by B. Roach
Montserrat Tourist Board (MTB) marketing manager Ishwar Persad explains: “it is important in our (the tourism) business to have excellent customer service skills… It will help to improve standards and that is very important…a taxi driver, a tour guide to make sure that they abide by those standards and that is something I think from the Tourist Board stand point we are happy to hear…”
Mr. Persad was speaking in connection with the training programme for taxi drivers, tour guides and tour operators, that was hosted by the MTB, in conjunction with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO). The programme began on Monday, August 16 at the Lookout Community Centre, till Friday August 20, 2010.
Mrs. Bonita Morgan, Director of Human Resources of the Barbados-based CTO facilitated the program. She expressed her pleasure and satisfaction with the level of participation of those who attended the training. She pointed out that considering the training session took place at the end of a day, ”when they are probably tired and really not wanting to be in a training session … the level of participation has been excellent,” adding, “their level of interaction and the contributions made by the participants have also been excellent.”
She was interested in what was happening, as they were gaining some value in being part of the training sessions. and at the end of the day they themselves recognize that they wanted to be three on a daily basis to benefit from what was going on.
The facilitator said, “the target group was really taxi drivers and tour guides, some of whom were informal tour guides… they were interested in what was happening , they were gaining some value in being part of the training sessions and at the end of the day they themselves recognized that they wanted to be there on a daily basis to benefit from what was going on.”
“She said that CTO is developing a regional program in tour guiding. “It will be a regional certificate program for tour guides which would be of a high level so at the end of it you know they’ll be professional tour guides,” she revealed.
Several of the participants expressed their satisfaction with the training sessions. One person who was not a taxi driver, claimed, “I’m retired and I thought it would be good to diversify my skills and so and I am seeking seriously of being a tour guide. I decided therefore to attend that … and really when after attending that course its proof to me that I really don’t know allot about my country…”
Most said similar to this: “Enjoyable. I didn’t think I would go every night but it was so captivating and it was so educational that I ended up each night, just to look again what customer service is and the quality of customer service that one offers, and just the way that it was presented it was a worthwhile training program.”
“Well it was very informative I’ve learnt a lot. I learnt that there is internal and external customers, how you treat people, how you talk with people and how things could go better when you respond to people in a positive way , well I think to use it in my everyday dealing with people,” said another.
Yet another. “Well the training was quite good, it would help me because the knowledge that I had before it wasn’t up to date as what it is now so this would help me a lot.”
