“You’re supposed to be taking a break”
Well, it doesn’t stop the thought processes, though!
One thing that is particularly striking is how amenable, accommodating and helpful everyone is.
The hospitality sector across the whole of the UK continues to be hit by a shortage of staff – both full time and seasonal – so it isn’t unusual for restaurants, cafés and bars to have to apologise for longer waiting times and to look frazzled and rushed.
I’ve previously written a blog post about this earlier.
The Isles of Scilly depend very heavily on seasonal staff to support their seasonal visitors’ needs, but this is exacerbated by a small population and a shortage of accommodation available to house that staff.
However, far from being served by staff struggling to cope, with minimal training or an indifferent attitude of “if it’s not on the menu, we can’t do it”, we’ve almost universally found a pleasant customer experience.
From a no obligation drop-in chat or rest stop on the beach, to being able to listen to customer concerns and actually respond, to preparing meals not on the menu, it feels as if these islands know what a customer really is.
Often it’s the little things not the big policies that make the difference.
The barman at the Hell Bay Hotel probably summed it up nicely:
“We’re closer to being accountable”
Well said, my friend!