A leading American department store has helped complaints against Bermuda shops drop by more than ten per cent, it was revealed yesterday.

Consumer Affairs Minister Dale Butler said a Government customer service training programme preaching the Nordstrom method had been a success.

He told the House of Assembly retail was one of four industries in Bermuda that generated the most complaints. In a bid to curb the number of customer gripes, staff training sessions were set up to deal with complaint procedures, tactics to "keep customers coming back" and consumer laws.

Mr. Butler said the Nordstrom method ? the pro-customer philosophy behind one of America's top department stores ? was also part of this programme. It applies eight business goals to create a customer service culture, including hiring the right staff, creating an inviting place to shop, providing choice and employee empowerment.

The Minister said: "The training programme was initially provided to upper management staff followed by those at manager level. Although it was offered in its entirety, some businesses chose a scaled-down version."

But he said even the shorter version had produced positive results.

Mr. Butler added: "This programme has contributed to an 11.5 per cent decrease in retail complaints.

"Consumer Affairs is confident that as retail businesses adhere to better business practices they will no longer be among the top four sectors with the most complaints, and consequently Bermuda Consumers will benefit."