Geraldo's has become Ayrshire’s first ever Five Star Tourist Shop grading from Visit Scotland.
The award was presented to Geraldo's owner, Toni Dawson by Visit Scotland's Regional Director, Gordon Smith and is now proudly in place at the entrance to our shop in Largs.
Visit Scotland’s Quality Assurance Scheme is internationally recognised as the official grading system for tourism businesses in Scotland. Being awarded 5 stars is a tremendous achievement given the rigorous assessment process that is required to gain this top rating.
Visit Scotland's Quality & Tourism Advisors carry out assessments, similar to a mystery shopper, assessing everything about the visitor’s experience of the business from pre-arrival to departure. This includes information provided on their website and online, the hospitality and efficiency of staff, the décor, maintenance and layout of the shop and the overall visitor experience.
The initial assessment was carried out in November 2018 and a second visit early in 2019 confirmed that Geraldo’s would be awarded the exceptional grading of 5 Star Tourist Shop.
Toni Dawson, owner of Geraldo’s, said: “To be awarded Four Stars in 2016 was fantastic, but to achieve this Five Star accreditation which we have strived towards over the last three years is just amazing. The suggestions made by the previous assessor were taken on board and we worked closely with our brand designers, Edinburgh-based 442 Design, and the Business Development team of North Ayrshire Council to implement as many of those as possible. This, combined with the excellent team of staff we now have on board, gives us much more confidence in delivering a more consistent experience for our customers both in the shop and online.”
Gordon Smith, Visit Scotland Regional Director, said: “Congratulations to Toni and her team on this exceptional achievement. To achieve a Five Star grading is a testament to the hard work of this business to offer a quality visitor experience.
“Our Quality Assurance Scheme is world-leading and provides a trusted, independent and impartial source of information for visitors. It is about much more than just a star rating – it is about the entire visitor experience and investing in the business to make it as economically sustainable, and profitable, as it can be.”
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