shahuru.com

“Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation, Turban et al, 2002.” This is just one definition, there are so many.

I went on to study different definitions of ‘service’ and the glossary that create our understanding of the concept – especially to find the definition of the term ‘guest service’. Here are some arguments I have had with the dictionary (CAD) in interpreting the glossary that should make up the definition of the concept ‘guest service’.

1. Guest
Dictionary : A person who is staying with you, or a person whom you have invited to a social occasion, such as a party or a meal.
Shahuru : A person who is paying to live under my care.

2. Service
Dictionary : The act of dealing with a customer in a shop, restaurant or hotel by taking their order, showing or selling them goods, etc.
Shahuru : To do something that makes a bad or good difference in a living being’s / thing’s life.

3. Contact
Dictionary : Communication with someone.
Shahuru : Creating an impression.

4. Active
Dictionary : Involved.
Shahuru : Living.

5. Passive
Dictionary : Not acting to influence or change a situation.
Shahuru : Non-living.

6. Resort
Dictionary : A place where many people go for rest, sport or another stated purpose.
Shahuru : An area where people pay for rest, sport or other related purposes.

7. Negative
Dictionary : Not hopeful, or tending to consider only the bad side of a situation.
Shahuru : Tending to create dissatisfaction.

8. Positive
Dictionary : hopeful and confident, or giving cause for hope and confidence.
Shahuru : Joyful mood creating.

9. Perception
Dictionary : A belief or opinion, often held by many people and based on appearances.
Shahuru : Impression made in a guest’s mind through experiences.

10. Mind
Dictionary : The part of a person that enables a person to think, feel emotions and be aware of things.
Shahuru : It is that part of the guest you don’t see and you don’t hear but he/she exposes when someone else asks about your property.

The definition of the term ‘guest service’;

In One Sentence; “Guest Service is any contact, whether active or passive, between a guest and the resort, that causes a negative or positive perception in the mind of a guest”.

This is just a small twist to a popular customer service definition. There may be better definitions. I have tried it in the water – the novice gets the idea at once!

I woke up at 06.00 am in the morning to catch 8 o’clock MAT flight to M. Medhufushi on route to M.Muli myself. Arrived at the cashier at 07.30am and I produced my American Express Credit Card. “ Are you an Indian or Maldivian?”; asked the cashier. Taking a bit of pride in myself I told; “I am Maldivian”. The cashier announced; “ We do not accept credit cards from locals.” By that time I could hear on his radio set someone calling my name. Then there was an announcement on the loud speaker for me. The cashier informed back on radio set; “ He does not have money”. The flight left!

Not knowing what to do with my time sitting at the MAT terminal, I made these notes on my PDA.

1. A badly worn off Maldivian National flag stands by the Maldivian Air Taxi flag in front of the MAT terminal building.

2. MAT sells vacant seats to Maldivians at reduced fares.

3. Maldivian Air Taxi does not accept Credit Cards for payments from Maldivian Citizens.

4. MAT has an in-flight magazine – the featured articles in the present issue are “ Image and Identity”, “The marine Museum”, “Destination Maldives”.

5. MAT has a very welcoming and well furnished terminal building - even better VIP lounges.

6. I overheard a customer complaining because he had been waiting for 3 hours to get to his pre-booked resort island. The guest did not want understand that a flight cannot fly with just one passenger onboard, unless he hires the flight; for that MAT has to wait for other airlines to arrive to gather enough passengers to cover minimum number of seats.

7. MAT has one of their aircrafts brand-design-painted for Hilton World Wide Resorts – I think I saw a VIP lounge as well with a sign board for Hilton guests.

8. I came in contact with Customer Relations Manager Mr Inthikab and one of the Guest Relations Supervisors, Mr Kareem. They were skilled and professional. The flow of routines and service procedures appear to be smooth in flow and techniques.

9. Inside the public toilet – with luxury fixtures - I sat on the WC for a while. I would like to think I am a tall person by Maldivian size BUT whilst seated on the WC my feet could not reach the floor. When I looked at the custom-made-white-bulb-covering directly up it had a design of a coconut tree and a sun engraved on it. Gave a very authentic and Maldivian feel!

10. I remember a day I was escorted by a service agent to a VIP van, then upon arrival to the terminal my bag taken by another agent fast dragged into the VIP lounge, given a Cappuccino and re-escorted to the aeroplane just on time to take off.

In One Sentence; A business like Maldivian Air Taxi exists because of tourism and then eventually consumes resources, environment and way of life to the benefit of its bottom line.

My flight fare was made FOC (free of charge) sometime in the afternoon around 3 pm. The chairs at the terminal building were comfortable, I remember! Mr Kareem, Customer Relations Supervisor, kept re-booking me flight after the flight; by the time I could fly it was 05.30 pm in the afternoon.

The couple who arrive pre-booked for a renewal of vows ceremony with your resort are the most emotionally charged niche among your guests for that renewal of vows are true once a life time experiences. How should you manage it?

1. The first impression
‘You never have a second chance to make a first impression’. Celebrate the arrival of the couple by providing VIP attention. A critical point to remember is that the ceremony is mainly about the ‘bride’.

2. Couple’s interaction with your staff
As the couple try to get comfortable with the new environment; remember, ‘recognizing’ while it is important must be carried out with caution. Many of the wedding couples who come to exotic locations like the Maldives also ask for privacy and personalisation.

3. Design the detail
The bride being a bit demanding should be expected and respected. Once agreed upon write down all the details; brief and re-brief the service team together and individually for each team member’s role. Promise less and deliver more, works miracles!

4. Consider the whole picture
A wedding friendly ‘culture’ is an environment that caters to the bride’s ‘visual senses’ as well as her emotional need for VIP treatment. To ensure that the whole picture serves the couple’s imagination, take them to the ‘wedding venue’, the actual location where the ceremony is to happen. Explain them how the location is going look like. Ask for the bride’s view!

In One Sentence; “A wedding friendly ‘culture’ is an environment that caters to the bride’s ‘visual senses’ as well as her emotional need for VIP treatment”.

5. Deliver it flawlessly
You get to deliver it once and that’s what you do!

Making the critical first impression, getting all the resort staff to extend cautious curtsey while managing complete details within a wider-perfect-image and to deliver all of that flawlessly can be one of the few times you get to see all concepts of service management in action at a narrow span of time.

There has been mismatches between published and public acclaimed policies and what in reality has been practiced within lines of MDP. It was unthinkable, though, to the public and MDP followers that Anni might meet Gayyoom secretly out of nowhere.

The whole concept of MDP has been based on a campaign that President Gayyoom is an evil dictator and Anni is the savior who is destined to save Maldivian people from Gayyoom’s tyranny. Anni and MDP have constantly held ground is demonizing Gayyoom and his ministers. Anni has always refused to hold discussions with DRP to the extent that it required a British ambassador to mediate between the two parties out-of-the-country.

DRP and government have had ups and downs but the principles of Gayyoom’s big-picture-policy has remained stable. Recent resignations of ministers did shock DRP side but the arguments and ideas have not shaken at all. At the same time MDP’s strategy on politics and the favored system of governance have gotten severely beaten at the recent public referendum but with the arrival of Munawaru to the leadership, one must say, there has never been a better run time in the life of MDP either.

Why did MDP’s chairman meet Gayyoom without any notice to the party? Sources close to Anni in the beginning refused to agree but now say that Anni approached Gayyoom to request for a speedy completion of the new constitution. Why should Anni need to speed it up now when it has already become fastest it can be, too fast according to some views? In fact the amendments began without being able to hold the inter-party discussions DRP offered MDP a dozen times due to refusal of MDP and Anni to participate.

Drums we hear out of MDP’s quarters are not new, as such, but of two identifiable rhythms. Anni has been recently preaching in an awkward tone, insisting the draft constitution doesn’t need any discussions or changes. Sources say that there have been arguments between Anni and other leaders in MDP over limitations which are getting inserted in the constitution requiring the basic principles of Islam be respected in all affairs of freedoms and the nation; specially, between Majlis Member Suood and Anni.

The second is the seemingly ever existing rift between people who think they are sacred because of being original people of Male and people who believe they are smart because they are from Addu. Anni it is said is one of those who thinks that president-ship is for the people of Male. Adduans however are found often the source and leverage of political power for and within MDP. Anni’s overbearing power which removed Ibrahim Ismail from the MDP’s leadership seems on a decreasing spiral since the enthroning of Munawar to the leadership.

What can it be? Was it the last resort when Anni found the Maldives will not be a secular state as he could have promised to his helpful foreign Christian missionaries? Could it be that he has become unbearably overwhelmed by the influence of people from Addu?

Hyperactive, die hard supporters of MDP, both from Male’ and Addu quarters, are all lost in the thought of what has just happened. Try a conversation; you might find them slow and searching for vocabulary. I guess that is the subconscious trying to be cautious of the extent to how, who and what they suggest and support.

Where do we derive legitimacy for the constitution? We all seem to agree; from the people. Consequently, the people have the right to be informed of every idea and direction of thought related the process of constitutional change from the beginning to conclusion.

In contrast it gets advised often to the people to inform themselves on their own. The logic proposed here is that members of People’s Special Majlis and others elected and paid by people might not always work in the interest of the public. True to our experiences and fair enough to our common sense! A question, though, rises if the public were to allocate a large chunk their time to seek awareness of such matters, who will earn for the nation to pay for the elected and civil servants?

Then there are the unsure ones among us whether we should or should not inform people about the most important matters relating to the people and their nation. Information minister Nasheed says;

“……… it is imperative that the public is kept aware of how the country’s political landscape is going to be shaped. It is a must that they are given a snapshot of the Maldives that is about to happen. Question is, given the sensitivities involved, how best can we do that?” /www.mnasheed.com/

I guess Nasheed understands that he is talking about the sensitivities of people of the Maldives, about what will be included and excluded in the future constitution of the Maldives. Should he not use every method in every type of media to inform the Maldivian people at every stage of re-writing the constitution? Is it not for people to deal with sensitivities and come to terms with what will serve best their nation?

Regrettably though entrenched in the past habits of thinking like one deservedly own the temporarily entrusted authority and subordining oneself to middlemen instead of the source of power make the most informed and capable among us to lack even the least of integrity expected of them when performing for the people.