Tourism MATTERS – New column by Adrian Loveridge in Barbados Business Authority

Adrian Loveridge, small hotel owner.

The Nation has agreed to publish in the Barbados Business Authority, a weekly column dedicated to tourism written by myself  from Monday 13th September, 2010 entitled Tourism MATTERS.

The column will be about 500 words and offer topical, constructive, objective views with some alternative suggestions to grow our tourism industry. It will be non-partisan.

I feel in many ways, that even bearing in mind the global economic challenges confronting us that we are missing so many marketing opportunities and in many cases our thinking has become stagnant.

Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry Enlists New Marketing Communications Executive

Ian Bourne

The Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry in meeting the current economic challenges of Barbados through effective and efficient communications with its stakeholders has announced the appointment of Mr. Ian Bourne as its new Marketing Communications Executive.

Chief Executive Officer of the BCCI, Magnus Whitehead, says that Bourne will strengthen his organisation’s ability to communicate with its members, government and local and international business partners.  We are pleased to welcome Ian as a member of our team. Following the development of a three-year Strategic Plan in 2008, Ian’s appointment brings us closer to fulfilling our restructuring process and achieving our objectives, says Whitehead.

Bourne, familiarly know as a former Anchor for CBC-TV 8’s Evening News, has several years experience in marketing communications, the most recent as Public Relations Officer with a government statutory organisation.

Bourne says that while grateful for his time with his previous employer, which he views as another family, he nevertheless looks forward to reviving certain initiatives of the BCCI and developing new ones. He says he appreciates and is looking forward to the challenge of carrying forward the directives of the BCCI during a very challenging financial period.

Barbados Tourism Disaster On The “Platinum” West Coast

“The old people in Barbados used to say that if it rained on New Years Day it will rain all year. Well, we had a lot of rain here on the west coast on New Years Day and if the old people are right, a lot of people are going to get soaked in 2009.”… West Coast Blog article Nearly Half The Villas At Four Seasons Still Unsold

West Coast Blog Says Hotel Guests Down 70% At Almond Beach Village!

Our friends over at West Coast Blog (WCB) have their finger on the pulse of “Platinum Coast” tourism and they say that the patient is in critical condition – nevermind that this is the “high season”. WCB cites a number of statistics and it is obvious they have insider knowledge about hotel occupancy rates and condo sales figures. Today’s article makes a compelling case that all those happy, optimistic articles we’ve been reading in the Barbados media are not exactly the real picture.

Folks, as we said in mid-December, 2009 is going to be a brutal year for tourism. You should be putting your personal emergency plan into action NOW! As we said in our article You Can Taste The Fear In Barbados – Travel Poised to “drop off a cliff” in January, there are steps you should be taking…

– Shun debt.

– Work hard.

– Economise.

– Maintain friends and family. Look after them and they will look after you.

Things are bad, and they will get worse. A lot worse. Look after your friends and family because it could be you next.

Ian Bourne’s New Year’s Resolution – No More Abuse From KFC and Chefette in Barbados

From The Desk of Ian Bourne

Ms Kim Tudor; Nat’l Initiative for Service Excellence/
Ms Michelle Hustler-Small; Bds. Coalition of Service industries/
Editor; Daily Nation/
Editor; B’dos Advocate & Heat Magazine

28/12/2008

Attn: New Year’s Resolution, viz. – Service

Dear All:

Most people at this time of year make a New Year’s resolution; more often than not it usually involves losing weight. My resolution also concerns food, but as it relates to service…

On Saturday 27th December I decided to have a Gourmet Burger at Chefette’s Barbecue Barn for a late lunch or early dinner – much to my regret; I ordered a small salad, burger-platter and a Pepsi.

Before the cashier rang up the sale, I made sure to add I wanted cheese and bacon with the burger and I paid the Chefette employee.

After having the salad my main course appeared and I collected it, while sitting at the table I looked at my meal, it seemed there was no cheese – I even looked at the bottom of the patty and it was dry bread underneath; naturally, I returned to the counter. I asked for an attendant and one who was not the cashier stepped up, so I explained what I thought was my shortcoming. Paraphrasing the rather appropriate Clement C. Moore for this time of year – what to my wondering ears … ?

She wrings up her face and says “LOOK, IT UP UNDER DEY!” hurled in either a snarling shout or shouting snarl (Translation – ‘Look, it’s up under there’ as in; the little bit of cheese was under the slice of bacon)

Still shocked, I went to sit back down at the table, I realised a senior-type Afro-American couple parallel to me were staring at me so I asked if they witnessed what happened; they not only confirmed what they saw but added they’re accustomed to it every time they visit the island and they try to ignore it – as I started to put on BBQ sauce on the burger I don’t know what happened, but I just had enough. I muttered to myself that enough is enough and this can’t happen anymore, then I marched back to the counter and demanded for the Manager On Duty; when she arrived I then proceeded to loudly demand for a refund on my meal as the service was not even what I expected at Nelson Street or Baxter’s Road.

I can safely state I did not use profanity, but I was not quiet, the entire fast-food establishment heard me, I was even asked what I wanted and I said I did not care it was Xmas or New Year’s that that woman did not deserve to be in a Chefette uniform and she should be sent home! To the Manager’s credit, she was quiet and apologised as well as giving me a full refund even though I ate the salad.

Chefette is not the only place to have poor service; there was October this year when Kentucky also failed in their bid to entice my patronage…

I see in the Saturday Sun that Kentucky Fried Chicken is returning their Famous Bowl offer, this is where you get mashed potato with gravy and corn with popcorn chicken and draped with 3 different grated cheeses and a Pepsi to drink for $14.99 Bds – what is cool is the bowl has a resealable lid and is microwavable and dishwasher-safe, so you can reuse the item for a long time after!

So I head over to KFC’s Hastings branch, but having had previous horrors with KFC, I made sure to ask WHEN will the Famous Bowls be ready? I was made to wait for a bit then learn they’re “on hold” until the corn arrives… Quite naturally I ask how long will this take and I am told when the corn arrives in a perfect rendition of Catch-22! I blurt “Typical!” then exit the queue and stalk out to my car.

Cable and Wireless – LIME Abused Customers Facebook Club

“C&W = Costly & Worthless…  LIME= Lazy Ignorant Money Eaters”

I recently stumbled upon a new facebook group called: “C&W = Costly & Worthless…..LIME= Lazy Ignorant Money Eaters”

Has anyone visited this page before if I’m not this late.

I’m quite surprised that this title and a new facebook group gave me a smile so far. I wonder, we have Caribbean united to share their views on this Telecommunications Giant that sat on these Caribbean Territories for many, many years. And yes we do experience the mediocre services, high-costs, plagues on our Caribbean shores.

The Group has a motto:

“If you ever received a ridiculous bill at the end of the month for service u never had, if your internet keep cutting off, if your service ever got cut waayyyy before time. If you want better service from the so called “leaders in communication” JOIN US!!!”

Their membership is almost reaching to 300 people.

Well it’s up to you whether you wish to join or not but unless we work together we cannot accomplish anything. A single customer’s voice is nothing. A thousand is something else.

… submitted by a BFP reader

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=34632668028&ref=mf