EDITOR, The Tribune.
THERE is a question we must have the courage to ask: Have we become too comfortable with poor customer service?
When a customer approaches a counter and receives no greeting, when a telephone rings unanswered, or when a simple request is met with irritation, something valuable is lost. It is confidence that the person serving us cares about doing the job well.
In The Bahamas, we should regard every such encounter as a call to raise our standards.
We cannot proudly speak of Bahamian hospitality while accepting indifference in our everyday dealings. Hospitality must be evident in how we serve our own people as well as our visitors. The pensioner seeking assistance, the parent paying a bill, and the young entrepreneur applying for a service all deserve courtesy, clear information, and respect.
Too often, the customer must chase an answer, repeat a request, or plead for an update. “Come back tomorrow” becomes especially frustrating when nobody explains what the difference tomorrow will be. A delay may be unavoidable; leaving someone uninformed is often preventable.
Yet blaming frontline employees alone will never solve the problem.
Service standards begin with leadership. What expectations have managers established? What training have employees received? Do staff members have the information and authority to resolve ordinary problems? When poor conduct occurs, does anyone address it?
An organisation cannot consistently deliver excellence if its leaders tolerate neglect. Equally, employees cannot be expected to perform at their best when they face inadequate staffing, confusing procedures, or disrespect from their supervisors. Accountability must travel in both directions.
Training also needs to move beyond an encouraging talk and a certificate. Employees need opportunities to practice listening, handling complaints, explaining delays, and responding calmly to difficult situations. Managers must reinforce those skills through coaching and their own example.
Good service does not mean that every customer gets everything requested. Sometimes the answer must be no. Sometimes a policy must be enforced. But a firm answer can still be delivered with patience, dignity, and a helpful explanation.
Nor should employees have to endure abuse. Respectful service works best when customers and workers recognise one another’s humanity.
As a corporate trainer, I believe we must restore pride in the act of serving. Answering a telephone professionally matters. Keeping a promise matters. Following up matters. Taking responsibility for an error matters. These ordinary actions determine whether people trust an organisation enough to return.
Technology can make transactions faster, but a digital system still needs thoughtful people behind it. An automated response is of little comfort when a customer’s problem remains unresolved, and nobody takes ownership.
The way forward requires deliberate action: clear standards, practical training, reliable supervision, recognition for excellent work, and consequences for repeated neglect. Customers also need accessible ways to give feedback—and evidence that someone listens.
The Bahamas has people capable of delivering outstanding service. Let us support them, learn from them, and make their example the expectation across our institutions.
We must stop excusing poor service as “just how things go.” Every leader, employee, and business owner has an opportunity to interrupt that pattern.
Our national service standards will rise when we decide that every person who seeks our help deserves our best effort.
Let us make that decision—and demonstrate it in the very next customer interaction.
SPENCE FINLAYSON
Nassau,
October 12, 2026.