Editor;
Re: Tourism companies encouraged to embrace technology (PM June 8 2012): Referrals and repeat customers are the main fuel of any business. Generally this is accompanied by user good reviews and technology just gets in the way here. The front line is the person who actually, hands on, has customer contact – airport/bus terminal information booths (TAT), staffed with knowledgeable people, hotel reception personnel, govt. supplied shuttles, a one stop govt. complaint dept. Machinery will never replace really service oriented people and this is where training money should be spent. Check out the Singapore Sands for how this is done and, though computers are a large part, it is the people who operate them that are “on the firing line” and produce repeats or send unhappy people home.
Don Aleman
