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City Plumbing Supplies (CPS) and Plumbing Trade Supplies (PTS) have announced a major investment in the training of its staff as the Travis Perkins owned businesses aim to improve standards of knowledge and customer service.
The investment follows a resegmentation programme carried out by Travis Perkins plc for its plumbing and heating division, which has seen CPS developed to meet the needs of local bathroom installers, whilst PTS has been restructured to cater for contract sectors.
The dedicated CPS training facility in Bedford and the PTS centre in Luton have supported over 850 colleagues since last year. The tailored courses cover a variety of requirements from account management, to monitoring branch efficiencies, and building a diverse work force.
Designed to improve customer experience, branches are also receiving help to address specific skill gaps and deliver new processes, whilst communicating initiatives of Travis Perkins plc to achieve consistency across both companies.
Martyn Spendlove, CPS learning and development specialist for the Travis Perkins plc plumbing & heating division, said: “We’re delighted with the progress of all staff so far and have invested in many more sessions to support the new business structure.
“Each course is reviewed regularly through consultations with sales directors, branch managers, and line management teams to ensure we are constantly delivering content that will have an impact on the trade counter experience.”
Lisa Lea, PTS learning and development specialist for the Travis Perkins plc plumbing & heating division, added: “The dedicated training facilities and tailored courses reflect a huge investment in strengthening the skills of our team and the service provided to PTS customers.
“This approach is vital to continue challenging and supporting colleagues now focussed on delivering an industry-leading offering to the unique requirements of large projects.”
In the first half of the year, Travis Perkins plc continued to see a slump in its plumbing and heating division with revenues down 0.7%, stating intense price competition impacting sales in both Plumbing Trade Supplies (PTS) and F&P Wholesale.
However, the builders and plumbers merchant chain noted signs of a recovery in the local bathroom installer market served by City Plumbing Supplies (CPS).
