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Business View Australia - November-December 2015 75
Older children find the Cairns Skate
Park to be a major attraction. It is very
well-equipped and has innovative
ramps, bowls and street-style
obstacles. The Cairns Skate Park has
featured in magazines, skate videos
and websites.
Suppliers
Shannon Jansz hasmade a conscious
decision to use local suppliers and
companies for all its needs. He says
that during the recent refurbishment
the hotel used local builders and
electricians and continues to use
them for its ongoing needs.
Among the companies that Cairns
Plazahasdevelopedcloserelationships
with are Blackly Plumbing, Harvey
Norman and Cairns Hardware.
Focus on customer service
The principal reason that Cairns
Plaza Hotel has seen a jump in
its occupancy rates is that it has
revamped its customer service
policies. Shannon Jansz says, “We
provide friendly service and our staff
are trained to ensure this. We take
online comments from guests from
sites like TripAdvisor.
“I send daily emails to all my guests
that provide me with email addresses,
asking them that if they have the
time can they please comment on
TripAdvisor. When I get comments
and feedback face to face I look at
negatives as a positive. For me, a
negative comment is a way on how I
can improve customer services and
my business.
“I don’t look at any comment as
negative. There are many comments
praising the staff and telling them
that they have done a good job. When
I see a comment with a specific staff
member’s name I actually print that
comment out and put it on our staff
memo board.
“It gives the staff extra confidence
because they made someone’s day
with their service and that motivates
them to go over and beyond for the
next one.”
Staff are encouraged to undergo
online customer service courses to
keep them updated on how to cater
to the need of the hotel’s guests.
The Cairns Plaza management pays
for these courses but employees are
required to complete them on their
own time.
The hotel management organises
weekly meetings where staff are free
HOSPITALITY