Devon Dick

Recently, I experienced some examples of outstanding customer service. The first one was by Tahirah Johnson at DB&G Ltd. I needed to have done two transactions with the cashier, but I did one and forgot the other. Ms. Johnson did not send me back to the cashier, but facilitated the transaction by allowing me to do the business through her. In addition, I wanted an envelope to be addressed and she did it although she did not have to. And finally, I wanted to use the rest room, which she advised was situated upstairs. Not only did she point the way, she led the way upstairs to the point where I could not miss the restroom. Overall, she did her job professionally and competently and seemed to be enjoying the work and gave excellent customer service.

The other positive experience was at Sandals Grande, Ocho Rios. The first night of my stay was awful and unique in the bundling of the arrangements. However, the following day, Marie Maurasse took charge and personally handled the situation.

She said that she would fix a problem within 30 minutes and when she saw she was about to miss the deadline she came and apologised! I identified her as a leader.

Hands-on

Little did I know that she was a zone manager. One does not expect that managers will do any work, but Marie was hands-on. There were other workers who displayed great customer service, such as Alonza. They lived up to two of the main values expressed on stickers of Sandals which state, "We strive for excellence not for tips" and "It's our pleasure to serve, we do not accept tips."

It is therefore, disappointing that the Government, based on the recommendation of the Matalon report, will be taxing tips. Tips should not be taxed. Neither should the hotel industry be using tips in lieu of salary to pay workers. Tips are just an extra appreciation for excellent customer service that should neither be taxed nor be used as part of the hotel workers' salary. In any case, some hotel workers are forbidden from taking tips and so it is ridiculous for the Government, by not increasing the tax threshold this month, to hold to ransom hotel workers who do not received tips and the thousands who are not in the hotel industry.

The increase in the taxable threshold should take effect this month. The Government, somehow, has developed a bad habit of delays in workers' benefits with the implementation of the minimum wage being late for the last two years. Will that be late for a third year running?

'for such a time as this'

There is a story in the Bible about Esther, of whom it was said that she had access to the throne 'for such a time as this'. It was a crisis time. It could be said of Chris Zacca that he has become president of the PSOJ 'for such a time as this'.

Zacca is knowledgeable about the tourist industry as deputy group director of Sandals and ATL. He obviously has a passion for customer service. Not only was ATL a major sponsor of the Jamaica Customer Service Association CEO Breakfast Forum held last month at Jamaica Pegasus, but along with Richard Powell, CEO of Victoria Mutual Building Society; Dennis Cohen, deputy group managing director of NCB; and others, Zacca was present. So Zacca should re-affirm that good customer service should be rewarded and advocate against the taxing of tips. He needs also to agitate for the adjusted threshold to become effective this month and that those in the tourist industry should pay the workers and not use tips as a substitute.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church and author of 'Rebellion to Riot: the Church in Nation Building'.