Service with a smile will boost the tourism industry

(newsroompanama.com) Tourism is a major source of income for many countries, and when the balmy days of major infrastructure projects like the Canal expansion and the metro subway are over, will play an increasingly important role in the future of Panama.

So the flow of good news coming from the Panama tourism industry augurs well for the future.

New hotels are springing up across the country, creating jobs not only in construction, but for thousands of people in the “service” industry.

Service of course is a broad definition, and for many tourist oriented businesses from restaurants to hotels is sadly lacking. When it does appear it can take your breath away. A Mothers Day visit to the new RIU Hotel on Calle 50 in Panama City was a case in point. The Manager of the area where the buffet was prepared and served was full of charm, smiles and a willingness to help. Others behind the counter reflected his personality. Alas, I discovered that many of the key personnel were part of a training team from the company’s headquarters in Spain, and would soon be moving on to train staff at another new location in another country.

Hopefully the effects of their training will remain.

In the meantime it was pleasant to watch waiters in the vast dining areas carrying out their tasks quickly and cheerfully.

Training and guidance are essential, and it depends on the owner of the establishment. I received a completely different reaction at the opening of one new restaurant when the owner asked for comments. Told the food was fine, but the service needed improvement he replied: “Well you know what Panamanians are.” He has obviously never heard “The buck stops here.” It did indeed. The restaurant disappeared.

Customers become frequent shoppers when the service is efficient and with a smile. At my local supermarket staff at the checkout register have been trained to wish the customer a good day, but it becomes a meaningless phrase when it is addressed to the computer and there is no eye contact while a hand mechanically reaches out to grab the first item for the scanner.

With a growing shortage of trained staff for hotels and restaurants, there is an opening for an entrepreneur to develop a “service with a smile" school.

Meanwhile the good news. Spending by visitors to Panama for the first 10 months of the year rose 14 percent over the same period of 2009.

Visitors spent an estimated $1.3 billion, $170 million more than in the same period last year.

Over a million visitors entered the country, a 5 percent increase from 2009.figures. More direct flights from Europe and increased cruise ship departures contributed.

Improved service will help keep the trend going, and convert one time visitors into frequent shoppers.

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Original Source: Newsroompanama.com

Date Retrieved: December 15, 2010