The Tribune

October is typically when successful businesses invest time and resources to prepare for the upcoming year. Today’s article focuses on a globally-respected tool that is being reintroduced to help Bahamian businesses attain a higher level of global competitiveness.

The Hospitality Assured Programme is known for helping companies achieve outstanding results in their business and service goals. And the Hospitality Assured Certification for the Caribbean 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 see where improvements should be made to benefit consumers. This 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 2023, 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 2023?

• Have you consulted, completed and communicated your 2023 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 2023?

• Have you created a 2023 Talent Development plan inclusive of performance management, 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, it may be a good opportunity to get the help readily available at the Tourism Development Corporation.

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.