So, let's harken back to my "throwaway" post of two weeks ago...
I took a quick five night/six day jaunt to Barbados for some much-needed head-clearing, and was impressed with the the island's weather, the crystal-clear water, the white sand beaches, blah, blah, blah.
But what truly impressed me was the way I was dealt with.
Dealing with Barbadians is a delight in every way, shape and form. From service in the highest-end restaurants to interactions with total strangers (in asking directions to a historic synagogue landmark, a random Bridgetown resident didn't merely point me in the right direction, but walked me over to it), the Barbados populace dealt with me as if their life depended on it.
Wanna know why?
Because their lives DO depend on it.
Tourism isn't just big business in Barbados, it's the country's lifeblood. Statistics I saw at the Barbados Hilton revealed that one out of every two jobs in the country is tourism-related.
Think about it--50% of the workforce relies on one industry, which itself relies on the tenuous whims of overseas visitors.
No wonder every request is met with a smile, an attitude of respectful friendliness, and most times, what's delivered is far more than what's asked for. We are the raw materials for their industrial machine.
Compare this to the service you usually get in North America.
Yeah, right.
So, the lesson this week? Remove the safety net. Take away the sense of entitlement. Imagine the difference if we all performed our jobs as if "our life depended on it."
Not that they don't...it's just that we only realize it when it's too late.
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A quick aside on Barbadian ingenuity...
Being an island destination, one of the selling points in any beachfront property is "ocean views."
But let's say that your beachfront property is a restaurant. If you're not willing to cut your capacity in half, about 50% of your clientele will be looking in rather than out.
Unless you're willing to use an old magician's trick and "do it with mirrors."
See that spectacular ocean view above? Well, that's the back wall of the Tapas Restaurant in Christ Church, Barbados. No matter where you're sitting, no matter what direction you're looking in, you've got an ocean view.
That unflattering figure at left is me, actually looking into the place from the boardwalk.
Simple, smart...and profitable.