PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) Hon. Romeo Pantophlet is looking forward to more customer service training workshops for taxi drivers.
The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau recently introduced the "Successful Taxi Driver" as a customer service training program coordinated by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) which provides quality customer service training for taxi drivers.
This training program provides a great insight and understanding on relative customer service training topics and respond to the issues outlined in the above mentioned.
The taxi drivers are selected primarily for the pilot phase of the training programme; as a result of their constant contact with visitors on a daily basis.
They are considered to be second contact between host and guest of tourism front line workers after immigration officers for arriving visitors at the destination.
The St. Maarten Tourist Bureau aim is to ensure that visitors are provided with accurate information about the destination and that they also receive the highest quality customer service.
A total of 25 taxi drivers took part from the four (4) associations to undertake the initial training.
"A Train the Trainee" component will also form part of the initial program to ensure the continuity of the training program for all licensed taxi drivers on the island, so that they can all be exposed to the training.
Certificates will be handed out at the end of the program for the participants. The training also included a two hour walking tour of Philipsburg, by a tour guide.
St. Maarten Tourist Bureau also used this opportunity to hand out, to all participants, the recently published handbook the "Most Frequently Asked Questions" about St. Maarten.