Lights, camera, action: SVG ready for tourism prime time?

One of the things I love about my career is I always get to brag to the audiences I speak to about my beautiful island home, St Vincent and the Grenadines. Almost none of the people in the audiences have ever heard of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and I go out of my way to incorporate something about it, regardless of the topic I am asked to address. My hope is that they will one day want to visit.{{more}} St Vincent and the Grenadines will increasingly become dependent on tourism in the coming years and we have to continually strive to raise the standard of our product. So, how do we continually improve as the tourism spotlight shines brighter on us?

FOR THE BUSINESS OWNER

Each business owner must see both locals and visitors as critical to their existence. There should be no distinction between the service they receive and we should recognize that, but we can’t stop there. Here are a few more:

Greet customers immediately.

There is nothing better than Caribbean hospitality. We have a welcoming way about us that, when used, makes strangers feel like family instantly. Your place of business should be the same. Give customers a verbal greeting, acknowledge them with body language if busy (smile, use hand signal) then offer your service promptly. People are spending their money by choice, so make them choose your business over and over, so they become a part of your family of customers.

Be attentive.

An attentive sale representative should be able to anticipate the needs of customers and make suggestions in a joyful way. If a customer buys a belt, ask them if they need a dress or pants to go with that. If they buy milk, ask them if they want bread, Milo or even cheese. If they buy a hiking trip for the day, why not partner with a local spa and offer a relaxing massage to relieve those tight muscles. That is a basic sales training technique called “upselling.” We are leaving money on the table because sales training and training in general is seen as an expense instead of an investment to know the customers, anticipate their needs and increase sales. A little time and effort upfront could yield a much larger return in immediate sales cycle and repeat business if we teach sales representatives how to pay attention.

Listen to and empathize with unhappy customers.

When tourists save all year and spend their money to travel, they want the best and have little tolerance for mistakes. They expect you to be at their beck and call if that is what they paid for and when you fail to meet their standard, the way the matter is handled could be the difference between a repeat customer and a disgruntled individual who wages war on your business. They want to know that their opinions and suggestions are being taken seriously. Unhappy customers will take to Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to voice their disapproval. Those opinions can cripple your business and SVG’s tourism sector. Think about how you treat each customer, especially when your business falls short of their expectations.

AT HOME

Teach our children to properly dispose of litter.

We have some untouched terrain in SVG. A drive through the Leeward or Windward course should not be marred by ugly sights of garbage thrown across our beautiful landscape. Whenever I come home, go to the beach armed with gloves and a garbage bag. Before I swim, I take the time to pick up the trash on the beach and dispose of it. This is my SVG, too.

Watch our language and teach our children! I remember the days when we dared not use any foul language in front of an adult, and especially not in the presence of an officer of the law. Yes, times have changed and the world has become more tolerant of colourful language – just turn on the TV for that evidence. SVG is not immune; however, we can still make an effort.

Karen Hinds is “The Workplace Success Expert.” For a FREE SPECIAL REPORT on Avoiding Career Killers in the Workplace, send an email to info@workplacesuccess.com

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