Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (15 October 2014) The Cayman Islands Ministry and Department of Tourism continues to promote customer service throughout the month of October as part of the ‘Say Yes To Excellence’ awareness initiative by recognizing industry partner- Red Sail Sports.

This particular company has effectively indoctrinated customer service from the inside, which is demonstrated in recent accolades such as being named one of the Cayman Islands’ Best Places to Work for 2014.

Speaking to this distinction, Cashema Rankine, HR Manager for the company shared: “We wanted to participate in the Top Employer award process as an opportunity to listen to our staff and gauge their level of engagement. With 95% of our staff participating in the survey, 85% said they are happy coming to work every day. We were thrilled that overall, our staff feel we have a positive, rewarding place to work.”

Officials at the local watersports company say they start by hiring staff with a positive mindset, enthusiasm, and a strong customer focus. These staff are all held accountable for their Service Standards, both with internal and external customer and the staff are rewarded for their efforts.

Director of Tourism for the Cayman Islands, Mrs. Rosa Harris, says: “When staff are engaged, they will deliver great customer service. One of the most important aspects of providing excellent customer service is delivering on your promises to your consumer. Focusing on the customer will give you the best chance at success as they are the heart of your business, especially in an industry as important as hospitality and tourism. No matter what service you provide, you need to have a clear group of individuals who would see a value added from your product or service. This means your quality of service and reliability must be on point at all times. Focus on your product, employees and your target market, and you will see success.”

In an effort to recognize the Red Sail Sports staff, the company introduced two new staff recognition programs. The first, called ‘This One’s On Me’, which is an on-the-spot reward system whereby managers are able to recognize efforts in customer service and present staff with vouchers for cocktails, lunches, movies, and the like. The second program is an employee-of-the-quarter and employee-of-the-year award, for outstanding service and commitment to guests and to the company.

“All new staff are required to attend specific customer service training which includes an orientation to the Red Sail Group as a whole. The staff are welcomed into our family, and gain an understanding of Red Sail’s business model, Service Standards and expectations,” said Beth Hiryok, Training Manager. “From there, they receive on-the-job training in their respective departments. Our training curriculum includes the PRIDE training offered by the Department of Tourism. We are not just ambassadors for Red Sail Sports, but also for the Cayman Islands. As part of tourism in the Cayman Islands, we have the responsibility to showcase the island through our service and our products.   Our partnership with the DOT allows us to further educate our staff on these responsibilities.”

The Department of Tourism recognizes the continuous efforts of industry partners such as Red Sail Sports who have incorporated excellence in customer service as a benchmark to their success.

END

IMAGE: www.tripadvisor.com