Saturday, June 4, 2011

Customer Service or Dis-service - Are we ready for a service based economy?

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

If the customer only knew how to tip the waiter/waitress, he or she would receive all the service in the world.

In the hotels there is a hidden tip called service-charge which is shared among the employees; but in the restaurants, there is on such thing. Therefore, the customers should learn to tip the service staff. It goes a long way.

June 5, 2011 at 5:46 AM
Anonymous said...

No one is going to tip poor customer service. For example in a restaurant a customer tips at the end of the service received by the employee, therefore if the employee gives bad service and dont receive a tip they should not be shocked.

Plus this article does not only pertain to the restaurant industry but all industries across the island where service tips are less common.
Employees are paid to sell the products and part in parcel of this is good customer service which is the principle in many developed countries.


Too many St Lucian employees understanding of customer service is, youre the customer serve yourself.

June 7, 2011 at 1:36 AM
Anonymous said...

The salary of a waiter/waitress in a restaurant is extremely small; they reley on tips to makeup the difference. So when a customer and his entourage come in and spend lavishly; what is so wrong in leaving a couple of dollars for the service staff?

Then this same customer comes back and expects good service. Keep waiting.

June 7, 2011 at 8:18 AM
Anonymous said...

The fact that people are concentrating specifically on the restaurant industry and fail to the see the wider local, national and global picture and the consequences that can develop from this poor service in one of the roots for the appalling customer service across the country. Employees never get paid before carrying out a service as with payment you need to provide good service before you receive a tip, it is not a good given right it is something that is worked for and in many industries is not part of the job. Also those big boys that come to the restaurant and have lavish meals if they get poor service they will just go somewhere else and if they do the only one suffering is the employee, not the big boys. So if people think I am going to give bad service coz they didnt tip me, you need to check your attitude and ask why you didnt get the tip coz more likely than not it was your attitude that deterred the tip and not their tight pockets especially if theyre having a lavish meal. And if people keep adopting this attitude they better get acquainted with unemployement because bad customer service= no customers no customers= = no tips+no job!!!

June 7, 2011 at 9:29 AM
Anonymous said...

Well, I make sure I always leave between 10 and 15% tip for my wait staff; next time I return, they're only too happy to serve me.

My barber; I always leave him a little $2 or $3 tip, and I end up with the best haircut one can hope for.

When I take a taxi, the driver also gets a little something; and instead of dropping me off by the road, he takes me right up to my doorstep.

Guys, try leaving a tip and you'll see how remarkably things change. Stop being stingy, give a little when you can afford to, and just sit back and enjoy the benefits.

June 7, 2011 at 10:37 AM
Anonymous said...

I'm a frequent traveller to St. Lucia.
I'm married to a St. Lucian.
I plan to become a St. Lucian citizen one day.
That said...
When it comes to customer service (in all businesses, not just the hospitality industry), most St. Lucian's don't have a clue what it means.
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Go to Mexico and see what REAL customer service is like.
They get paid less than you do, their standard of living is generally lower than yours, but they are the friendliest people you'll ever meet.
I've actually stood up for a Mexican waiter once because of the way a European customer treated him because he wouldn't stand up for himself. He just smiled and patiently dealt with the customer until I couldn't take it any longer.
The customer IS always right, because, ultimately, the customer is the one who signs your paycheque.
I WANT St. Lucia to succeed, but if it continues as the writer of this article has described (which is exactly what I've seen when I've been there), it will NOT and you (and soon to be me) will be a pathetic excuse for a country.
If St. Lucians would strive for excellence in everything they do, especially the tourism industry, more visitors would come, word-of-mouth would spread, demand would increase, more jobs would be created, and poverty would go down, as would poverty's sinister cousin crime.
St. Lucians, it doesn't cost you a dime to do your best at whatever job you do. If you do your best, you will be rewarded. It may take time, but be patient, it will come.
Good luck!

June 7, 2011 at 10:49 AM

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