DASPA security receives customer service training

Avenice Thompson

A week-long customer service training programme for security officers of the Dominica Air and Sea Ports Authority (DASPA) began today.

The purpose of the training is to enhance the ability of DASPA’S security officers in making the customer’s first and last impression count while maintaining the integrity and standards required for security within the airport and seaport environment. 

DASPA held an opening ceremony for the trainees of the ‘Customer Training Within The Ports’ programme on April 29, 2019 at the conference/training room at the security building at Woodbridge Bay Port

Training Facilitator from St.Kitts and Nevis, Avenice Thompson, who spoke at the ceremony, expressed her support for the initiative by DASPA and called on the trainees to appreciate it as an investment in their development and as something that is important for their daily operation. 

“If any port is supposed to survive…I don’t necessarily mean the physical structure, I’m talking about Dominica as an island and DASPA as an entity. If you are supposed to be surviving, financially and otherwise, customer service must be at the core, so I commend the management for make this brave decision…to spend the money on the staff. I assure you it’s a great investment, continue to do it,” Thompson advised the DASPA employees.

She also encouraged the staff to use this training as a form of personal development to invest and improve themselves selves.

Thompson has 28 years of experience in Aviation Security Awareness and Customer Service in ports.

Oliver Henderson is the Financial Controller at DASPA

Meantime, Financial Controller of DASPA, Oliver Henderson said the authority invests in its  staff to ensure they are properly trained and have the correct attitude when interacting with visitors.

“DASPA represents all the ports on the island and as a direct result, we being the first point of entry, it is very important that our securities have the ability to welcome our visitors,” he said. “We need to ensure that on an annual basis at least, that our staff is really put to an understanding their purpose when visitors arrive. It is a very important aspect for us at DASPA to keep our staff well trained and in tune with the realities of this world.”

Henderson said the advent of terrorist attacks around the world has evoked a fear of travel in people so it is important that port security personnel are well trained to make travelers feel comfortable and secure.

He said there will be a new uniform for DASPA’S security officers.

“We at DASPA realize that we need to have a new look. The previous uniform, that is, the brown uniform has been in use for many years and like everything else as time goes along it’s always important to make a change and make people see a different aspect of it,” Henderson said. “The yellow and black uniform is the new look DASPA. We’re trying to ensure that when persons approach a security, they know that this security represents DASPA in general and so therefore, we saw the need to give them a new color.”

Henderson said DASPA is working hard and is trying its best to ensure that customers continue to receive good service and satisfaction.

Port officers in their new uniforms

 

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11 Comments

  1. Asinof
    May 1, 2019

    The change in uniform is ok but that hat/cap needs to go! This is 2019 Dominica, not some 1970’s Nigerian movie!

  2. Majie they majie
    May 1, 2019

    bad outfit yuck

  3. Locs Girl
    April 30, 2019

    “A week-long customer service training programme for security officers of the Dominica Air and Sea Ports Authority (DASPA) began today”. How about extending that training to each and every organization/business in Dominica! Some of these employees are seriously lacking in that dept.

  4. Dixie Normas
    April 30, 2019

    i hope the training includes simple math. example if my bottle of perfume says 5 fl. oz and its contents is 1/4 of that i am not carrying 3 fl. oz.

  5. PAPA MET
    April 30, 2019

    :) :) :) :)
    LOL…Look now them man going to play part police.
    Drills for next Independence, lmao woi :lol: :lol: :lol:

    • Shaka zulu
      April 30, 2019

      They are police of the Port. Thier jurisdiction is just confined to port facilities. Violate rules of port and i bet they have power to detain you until the civilian police pick you up.

    • Port police
      March 6, 2024

      we are port police ..we can charge you and take you to Court of law just like C.D.P.F our power is just confined to the port compound

  6. April 30, 2019

    That is very good but the service at the port need dig change very big first you pay for the goods then you and wait in the customs area every body walking around like no one really want to help you
    there is only one or two guys seating around to open and check your goods then the officers does not have a knife to cut the tape on the package open is like don’t go to the if you don’t have at lease 2 hours to spare you are just wasting your time and if you get a package from the U S A. Or any other place they ask you for a receipt they would not even try to put a value on it so you might accept it or deny it I think that those handling goods and dealing with customers need a lot of training.

  7. shay
    April 30, 2019

    MUCH NEEDED training! Please teach them what is acceptable to pass with. Because I’ve had issues in the past where a TRAVEL SIZE lotion was taken from me when i was LEAVING Dominica. Never mind that i passed through major airports with no problems and entered DA with it. Or maybe that one particular lady was in her feelings that day. idk lol. The uniform, specifically the hat, reminds me of the officers in African movies.

  8. Kay
    April 29, 2019

    Please make this an annual training. Customer service skills need severe improvement at DASPA. I had guests who had the most memorable vacation in Dominica only to be shattered by the unwelcoming and vile attitude of some of the airport workers…I myself as a Dominican was embarrassed by their behavior. This training is a good initiative…continue striving to elevate our tourism product by providing proper customer service to our patrons.

    • carlty
      April 30, 2019

      I agree with you. Customer service is the most vital and important aspect of any organization. It is the unintentional PRO of the organization. This should be done regularly. Sharpen the different skills that will make the first contact with the tourism sector seem flawless.

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