by Shaun Cremins CCXP

Fee: £95 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).

Course Eight

Employee Experience (EX) & Its Link to CX

Invest in Your Team: How Happy Employees Create Happy Customers!

Did you know that exceptional customer experiences often start with exceptional employee experiences? This workshop explores the critical relationship between engaged, supported employees and outstanding customer service. Discover actionable steps to improve your Employee Experience (EX), fostering a positive internal environment that naturally radiates outwards to your customers.

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Boost Customer Satisfaction: Understand how employee wellbeing directly impacts customer interactions.

  • Increase Productivity: Engaged employees are more motivated and productive.

  • Reduce Turnover: Create a supportive environment that retains valuable staff.

  • Empower Your Team: Learn how to give your employees the tools and confidence to deliver their best.

Agenda (90 minutes):

1. Why Measure CX?

  • The EX-CX Connection

  • The Service-Profit Chain: Employee satisfaction drives customer satisfaction.

  • Interactive: "How an employee's attitude impacted your customer experience."

  • Why happy employees create happy customers.

2. Creating a Positive Employee Experience

  • Culture: Values and a supportive environment.

  • Empowerment: Giving tools and authority.

  • Recognition: Simple ways to acknowledge good performance.

  • Interactive: Small group discussion: "Small things to make employees feel valued/empowered."

3. Communication & Feedback for Employees

  • Clear communication of CX goals.

  • Regular feedback (positive and constructive).

  • Listening to employees: surveys, 1-on-1s.

  • Interactive: Role-play: Giving constructive feedback on a CX interaction.

4. Training & Development

  • Investing in skills: ongoing training.

  • Onboarding for CX: setting new employees up for success.

5. The Ripple Effect

  • How improved EX radiates outward to customers.

  • Q&A.

Delivered by Shaun Cremins CCXP

Fee: £95 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).

Course Nine

Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)

Ensure Safety in Your Workplace: Essential Life-Saving Skills!

Beyond customer experience, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of your staff and customers is paramount. This vital one-day Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) course provides your team with essential, life-saving skills and helps ensure your business meets legal compliance requirements. Show your commitment to a safe environment and be prepared for unexpected emergencies.

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Legal Compliance: Meet your obligations under Health and Safety Regulations for first- aid provision.

  • Employee Safety & Wellbeing: Demonstrate care for your team, boosting morale and indirectly improving customer interactions.

  • Customer Safety: Be prepared to assist customers or visitors who might require first aid in your premises.

  • Practical Skills: Equip your staff with confidence to respond effectively in an emergency.

Key Learning Outcomes (as typically covered by certified providers):

  • Role and responsibilities of a first aider: understanding legal aspects, consent, and reporting.

  • Assessing an incident: scene survey, primary survey of a casualty.

  • Responding to an unresponsive casualty: CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) and using an AED (Automated External Defibrillator), recovery position.

  • Dealing with choking.

  • Managing external bleeding.

  • Recognising and treating shock.

  • Basic treatment for minor injuries: cuts, grazes, bruises, small splinters, minor burns and scalds.

Facilitated by Insight6 (delivered by accredited providers)

Duration: 1 day (6-7 hours)

Fee: £95 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).

Course Ten

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Lite

Support Your Team's Wellbeing: Foster a Mentally Healthy Workplace!

Mental wellbeing is increasingly recognised as crucial for a productive and supportive workplace. This course equips your team with essential Mental Health Awareness, helping to reduce stigma and enabling early intervention when colleagues are struggling. By supporting employee mental health, you enhance overall morale, reduce absenteeism, and ensure your team is best placed to deliver excellent customer service.

Key Value for Your Business:

  • Support Employee Wellbeing: Create a more supportive and understanding workplace environment.

  • Reduce Stigma: Encourage open conversations about mental health.

  • Early Intervention: Learn to spot warning signs and provide initial, crucial support.

  • Boost Productivity: A mentally healthy team is a more engaged and effective team.

  • Enhance CX: Happy and supported employees are better equipped to provide empathetic and patient customer service.

Key Learning Outcomes:

  • Understanding Mental Health: What mental health is, common conditions (stress, anxiety, depression).

  • Recognising Signs: How to spot potential signs of mental ill-health in colleagues.

  • Approaching & Listening: Tips for starting a supportive conversation and active listening techniques.

  • Providing Initial Support: What to say and what not to say.

  • Signposting to Professional Help: Knowing where to direct individuals for further support.

  • Looking After Your Own Wellbeing: Importance of self-care for those supporting others.

Facilitated by Insight6 (delivered by accredited providers)

Duration: 1/2 day Awareness Course (4 hours)

Fee: £125 per delegate

This course is fully-funded by the Warwickshire Skills Hub (subject to approval and funds being available).