BVI Tourist Board Hosts Customer Service and Guest Experience Training

In a drive to ready frontline personnel in the British Virgin Islands for the approaching tourism high season, the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission (BVITB&FC) recently concluded FCCA Customer Service Workshops facilitated by Melanie Colpitts of the Aquila Centre for Cruise Excellence Executive. Aquila is certified by the Florida Cruise Associated FCCA to conduct FCCA Customer Service Workshops for the cruise industry.

The FCCA Customer Service Workshops were held November 21st on Virgin Gorda and November 22nd on Tortola. The workshops were a collaboration between the BVITB&FC and the Ministry of Transportation, Works & Utilities. Overall, the approximately 180 persons that attended the workshops consisted of a mixture of customer service touch points including Customs, Immigration, Ports Authority, waitstaff, mixologists, tour guides, housekeeping staff, store owners, clerks and cashiers. Provisions were made for attendance by service providers from Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and other islands to attend.

Melanie Colpitts world renown tour operator and hospitality trainer is a partner in Aquila. Melanie is a 25-year veteran and as head of Aquila’s Center for Cruise Excellence, develops and delivers training programs for stakeholders in the cruise industry including tour guides, tour operators and cruise destinations worldwide to help them deliver excellent customer service to the cruise industry.

The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board & Film Commission will also host a series of Guest Experience Workshops on December 4,5,6 and 9. These eleven, one and a half (1½) hour workshops will be facilitated by trainers from the world-leading Disney Institute along with BVI Certified Disney Master Trainers. Training will focus on illustrating the service framework for the British Virgin Islands Guest Experience which includes: a Common Purpose designed to bring service providers on the “same page”; Service Standards which allow for consistent decision-making and the desired Service Behaviours. The interactive sessions will feature activities and insights designed to support the service provider when delivering a world-class guest experience. At the end of these workshops, a projected 275 persons will be trained. These sessions are open to all service providers. A special invitation is extended to Taxi professionals to register for these sessions. Registration is still open and interested persons may contact Ms. Natalie Penn at npenn@bvitourism.com or telephone 852-6020 or 6021.

Director of Tourism Sharon Flax Brutus when commenting on the workshops said, “Both Aquila Centre for Cruise Excellence and Disney Institute are worldwide leaders in the areas of customer service excellence and creating the ultimate guest experience, respectively. If we are to be a world-class destination, it is a worthwhile investment to have our human resources trained and developed by the best. We aim to ensure that our human resources are ready for what we hope will be a busy season for cruise, land-based and charter guests. It was also strategic to open the training to non-traditional hospitality frontline personnel because we feel for us to sustain growth in tourism, we must provide excellent service throughout the Territory to inspire repeat guests and attract new guests.”

About the British Virgin Islands

Known as a treasured destination rich in undiscovered experiences, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) is an alluring archipelago comprising 60 islands and cays located 80 kilometers (60 miles) east of Puerto Rico, in the northwestern region of the Caribbean Sea. The main islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost Van Dyke have attracted travelers globally with their cultural Caribbean authenticity. Located in Tortola, Road Town is the BVI’s capital.

Ranked #1 Best Place to Visit in the Caribbean by U.S. News & World Report for three consecutive years in 2017, 2018 and 2019, the BVI is where nature’s best secrets are kept with an abundance of pristine beaches, azure seas, towering sage mountains and burnt-orange sunsets. It’s no wonder the BVI’s Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke were featured on the “Top Islands in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas” list in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2017 and 2018.

For more information on all that the British Virgin Islands have to offer, visit the official BVI Tourist Board website at www.bvitourism.com or contact 1-800-835-8530.