You don’t have to look far to see/hear complaints about customer service in the Caribbean, but few take the time to acknowledge when they get excellent service. This week, I salute some of the customer service stars who make doing business a pleasant experience.
First up, LIAT. The Caribbean airline has seen a lot of negative publicity in the past year with much attributed to poor customer service. On a 30-minute flight from Beef Island to St. Maarten last November, the airline lost my luggage. I waited in the baggage hall at Princess Juliana airport along with about four other persons from the flight. As the hall emptied and no sign of my two bags, I flagged down an attendant walking by.
His name was Tayis Fleming. Mr. Fleming took me to the counter and made several calls before discovering that my bags had been flown to Antigua. After assisting me to complete a claim form, he promised to do all he could to get my bags in time for my connecting flight to Kingston in three hours. He was very helpful but it was what he did next that earned him stripes.
I was busy chatting away and did not hear the airline paging me when my bags had arrived several hours later. Mr. Fleming walked the departure lounge and looked for me to notify in person that my bags had arrived, directed me to identify them, and then communicated with Caribbean Airlines staff to ensure my luggage made the connecting flight.
Before he tapped me on the shoulder, I had already given up hope that I would make it home with my luggage. Thank you Mr. Fleming, for going above and beyond to give my story a happy ending. You are an asset to LIAT and I hope they know this.
Next, I want to salute Claudia W., the cashier on duty at Burger King, Pavillion (HWT) on Tuesday January 7, 2014. At about 12:30 pm, I stopped there for lunch and literally braced myself for the inevitable customer service conundrum that is the trademark of the fast food industry. It did not occur. I was greeted politely – good afternoon and not NEXT! She was very patient with my order (I’m one of those persons who want the sandwich and not the combo, no lettuce, less mayo, etc.), and had a very pleasing disposition. Even the security guard was welcoming. Thank you Claudia, you made lunch a pleasant experience.
At a time when service makes all the difference, these two persons represented their respective companies well, and created positive customer experiences that are sure to build lasting relationships.
Did you have a great customer service experience? Tell us about it in the comments.