News
Is lack of empowerment in the workplace negatively impacting the customer experience in TCI?
#TurksandCaicos, November 14, 2022 – Research has clearly shown when employees feel empowered at work, it is associated with stronger job performance, job satisfaction, and commitment to the organization or institution.
Despite our stellar rating as one of the world’s top tourism destinations, many would agree in some cases what we have seen over the years in Turks and Caicos Islands, is not a reflection of workplace empowerment. Be it in government or the private sector, the lack of ownership and empowerment is prevalent in some offices.
Management in some cases has failed to empower their employees by delegating authority, decision-making, and sharing of pertinent information.
Working in top management positions for a large portion of my career, I have found that if you ask the right questions, in most cases you will find the answer is right in the room amongst your employees.
It behoves management to take the time to solicit employees input. Employees are the face of your business or institutions and through their interaction, they know what’s needed to satisfy the customer.
Furthermore, it’s pointless to solicit employees input if the information only remains in a file and nothing is implemented.
Follow up with the employee or committee on reasons why their input may or may not work at this particular time.
What I have found over the years is, if given the autonomy, in most cases employees are not seeking attention but simply know what they are doing and do it with pride.
Often times, what the customer perceives to be an attitude from the employee, could be a result of pent up frustration due to the lack of support or relevant information from their direct reports.
We need leaders in the workplaces who are not afraid to delegate authority to their employees, ask for their input, and encourage autonomous decision-making.
In my opinion, I believe it’s not being done due to the fear of being replaced, which is small minded thinking. To the contrast, it makes your own job easier and the office becomes more productive and customer centric. 
Granted, employees will fail from time to time, but it’s all a part of learning. What’s important, is to have biannual performance based reviews with your employees so they are aware of the expectations, shortcomings and their progress.
On every job, you will find highly creative individuals just waiting to be discovered or given the opportunity.
Challenge them to generate novel ideas and to think of new ways of doing things rather then the status quo, just because the office has always done it that way.
Apart from delegating additional work, empowering leadership is also about mentoring and supporting employee development; not exploiting them, which we know is all to common in some cases.
What we need are leaders who can lead, not just checking off the boxes or just because they are your most reliable employee.
By empowering employees it allows them the opportunity to take more ownership of their role, and this is where a number of government departments, office settings and stores in our country are lacking.
It’s my belief that empowering employees in public service businesses such as the hospitality sector, healthcare or licensing departments is crucial. Most of these employees are key to organizational effectiveness and could prove to be more beneficial to your business and the country as a whole.
It’s important for businesses and institutions to build that framework for more efficiency. In essence, improving workplace efficiency is about helping employees work smarter, not harder or just doing busy work.
There are two key points to be cognizant off.
#1 Management often times fail to realize the employees are their most important customers and should be treated as such.
#2 In a tourism driven economy, employees often times fail to realize there shouldn’t be any distinction between the quality of service provided to locals vs tourists.
There are also other areas that could negatively impact the customer experience.
For example, important documents such as police records, birth certificates etc. all require a postal stamp. Why not make it convenient for customers and provide the stamps and include it as part of the fees?
Recently, our tourism department was outsourced to a destination management company. Perhaps, failure to empower employees in the workplace forced this decision. Albeit, this move may broaden our horizon, but let’s be clear, its our story our experiences and our passion that brought us to this point of being one of the most desirable destinations.
With that being said, in order for TCI to continually compete for world class service in the marketplace, we need to capitalize on the experience and expertise of our people. This will put us in a better position to deliver consistent results where good customer service and experience become the norm not the exception.
Ed Forbes
Concerned citizen of Grand Turk
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ leading wine and spirits distributor, proudly supported Paradise
Plates, Hands for Hunger annual fundraiser with a flavorful offering of its newest product, Monument Beverage Co.
Monument, which launched this July and is available across six major islands, made its Paradise Plates debut. Guests enjoyed three bold flavors: Peach Passion, Ginger-Lime and Melon Fizz as they socialized throughout the evening.
Monument brand ambassadors engaged guests with knowledge on the ready-to-drink beverage’s unique taste and look. Many attendees were delighted to learn that Monument is 100% Bahamian-made and owned and enjoyed seeing the various national landmarks on the packaging.
The booth was adorned with vibrant brand colors, striped arches, tropical florals and a photo worthy backdrop featuring Monument cans filled with florals cascading down the wall.
At the end of the event, the entire Monument inventory had finished, making Monument’s Paradise Plates debut a huge success.
For more details on Caribbean Wines & Spirits, new products and specials, visit www.cwsbahamas.com today.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Schweppes, in collaboration with Nemiroff Vodka dazzled guests with handcrafted cocktails during Paradise Plates, Hands for Hunger’s annual fundraiser held at Atlantis’ Imperial Ballroom.
The evenings’ theme, 70’s: Paradise Disco, inspired bold and delicious sips from Schweppes and Nemiroff. The beautiful disco themed Schweppes booth, adorned with LED signs, lush greenery and hanging black and gold metallic orbs shined throughout the room.
Schweppes’ brand representatives and mixologists dressed in chic 70’s speakeasy attire engaged attendees throughout the night. Guests enjoyed receiving knowledge of each product and experiencing the vibrant energy of brand representatives.
Nemiroff Vodka, which is locally distributed by Caribbean Wines and Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor; offered a unique variety of vodkas which made the perfect blend with Schweppes. Guests enjoyed, Nemiroff’s Honey Pepper, De Luxe, Burning Pear, Wild Cranberry, and Bold Orange vodkas throughout the night.
Fan favorite cocktails of the night were: the Wild Cranberry Tonic and the Bold Orange Fizz.
Following a positive response at Paradise Plates, CWS is offering Nemiroff and Schweppes specials at local liquor stores for the entire
month. With the purchase of any 1-liter Nemiroff vodka, enjoy a complimentary three-pack of Schweppes mixers, to recreate the magic of Schweppes and Nemiroff.
Cara Douglas-Adderley, Senior Marketing Director for Caribbean Bottling (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products and CWS shared the inspiration behind the Schweppes and Nemiroff promotion.
“We are thrilled to have paired Schweppes and Nemiroff for Paradise Plates this year, creating a premium cocktail experience for guests. After receiving such positive feedback, we wanted to extend that experience to consumers at home. Throughout October, consumers can visit their favorite watering hole, buy any 1-liter Nemiroff bottle and receive a free three-pack of Schweppes.”
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to offer Schweppes, Coca-Cola’s premier mixer in collaboration with Caribbean Wines & Spirits and Nemiroff Vodka at Paradise Plates in support of Hands for Hunger’s mission.
For more information on CBC’s philanthropic work, new products and specials, visits www.cbcbahamas.com today.
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: — Beaches Turks and Caicos has refreshed the grounds of Enid Capron Primary School in Five Cays, Providenciales, ahead of the new school year, with a landscaping team from the resort, pruning and cutting back overgrown branches to give the campus a cleaner, safer look.
The project focused on the school’s exterior plantings, where tangled growth had begun to encroach on walkways and outdoor learning
areas. The team spent time trimming hedges, thinning dense shrubs and removing deadwood to improve sightlines and airflow around the buildings.
Assistant Landscaping Manager, Kemar Jones said the work at Enid Capron is a regular priority for the department, which views community giving as a core part of its mandate. He noted that supporting local schools, particularly through hands-on environmental work, has long been a focus area for his team.
Jones, said the effort reflects the group’s wider commitment to the islands. “As a team, our goal is to give back to our communities and especially providing support for the environment and education,” Jones noted. “The team is always ready to share our skills with making the school environment more comfortable for our students and teachers.”
General Manager Deryk Meany framed the project as part of Beaches’ broader approach to working alongside the community beyond the resort gates. “At Beaches Turks and Caicos, we operate as a team not only within the confines of the resort but also with our communities,” Meany added. “Being able to share our varied skills is always our main focus. Providing a comfortable learning environment allows for a greater relationship with our educational collaborators.”
He added that the resort seeks opportunities to support range of school-based initiatives, from environmental and leadership clubs to creative programmes.
Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture Hon. Rachel Taylor described the landscaping mission as a continuation of a long-
standing relationship between the Ministry and Beaches Turks and Caicos. “This mission from our major private sector supporter, Beaches Turks and Caicos is a long standing activity,” Taylor said. “At Enid Capron Primary School, we are treated as family. Once we reach out to the resort, they have always responded in a positive way.”
Hon. Taylor said the support is particularly valuable in the areas of education and community development, where consistent private-sector engagement can amplify government efforts.
Nelene Swann, vice principal at Enid Capron Primary welcomed the refreshed grounds as a boost to morale before classes resume. “This is what true collaboration looks like,” she noted. “This is more than a facelift for the school. The team from Beaches Turks and Caicos has shown true commitment in adding to this learning environment for our students and teachers.”
She said the improved landscaping contributes to a more comfortable and inviting campus for all stakeholders. “This is a good way to start the new school year. This facelift will certainly make the facilities here at the school more appealing to our students, teachers and parents.
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