Icey

Sorry to bring you in under a false sense of security.
I am coming over to Barbados (again) for three months. When i come over i intend to do some sound research but i thought i would just test the waters first.

I would like to open up an agency over there as while looking for job oppertunities i was unable to locate one place online where i could search for a multitude of jobs. As a result i think i have identified a definate gap in the market. In addition to this i also feel that a lot of companies lack basic etiquette and customer servicing skills.

I feel that I can offer a service in which job seekers both nationals and non-nationals and prvide employment for offices on a temp and permanent basis.

as well as ad hoc consultations.

My question to you 'locals' ( i think we more or less earned that title) do YOU feel there is a gap?

lettiesmall1957

I know of one agency which has been advertising for sometime now for national and non nationals and for you to know what they exactly do, there phone no is 8315817, it would be worth phoning them and getting info first hand. good luck.

Icey

I am really sorry, but I am not entirely sure I know what you mean

lettiesmall1957

I am talking about a recruitment agency which advertises jobs on behalf of companies, which is currently in Barbados. I thought you said you researched and there was nothing so I am mentioning this one for your information. And I gave you their number in case you would like to find out more about them. I am sorry if thats not what you are talking about.

Sunniebgi

While I can't name any at the moment, I'm sure there are a couple of places that do this.. PriceWaterhouse Coopers used to do some specialized job services. Not sure of anything else, but there may be.

if you plan to come into Barbados to offer something like this, I'd highly recommend a couple of things..

1. Be a Barbadian and not require a work permit - you will need a work permit to be able to do this, and there are "plenty-nuff" (thats good bajan speak for plenty enough) people that do Human resources, they just don't know how to get it all together.

2. Same goes for the customer service side. someone started a NICE campaign (government agency I believe) a few years ago around the Cricket World Cup.. Supposed to teach and train people in customer service.

3. If you want to start a company, have the wherewithall and need someone to work the business for you.... I'll raise my hand and send my resume. I've had over 20 years of Customer Service Training in my main field of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality and I'm local (ok.. I'm an expat, but been here almost 17yrs soooo)...

good luck.

Icey

Yes it is, long day yesterday probably didnt help ease my confusion. Thanks for that

Icey

Thanks for that missy!

1) this really exists..... Then why is the service so bad with Digicell, courts, trimart etc

2) I remember this campaign didnt really take off as such

3) i spoke to my partner a local and it would be best to focus on the training rather then then recruitment. it is still a little seedling of an idea.

hotchick21

Hi Icey & All,

This sounds a Great idea!!

If you need any help don't forget me.... I'll be over tail end of September- thou only on the Island for two weeks I'll be seriously looking at forward plans to go 4 GOOD!

I am British born ( to bajan parents) with years of customer service skills, have ran my own departments within various high end companies therefore trained too, & currently working for a City Law Firm. Oh did I mention I have citizenship so know need for all that work permit hassle...

I wish you the best

Sandy x

Sunniebgi

I am married to a true bajan whos family has been here for over 300 years. I actually don't see this government as helpful to anyone as they seem to not be doing a lot of what they said they would and things seem to be getting worse not better.. for everyone.

While I totally agree with getting rid of the illegal immigrants (which is something the US should have done long ago), kicking the valid expat out of Barbados will do noone any good.. There are many great expats who have lived in Barbados for many years (including some who are seen as Bajan, but were born elsewhere) and have made a name and a business here and who have helped Barbados grow.

What you are basically saying in part of your paragraph is that Bajans don't want to learn customer service. They just want to go to work, do a job and go home. I walked in and out of at least 2 stores two days ago and had I been approached by anyone, I likely would have purchased something.. but the funniest thing that happened was I walked right passed a sales clerk who saw a good looking guy walk in the store and she began to talk to him and totally ignored me. What is that going to accomplish?? lack of sales.. but she will not be fired.. cause likely if she was .. good ole Workers Union would find some reason for the Union to go on strike cause she was just "doing her job".

Icey is saying to do this service for both Nationals and Non-nationals, not just for non-nationals.

But the biggest issue is Customer Service. There just isn't any.. and we rely on NON-NATIONALS to come into Barbados, spend money.. so that our country stays afloat.. if we didn't it wouldn't matter.. but we do.. So the Bajan mentality of 'I've got a job, you can't fire me regardless of the job I do" has to change.. and things could only get better if they did.

Foxy_fromCanada

Sunnie, this is very well put.

I would agree that customer service seems to be a hotter topic among non-Nationals. I can understand where the attitude comes from, to a degree, as locals in the service industry have to deal with a menagerie of loud, rude, and sometimes drunken tourists (just being honest here!). However, having been in & out of the customer service realm my whole career, I think Barbados would do well to want to improve customer service.

The point of improving your customer service is not just so that tourists get a warm fuzzy feeling when they visit here. No, the benefit of excellent customer service is that it can increase sales while decreasing costs, thereby increasing overall profit. Which can mean more jobs. Which is highly desirable in a world economy that is sub-par at the moment.

Sunnie, your point about the Unions is also very valid. We see this all over the world. Unions can encourage apathy among employees as they are mostly "protected" whether or not they do a good job. Even if they lose their job, it's likely the union can help get it back. With this in mind, implementing a customer service program becomes more of a challenge, and one has to be innovative in their ways of encouraging it among employees. Icey, here's where the gap is, so take the idea and run with it.

Bottom line: If you can show the bottom-line (sorry to use that term twice) benefit to customer service on a company's balance sheet, they might be more interested. Better service = bigger profit, for many reasons (decreased operating costs, decreased refunds, better customer retention, repeat buying, etc!). Many visitors to Barbados come here regularly, and they'll remember where they were treated well/poorly.

Just my thoughts, and I recognize that not everyone agrees. Feel free to not agree with me.

Foxy

lettiesmall1957

ITA. Customer services is really needed in beautiful Barbados. There is no point for some people to feel boxed up and yet the services are shoddy. In order for a company to grow to better heights, there should be good customer services and good management. We have all experienced questionable experiences as far as this subject goes.
Icey , If I were you, I would take up that challenge, if the powers be let you, because you might have fresher ideas to boost the already existing customer services, which is low at the moment.The agencies are there but not as effective as they should. Obviously that would give some Bajans jobs to some extent. The kind of attitude which some of us people have made some countries in Africa to fold , because they thought they knew what they were doing but at the end of the day it cost them, I am from Africa and I know what I am talking about.There is always need for competition for all businesses in order for them to be effective.This is how I look at things. Lettie

Icey

please see the above

hotchick21

You GO girl!!!

Icey

I agree i think it is important to focus away recruitment and deeper into customer service training and maximising the potential of staff in order to create a moral / environment in which staff actually wish to be CS savvy

Sunniebgi

I've read a few of Icey's remarks and I see nothing really in this post or any other that would lead me to believe that this individual feels they are a know it all. and really more pointing out what the qualifications are to speak in authority about the subject.. I feel I can speak in an position of authority even as an American who has worked with many people in what should be the "customer service" area of Barbados and found that this service was sorely lacking 17 years ago when I first came here and today when I went to the store.. leads me to believe that nothing has come of any initiative, even though the big ups have tried.. they seem to have failed

Here is the problem with that statement. Many Barbadians work in positions were they are in contact with foriegn nationals ever single day and do to the fact that we are country completely reliant on foreign trade, business and tourism.. Barbadians HAVE to be able to be customer oriented people. Customer Service is Customer Service regardless of where you live.. It has no nationality or birth right.


Close the gate to what??.. Illegals immigrants for sure. and yes I agree, we have to preserve what is good and right about Barbados, but shutting the foreigner out is not the way to do it. I can only imagine what would happen to this country if we did that.