Whenever we think or talk about travelling in the Caribbean, LIAT invariably comes up, and often it is not with positive words. We ignore the times LIAT is on time, when our luggage has arrived with us and we take for granted the safety of LIAT. Instead we lament the many times they are late, our luggage missing and sometimes it takes weeks to resurface.
I am not making excuses for LIAT; this is one organisation I would love to get an opportunity to restructure; however I appreciate the safety of LIAT and maybe its apathy but I have learnt to manage the disruptions caused by LIAT.
This week I want to focus on another side of travelling the Caribbean, that often stays under the radar, but in some instances are worse than LIAT: Accommodation. I take it for granted when I travel, especially when I am travelling on business and my accommodation arrangements are made by someone else, that the accommodation will be of a high quality; that the place is clean, linen and towels are of good quality, food is excellent and I can feel happy and content that I am safe not just from attack but from illnesses arising from the poor condition of the accommodation. These are actually standards I set for hotel accommodations. The majority of times, those standards are met and sometimes exceeded, however occasionally, I find that the accommodation fails to meet the standards and I am left feeling annoyed and dismayed. Most times when I find myself in this untenable situation it is because the hotel stock on the island is limited and so with little options I have to “grin and bear it.”
In recent times, in two different countries, I have had the misfortune of having to stay at accommodation that fall way below minimum acceptable standards, and I found myself thinking after the most recent instance, “We complain and complain about LIAT, but where are the complaints against these accommodation entities that fall way beyond even the minimum standards established?” The comparison is even starker when upon leaving that establishment one moves on to a high quality establishment.
Small hotel establishments and guesthouses often complain about low occupancy and sometimes as happened in Dominica last year, accuse higher-end establishments of underpricing. These establishments, instead of looking inwards for the problems misguidedly look and blame external factors. From my recent experiences, while service was okay (not excellent), I will not be returning to either establishment if ever I were to have a choice. The following are some of the reasons for my position:
1. Mismatched bed linen
2. Threadbare bed linen
3. Threadbare towels
4. Rooms not properly cleaned
5. Non-functioning equipment, including air conditions
6. No ironing board or iron in one’s bedroom
7. Soaps that cling on to wrapper suggesting it was wet or
8. Management instead of apologizing and trying to make amends, engages you with one excuse after the next
9. Establishment has no eating establishment and where it does, the food does not appear or in some cases, taste freshly made.
In my last encounter with one of these sub-standard accommodation establishments I finally found myself in the hotel laundry room when after three attempts by Housekeeping, I could not find a sheet to meet my specifications. The sheets were so threadbare they looked dirty. Upon arrival in the Laundry Room, and examining sheet after sheet, I could find no suitable sheet and towel, that led me to conclude that in future, anytime I know I am going to be staying at one of these establishments, I will ensure I have my own sheets and towels. I couldn’t believe that I was the first person who complained about the establishment but everyone from Manager/owner to Housekeeper were looking at me with such exasperation, that it appeared that I was the first complainant. Well, if this were so, I did not mind for it was about time they got a wake up call.
I told the owner she needed to reinvest in her business and told the organisers who had booked me there, that if they wanted to enhance tourism and service delivery, they needed to start with the accommodation establishments, especially the one chosen to house its people. This is the key advice I have for these establishments; the reinvestment in the business is critical. It is the starting point. You cannot expect to attract customers and repeat business, if you do not take care of the basics: proper linen and towels. Other recommendations include:
1. Invest in training for owners, managers and employees
2. Ensure quality control by having persons check that rooms are clean and everything is in order before a guests check –in
3. Prepare a Check List which will serve as a prompt
4. Marketing and promotion, however only after the establishment has been remodeled, restocked and service levels enhanced.
5. Regular maintenance to ensure working equipment
Many of our Caribbean countries see tourism as the “savior of the economy,” however without enough quality accommodation stock, this will remain a dream and not a reality. This means that the tourism related agencies, like our DiscoverDominica Authority, Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association and other related local organisations need to proactively manage this sector. I am committed to work with these organisations in establishing and monitoring the standards for the accommodation establishments. I tell you, I am sure I can be an assessor for rating these hotels for I have a test, which I apply every time I check in at a hotel, anywhere in the world.
I can be reached at [email protected] or Tel: 449 9694
Until we meet again, May the Lord Continue to Keep Us in the Palm of your hands.
Talking of unsuitable linen, imagine a facilitator at a regional workshop washing all kinds of unsuitable linen there to the horror and annoyance of participators! Shame.
It is on my bucket list to get cheaply to Dominica ahd hang out for a while. Then I would take the ferrys to all of the islands and taste the rum and Creole food. (Dominica, St. Lucia, Marie Galante, The Saintes, Guadaloupe, and Martinique) All of the rentals I have seen advertised want bookings in advance. This complicates a Joseph Conrad type of come and go roam around vacation. My son in law thinks this would be a real kick in the backside vacation. I am getting old and want to do this before my health becomes another obsticle to this type of vacation.
Any suggestions to an Oregonian.
Woton
I think this mentality of letting things degrade has something to do with our culture.
Where as in North America we change things because they have become stale, in the islands, we will not throw something out unless it completely stop functioning. So if the linen and bed sheets don’t show obvious signs of being worn, the hotel owners will not get rid of it. As far as thy are concerned, it still works.
I think these people need to step out of their zone, travel a bit and stay a few nights at a 4 or 5 star hotel to see how other larger establishments do it. Alternatively, they can always look up the comments on Trip Advisor to see what their guests are saying.
I travel a lot on business and I too spot those deficiencies very quickly.
We have a saying in North America “you get what you pay for!”
Think like the China-man,lower the plane fare,so that you will have,more people able to access Liat, then you have volume,with passangers. The Guest House Oweners,do not want to pay for the up keep of their Businesses, because they only have a guess,once in a blue moon,falls back to Liat and volume.The Tourist who come by the Ferry are mostly Back-packers, and stay out doors,and don’t encounter, the sanitary part of Lodings
Dr Henry, you are so right. What those establishments do not understand is that word of mouth advertising and repeat guests play a significant role in future bookings. Additionally, bad reviews can have significant negative impact on occupancy. Why try to short-change the guests? I tell my clients all the time, “you’ve got to spend money to make money”. Many choose not to take heed and suffer as a result.
VALS BABY YOU REALLY got some of them ANGRY.
Good article Valda. Dominica hotels and guest houses need to install tight fitting window screens so island breezes can be enjoyed without nite time mosquito bites and needed nets. stayed in small Caribbean hotel not on DOM sheets threadbare ripped during sleep housekeeper was shocked it tore up, also bathroom curtain ripped and falling I went to local store bought inexpensive curtain for privacy or change light bulb when none working. Important to bring accommodation problems to attention of managers and staff.
“We ignore the times LIAT is on time, when our luggage has arrived with us and we take for granted the safety of LIAT. Instead we lament the many times they are late, our luggage missing and sometimes it takes weeks to resurface.”
Lady, as many times LIAT has been late, and as many people who have lost their luggage; because of the irresponsible actions of LIAT personnel, and their incompetence, the few times LIAT arrived on time, and someone was lucky to have their luggage arrived with them, is nothing significant to talk about.
I do not know how many times you traveled from an International destination, destine for Dominica, having to connect with LIAT on any of the Caribbean Islands, 99% of the time people arrive in Dominica, only to find the only cloths they have to ware is what they have on their back. I have experienced that on more than one occasion, my sisters and daughter have experienced the same nightmare.
And be informed, you do not have to be connecting from an international flight to suffer such fate. I know that relatives of mine residing in Caribbean, have boarded flights, in Antigua, Tortolla, and St. Lucia, only to arrive in Dominica, and to this day their luggage has yet to arrive!
There is nothing you can say that will improve the services of LIAT, at your very best, you cannot do anything to reorganized LIAT.
That was tried in the 1970’s, in the process they moved the headquarters from Antigua, to Barbados, even that effort failed; so polish it as much as you wish, the few positive you try to highlight, is overwhelmed by the many negatives which registered against LIAT.
Tell you what as soon as Gonsalves has St. Vincent International Airport in full operation, he is going to leave you people holding the short end of the stick, without any proper means of getting a flight into and out of Dominica.
How are you or anybody think of reorganize an entity operating the same old way, as an nonprofit entity for almost sixty (60) years? Shutting down LIAT would be the best thing to happen right now.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
my man, de lady was not refering to liat 100%. she simple used that as a way of driving a point. she simple meant–WHEN WE ARE RIGHT NO ONE REMEMBERS. WHEN WE ARE WRONG NO ONE FORGETS. and let me tell you to yuh face. i’ve travelled on LIAT so many times. i never lost any luggage and i never complained when liat arrived late.infact i came well prepared for whatever happened. i took only carry on back pack with what i really needed. so if i was travelling from st martin to dominica i made sure i had some stuff waiting at home in dominica in case my stuff got lost and i did the same thing from dominica to st martin. so instead you running your mouth about LIATS incompetense do something to ease the stress on the staff at liat. AND YOU SHOULD NO THAT NO MATTER WHICH AIRLINE YOU TRAVEL ON. YUH DESTINATION IS NEVER GUARANTEED. dont forget u can fall from the air.
I am aware of that Warrington, however she gave me the opportunity to zero in on LIAT, you may notice others who took the opportunity to express their feelings in regards to LIAT.
Now I could comment on some of the other remarks she made, however is something is not significant, and has little or no effect on me, I do not find the need to bother about it. I only comment on matters that I deem important!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
The core problem in your subjects is obviously professionalism.
LIAT shareholders and Board are unwilling, unable and incompetent to keep running an efficient operation – it is run like a government department or corporation, the top end stuffed with government functionaries and political appointees who have no clue about aviation.
Unfortunately, LIAT is losing so much these days that there is not much hope for its survival past the end of this year.
The small hotels and guest houses, as you say, as you say, have little or no idea what their guests expect, so they keep on using the same linens and furniture decade after decade as long as they do not get damaged.
PM Skerritt seems to be on the ball with bringing his country and people into the 21st century, maybe it might be worth passing this on to him and see if there is something he can offer to improve the hotels and guest house operations in Dominica.
Make no mistake about it, I like Skerrit for obvious reasons, which I shall not state. However, I cannot agree with you that he is taking or trying to take his people and country into the twenty-first century.
To do that he would have to make some headway in the industrialization of the country, hence providing a significant amount of well paying jobs for the youths of today, and the up coming generation!
Actually, we are already into the 21st century, where we still have many of our citizens existing in sub-human, substandard living in our country. Mr. Skerrit has been in control of Dominica for how long now, if my count is correct, almost fifteen years?
I communicated with Mr. Skerrit a while back, and I suggest to him if he accomplished nothing else in his tenure, he should ensure the building of an International Airport on the island, instead of building an international airport, he settled for the crap we have at Melville Hall; based on the advise of Ralph Gonzales of St. Vincent who told our government lead by Mr. Skerrit, that Dominica does not need an International Airport, all he need to do is refurbish the old dilapidated, and outdated terminal, install landing lights on the runway, and we will be set for life!
That is what St. Vincent had at the time; what our government did not realize is that Gonzales advise was deliberate, calculated, and conning; he knew that his advise would be followed to the letter, hence Dominica, would take a step backward, and remain on par with St. Vincent, for a short period, since Gonzales was in negotiation for the financing of an International Airport on his island, which will be in full operation in the very near future
Our country, and people have entered the twenty-first century the same as the rest of the world, however, there is absolutely no significant change in Dominica, all we hear is talk, which is traditional to us, we talk, until our talk boils down into nothing. I know I am going to get lots of thumbs down for this you see, but I do not care one bit; if I like, or love someone I should be able to tell the truth!
He who knows not the truth becomes complacent, gets nothing done, that’s the way it is in Dominica, a politician waves his hands to everyone he passes on the street, they in turn believes that one hand wave binds them and the politician in love and friendship, and so even if they are aware that the politicians has become nonproductive, they still continue to keep them in power.
And that’s the recipe we use unconsciously to keep our country and people in a state of poverty!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Great variation in your business presentation. Let us hope someone will take heed.
Agreed.