Hospitality bosses back BTA interim CEO over service standards
Hospitality chiefs are backing claims that standards of service within the industry must be improved.
Hoteliers and restaurateurs have also thrown their support behind a drive to attract Bermudians into the tourism sector.
Stephen Todd, chief executive officer of the Bermuda Hotel Association, said that many Bermudians did not see tourism as a viable career option – and that mindset had to change.
Mr Todd spoke out in support of Tracy Berkeley, the interim chief executive officer of the Bermuda Tourism Authority. In a radio interview on Tuesday, Ms Berkeley said: “For our price point our service levels are not where they should be.”
She added that Bermudians were better equipped than guest workers to provide higher standards of service because they were native to the island.
Mr Todd said: “If we’re going to be successful in growing our tourism product and that of our industry, then we have to provide the highest levels of prompt, efficient and courteous customer service.
“I don’t believe that we are consistently meeting and exceeding this benchmark at the moment.“
He said guest workers did “a tremendous job”, but agreed with Ms Berkeley that Bermudians had something extra special to offer in positively affecting the overall guest experience.
He said: “We are continually hearing that Bermudians want to be served by Bermudians, yet those same Bermudians are not looking at the hospitality sector as a viable long-term career path, when they should be in my opinion.
“We get similar feedback from our customers, in our instance, our hotel guests. When they go out for a meal or to a bar, they continue to wonder and question why there are no Bermudians working there. ‘Why am I not being served by Bermudians’?
“I think our guest workers do a tremendous job, but they’re not necessarily as familiar with the island as Bermudians. It’s perhaps more difficult for them to answer questions and know about our history and to pass on information.
“From the standpoint of the hotel industry, we continue to seek ways to encourage our fellow Bermudians to look at the industry as a viable career path. Unfortunately thus far we just haven’t had the level of success in attracting them back in the numbers that we require.”
Mr Todd said the association was working with the Government to create a programme promoting the hospitality industry in schools.
“Representatives from the industry can go into schools and clearly describe what a great career it is and how important it is to the overall future growth and sustainability of our economy,” he said.
“Some Bermudians regard working in tourism as a short-term job, as they view it as filling in time before they move on to something else. We have to collectively work to change this mindset.”
Karl Massam, the head of the Chamber of Commerce’s restaurant division and general manager of the Yellowfin restaurant group, also said he wanted to see more Bermudians working in the tourism sector.
He said: “We need to do a better job of engaging our youth and highlighting the benefits of working in the hospitality industry. I believe this can be achieved by interacting with students through the signature school programme in primary and high school.
“Currently, we are not clearly illustrating the pathways for training and growth within our industry. Staffing in hospitality worldwide has been in decline for a decade now and Covid-19 accelerated this.
“Now is the time to find our own solutions and for the industry and its partners to come together.”
In their talks with The Royal Gazette yesterday both Mr Todd and Mr Massam highlighted the many benefits of working in the tourism industry.
They scotched rumours of poor pay and unsocial hours, insisting that the industry offered a wide range of rewarding career paths.
Addressing the “widely held view” that hospitality workers were poorly paid, Mr Todd acknowledged that some staffing positions did have a high reliance on gratuities.
But he added: “To paint our industry with the same brush, is not truly reflective of the industry as a whole.
“There are a number of career paths that may be pursued in the hotel sector. The compensation in certain areas of hospitality is comparable to that of other industries.
Mr Massam said that there were plenty of success stories where Bermudians had entered the industry on the bottom rung, and had long, successful careers.
He said: “Whether it be first or second hand, the accomplishments and progression of hospitality workers need to be relayed to prospective recruits.
“There are numerous motivational stories of how many of us started as porters or servers, then progressed to become head chefs, restaurant managers, banquet or food and beverage managers – and in some cases even owners.”
Both said that attitude was the key to success – both personally and for the industry on the island generally.
Mr Todd said: “We have to make the distinction between service and servitude.
“You have to have the right attitude. If you’re interested in engaging with people, helping people, if you are genuinely interested in having a career – that’s what’s going to get us back to the level of service that once made Bermuda unique – we have to get that reputation back if we are to grow our tourism economy.”
Mr Massam said he was working with industry partners to create a committee to tackle staffing issues.
He said: “While the BTA’s comments are welcomed, as are the past efforts of Workforce Development in collaboration with the industry through the Learn to Earn programme, the industry as a whole needs to do more.
“Personally, I would like to see a national training programme, a hospitality training and careers centre and hospitality fairs.”
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