The Tribune

Throughout October, successful businesses invest time and resources (often with the assistance of external consultants) to prepare their businesses for the upcoming year. Today’s article focuses on a globally respected tool that has become easily accessible to Bahamian businesses serving both international and local customers. The Hospitality Assured Programme has become known for assisting companies achieve outstanding results in their business and service goals.

The Hospitality Assured Certification for the Caribbean, for which the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) holds the license, seeks to actively encourage companies to put in place a service quality framework that meets the requirements for the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model.

The Hospitality Assured process encourages businesses to look at their own operation from the customer’s perspective, and to see where improvements should be made to benefit consumers - which also strengthens the business. The Hospitality Assured Nine-Step Framework provides the foundation to achieve service and business excellence.

Let us take a pulse of your readiness for 2016, and see how you measure up. Complete this one minute checklist below:

• Have you compiled and analysed your customer, competitor, market and economic data?

• Have you clearly defined and communicated your customer service promise for 2016?

• Have you consulted, completed and communicated your 2016 Business Plan?

• Have you updated your operational plan, and created or updated your Standard Operating Procedures?

• Have you accessed all of your business resources, equipment, staff and facilities in preparation for 2016?

• Have you created a 2016 Talent Development plan inclusive of performance management and training needs assessments and measurement?

• Have you established business targets and a system for determining whether they are happening effectively?

• Have you created a service recovery plan, beginning with a checklist of daily issues arising out of doing business?

• Have you completed your focus groups and benchmarking exercises to determine your 2015 strengths and developmental gaps?

Every business hopes to see returns on the investments they make in staff, products, marketing and branding efforts. If there are two or more of these boxes left unchecked, you should contact a local Hospitality Assured Advisor today at tcconsultants@coralwave.com or call 242.455.5208.