Things we could learn to show ourselves in a better light

Date Published: {J}

It’s not being smug, but when it comes to tourism, Galway has so many natural advantages that it’s little wonder we still see crowds flocking to the west.

And just in case we’d be accused of complacency, Failte Ireland West boasts an imaginative and energetic team to ensure the message gets out to as wide a population as possible.

The recent launch of a new marketing drive aimed at the domestic market will help ensure that last year’s 2.4 million visitor total is matched or surpassed – and if it isn’t, it won’t be the fault of John Concannon, Fiona Monaghan and their dedicated colleagues.

But after all of that we do have a negative that refuses to go away – and it’s only when you experience customer service in other countries that you fully appreciate the scale of the problem at home.  

It’s not that everyone should be painted with the same brush and it’s not that those who fail the test are even necessarily rude – it’s just a sort of apathy or indifference that leaves you wondering why you bothered.

The fault doesn’t lie entirely with the staff themselves either, because it’s also down to a lack of training in the basic rules of hospitality and catering.

And there are two reasons for that – one is that it costs money to train staff and margins are tight, and the second is that there is a presumption that all of this should come naturally in the land of a hundred thousand welcomes.

But it doesn’t – and the lack of interest shown by so many front of house staff here is in marked contrast to the ‘can do’ approach of their counterparts in the United States, for example.

We were fortunate enough to find ourselves in Orlando recently on that trip of a lifetime to Disney and Universal where – apart from the sheer escapism of entering into a magical world – we also saw what real customer service could be like.

I haven’t seen as many smiling faces in one place since I was at an Up With People night in Leisureland 30 years ago – and while the cynics would suggest they don’t actually care whether or not you have a nice day after all, at least they wish you one every time you meet them.

We could learn a couple of things from Florida – and not just about tourism.

It may be the retirement capital of the United States but they treat older people as a benefit, not a burden; Universal is packed with people who would be officially past it in this country but who, over there, are valued as experienced members of society with so much to offer.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.