It’s time to stop passing the buck

No one is perfect — not you, not I, not anyone — and no travel business is perfect either.

Yet how many people in this region refuse to take on board constructive criticism?

They would rather stick their heads in the sand and believe they are doing a great job, when deep down, they know they are letting themselves and their companies down by ignoring criticism and refusing to address their weaknesses. They let their egos get in the way, thus stunting their personal development and that of their firm.

We live in a society where blame is passed from one person to another as quickly as a piping hot potato. No one is willing to stand up and be a man — or a woman — and say ‘I didn’t do by best; I could do better and I will strive to improve’.

Instead, they point their finger at the person who has criticised them and blame them, even if that person has their best interests at heart and wants them to learn from their mistakes.

Such behaviour is prevalent in the travel industry, which in the long run, has impeded the growth of the sector.

ATN prides itself on being the Middle East travel industry’s must-read. The publication has become known for ‘telling it how it is’ and for providing constructive criticism of the industry in a bid to move it forward.

Reader feedback has acknowledged this and congratulated ATN for its efforts.

I was therefore shocked at the reaction to our new Mystery Shopper initiative. One agency ranked ‘last place’ by mystery shoppers was outraged. How could ATN do this?

We didn’t! We do not even know these mystery shoppers. But that’s not the point. The experience the mystery shopper had in the store was not a positive one and that’s not our fault. The consultant didn’t do his job.

If I were that consultant I would work out what I did wrong, apologise to my manager and then put together an action plan as to how I could improve.

This would benefit the consultant and the agency and the exercise would prove fruitful and worthwhile. If you pass the buck, you are only cheating yourself.

Gemma Greenwood is the senior group editor of ITP Business' travel & hospitality magazines.

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