FreemanGroup Trainer Mel Jameson, 3rd from left, and Naomi Minkoff of the BVI Tourist Board, 2nd from right in front, join Customs Comptroller Wade Smith, 2nd from left at rear, in saluting senior officers who completed a Train the Trainers programme, as part of the Tourism Industry Standards Programme

The training comes as part of the customer service component of the Tourism Industry Service Standards TISS programme, initiated by Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism Dr Orlando Smith just over two years ago. TISS is aimed at improving the quality of service delivered to visitors to the territory and to customers in general.

Mel Jameson of the Texas-based service solutions company, The FreemanGroup, facilitated the training. He explained that TISS is a hugely diverse and exciting programme, which also involved training for tourism industry workers in 18 different sectors, and follow up ‘Leading the Promise’ workshops for senior managers.
 
Having now launched the Train the Trainers programme, FreemanGroup is now developing the standards to be used by these trainers, and will embark shortly on a mystery inspection of hotel accommodations, bars, restaurants, yacht charter companies and the arrival and departure process delivered by government agencies.

“So, the programme is not going to go away, it’s a long term programme,” Jameson said on Thursday. “We sincerely believe that it will work, and hopefully, you will play your part with the skills that we have given you in helping to introduce not only consistency to your department, but hopefully enhancing the tourism destination here in the BVI for the years to come.”
 
Standards Manager at the BVI Tourist Board Naomi Minkoff said she was pleased to be able to present the Certificates of Completion to these Customs Officers, the second group of senior managers to have completed the training. Senior Airports Authority Security Officers received their certificates August 10th.

“We realize that the Customs Department is in the midst of a lot of changes, as well as the huge task of implementing the Customs Automated Processing System CAPS,” Minkoff stated. She commended the officers for doing their part to ensure consistency of service delivery, and relayed a letter from an arriving passenger who was impressed with the personalized service she received recently at the Terrence B. Lettsome International Airport.

Customs Comptroller Wade Smith, who assisted with the presentation of the certificates, said this training has been good for the officers. “It has been very helpful for us, the officers are getting high praises from the public, and we expect to continue the good work.”

Personnel Manager at the Customs Department Reynaldo Hodge agreed that this training programme is a step in the right direction. He said based on the knowledge and skills officers have acquired, they can now go out and train fellow officers from the other departments.