Every business owner knows that good customer service creates happy customers and keeps them coming back. In an effort to help local businesses gain new customers and repeat business, the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the city’s Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) has launched My San Luis Obispo, a hospitality training program geared toward making San Luis Obispo the premier destination in customer service.

“This program helps all businesses in San Luis Obispo,” said Lindsey Miller, the director of both the My San Luis Obispo program and the marketing department for the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. “The more helpful businesses and their employees can be to visitors during their stay in San Luis Obispo, the happier visitors will be. Happy people spend more money and tend to return.”

My San Luis Obispo is a free, interactive program designed to educate, train and support employees working in San Luis Obispo’s hospitality related businesses.  The program empowers employees to become better informed about San Luis Obispo and all the city has to offer. The hospitality industry consists of a broad section of fields within the service industry including lodging, restaurants, event planning, transportation, entertainment and activities.

The program began in September and early graduates already include employees from the Holiday Inn Express, Talley Vineyards, Sands Inn & Suites, Courtyard by Marriot, City of San Luis Obispo, Apple Farm, Downtown Travelodge and Embassy Suites Hotel, SLO Car Free, NOVO, Luna Red, Big Sky, the SLO International Film Festival and the Chamber’s Visitor Center.

“Our key focus is making visitors feel that San Luis Obispo has exceeded their expectations, so they return often and spread the word to others,” Miller said.  

The program is a two-hour classroom style training session at the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. On average, about 20 people from a variety of hospitality related businesses will go through the program each month.

Once a quarter, the three classes from throughout that quarter, will be invited back for a tour/reception of San Luis Obispo that highlights a few of SLO's tourist attractions and some of SLO's best products.

For more information, visit www.MySanLuisObispo.org.