GREAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
It’s been a busy start to the year for the Great Customer Experience team as our regional managers and venue specialists continue to assist businesses across the state. Feedback remains positive that the GCE program and the influence the THA provides is extremely beneficial, for both initial and ongoing development of staff, and it is delivering economic and professional improvements for the business and regions as a whole. One Devonport venue has reaped success recently from a change of structure following consultation late last year and subsequent follow ups with GCE staff. Originally an establishment which was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Drift Café Restaurant identified a gap in the early morning market and has undertaken several initiatives aimed at maximising customer service. In mid-March Drift – boasting a stunning location on Mersey Bluff – revised its hours, opening from 6.30am until 4pm to capture the early morning Spirit of Tasmania trade. Assisted via an advertisement which is aired on the Spirit, the move has had an immediate impact in only a few short weeks. “I’ve been here for about five years now. I came into the business and joined my business partner Dane and we’d been thinking about it [the change in opening hours] for quite a while actually,” Drift owner-general manager Jordy Smith said. “We’re really passionate about brunch more so than the dinner stuff we were doing and it’s more of what we’d love to focus on. “We were hearing from people coming off the Spirit that there weren’t really many options for them, and that was a lot of the reason why they were leaving Devonport and just going elsewhere for breakfast and lunch.
“So we thought why not give it a go. We’ve actually been blown away by how busy we’ve been in the morning. We kind of rostered staff tentatively, thinking ‘we might be busy, we might not’ but then we’ve had to increase our staff levels and hire some new people to cover that morning period.” Smith said the introduction of an order ahead app has also proved a success with locals, and added the backdrop of a Tasmanian sunrise was also a big drawcard. “That [the app] has been really popular with tradies. I think with the location down here and the sun rising directly in front of the building, it’s so beautiful, so it will always draw people down. “I was actually quite surprised that we have had all positive feedback so far, I was a bit hesitant about letting people know but it’s been great. I just think everyone is really happy that they can come down here early in the morning.” Several west coast venues have also recently been awarded their GCE Seal of Approvals, including Hamer’s Bar and Bistro, Gordon River Cruises and Strahan Village. Gordon River Cruises were crowned the country’s best tour and transport operator at the national Tourism Awards, while all three businesses, as well as Drift, have indicated a desire to have a refresher Venue Awareness session for their staff to continue building their strong brand identification and produce positive customer experiences.
Jack Milbourne (southern regional manager): jack@tha.asn.au 0439763977 Lee Christmas (northern regional manager): lee@tha.asn.au 0422192174 Stuart Jones (north west regional manager): stuart@tha.asn.au 0460624858 Enquires? Contact the GCE Team.
Hospitality Review: April 2022 12
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