Oistins vendors enhance customer service skills

OVER 30 vendors from the Oistins Bay Garden took part in a Customer Service Seminar hosted by the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, Sandals Foundation.
The training, which was held on Monday, June 13 at Sandals Barbados Resort forms part of 40 sustainable community projects being implemented by the Sandals Foundation across the Caribbean to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sandals Resorts.
The activities facilitated by Mrs. Samantha Hazlewood-Ermay and Ms. Renee Gibson of Free- Spirit Communication saw the gathering of some of the more popular
Oistins establishments, including Fred’s Bar, Uncle George’s Red Snapper, Chilling N Grilling, Mo’s, Angel’s and Crazy Eddies.
Public Relations Manager at Sandals Barbados Resort, David Hinds explained that the activities evolved from meetings with the Oistins Bay Garden Committee who noted the need to sensitize its members in the value of good customer re- lations while building their capacity to handle a range of complex service scenarios.
“As you know the Sandals Foundation and the Oistins Bay Garden have had an established relationship from our ear- liest days of operations here in Barbados and this is a continuance of that
synergy.
“Several of our guests
enjoy and rave about the Friday night experience in Oistins. However, beyond the Sandals guest, this training is intended to en- hance the experience of all who visit the vibrant space. From locals to guests of other hotels, building the capacity of vendors ensures the high- est standard of service is experienced by all,” added Hinds.
The daylong exercise in- cluded a study of Trip Advisor reviews about the Bay Garden, role-play exercises and several discussion points. Participants were then awarded a certificate of completion.
“We are all Barbados Brand Ambassadors, so ensuring that we give extraordinary service is a must. The Bay Garden is one of our gems and we need to show off and show out when it comes to our culture, food and service,” said facilitator, Hazlewood-Ermay.
Julia Crawford of Freds Bar, called the seminar a “breath of fresh air” and noted her eagerness to uti- lize what she learnt with her customers immediately.
“It was very informative, especially when we were asked to be in the role of the customers and think of their expectations. We were also shown the bigger picture of the important role we play in Barbados’ tourism product and to truly take pride in what we do,” said Crawford.