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WCEC Provided Customer Service Training to Monmouth County Businesses in Partnership with Red Bank RiverCenter & Jersey Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau

Providing Resources and Support to Local Businesses Affected by Hurricane Sandy to Ensure a Successful Recovery and Future

The Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corporation (WCEC), continues its “We’re Storming Back” Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Program with a free customer service training session at the Red Bank RiverCenter, in Red Bank, N.J., on Wednesday, September 18, 2013. The training session was specifically designed for business owners, managers and employees of the Red Bank RiverCenter and the Jersey Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau (Jersey Shore CVB), and focused on customer service skills and techniques that can be applied in various workplace situations. The session helped a group of business owners, managers and employees in Monmouth County to sharpen their skills and learn best practices, so they can provide residents and visitors with the best possible service and experience while living in or visiting the area.

Funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, the WCEC’s We’re Storming Back program provided the two-hour customer service training session free of charge to various New Jersey small businesses and provided them with the resources and tools to rebuild and recover from Hurricane Sandy,  ensuring a successful, long-term future.

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“The Jersey Shore was devastated after Superstorm Sandy hit, with many of our businesses severely damaged and owners, managers and employees personally affected by the storm,” said James Scavone, Executive Director of the Red Bank RiverCenter. “The workshop provided us with a useful skillset and hope that we will continue to bring our business back.”

The Red Bank RiverCenter, a non-profit management organization, works to make Red Bank one of New Jersey’s premier shopping and entertainment communities, and helps to improve and promote downtown businesses, including shops, boutiques, theaters and events. The Jersey Shore CVB is the fastest growing destination marketing organization in New Jersey, and promotes the Jersey Shore region as a destination for individuals, families, businesses, organizations, and meeting and travel planners for both domestic and international markets. These organizations have been working closely for many years to promote the area year-round.

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 “Since the storm hit, we have been inundated with new faces all summer long, and we want them to have the best experience possible while visiting so they return for many years to come,” said Bob Hilton, Executive Director of the Jersey Shore CVB. “Training our business to instill more effective customer service skills will make visitors want to return. We have learned since the storm that the Jersey Shore is the best place to live, work and play on the east coast, and we want everyone to have the same experience.”

Additional workshops are offered through the WCEC and its We’re Storming Back program. Program and workshop information can be found at www.stormingback.org.

“Almost a year after Hurricane Sandy tore our state apart, local businesses are continuing to recover,” said Penni Nafus, Executive Director of the WCEC. “We want all New Jersey businesses to know that resources are available at no cost to them to help in their recovery and provide them with the tools for continued, long-term success.”

The WCEC’s “We’re Storming Back” Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief Program provides free workshops, training, and resources to New Jersey businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy to help them to recover and thrive. The WCEC is helping small businesses storm back from Sandy through three key training programs: Customer Service Training, Planning for Future Storms, and One-on-One Business Consultations. For more information, please contact Penni Nafus at (973) 507-9700 or at pnafus@wcecnj.org

About The WCEC

The WCEC, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation, is a U. S. Small Business Administration’s Women’s Business Center.  The WCEC provides the tools for individuals to successfully own, operate and grow their small businesses, thereby investing financially, intellectually and emotionally in their communities. The WCEC provides more than 150 classes, seminars and individual consulting sessions each year for more than 5,000 participants. For more information please visit www.wcecnj.org/

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