Officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration met with ferry service operators last week to address existing operating procedures and build synergy with the goal of improving the overall passenger experience at the respective ports of entry. Photo: GIS

Business Change Manager in the Deputy Governor’s Office, Ms Kedimone Rubaine, who is also responsible for customer service improvement on the Public Service Transformation Team made a presentation on the customer service satisfaction data which was received in December of 2019 from the recently installed Customer Service Touch Terminals installed at both Road Town and Beef Island arrival terminals.

Ms Rubaine gave insight on the experience passengers had upon their arrival to the Territory and added that the data presented provided a general overview of the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of guests. 

Ms Rubaine explained that the terminals are positioned at the exit of each arrival lounge, thereby allowing guests to rate their experience when they step off a vessel/aircraft to when they exit the terminal, taking into consideration their encounters with all agencies involved in the entry process.

Acting Chief Immigration Officer, Mr Ian B. Penn also briefed the operators on the upcoming implementation of the New Border Management and Electronic Visa System which is expected to address concerns from the Department of Immigration.  Mr Penn also reminded the operators of their role in assisting Government departments and agencies to improve passenger experience by reducing wait times and avoidable inconveniences.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Dr Marcia Potter spoke of the importance of statistical data gathering from passengers as well as internally so that Government agencies and stakeholders may address the issues and streamline processes and policies, which will lead to improved passenger experiences. She said, “Data is important for us to get a clear idea of what the problem is and therefore better understand how to address the issues. It is important that we ensure the safety of all stakeholders and thus ensure a good experience for all using our ports.”

The ferry service operators also had the opportunity to have their concerns addressed as well as provide feedback on how the process at the ports of entry may be improved. The representatives present at the stakeholder meeting included operators from Road Town Fast Ferry, Native Son Incorporated, Ocean Dreams Water Taxi, Aquatic Rentals, Inter-Island Boat Services and Smith’s Ferry Service.