Some health and safety advice for tourists.

Staying safe is a questions of common sense and taking of basic precautions.

1. Inner city areas are probably the most dangerous places – especially at night. Avoid going out and exploring the city on your own. It’s best to visit certain areas with a tour group.

2. Don’t wear expensive-looking accessories or jewellery in the street. Leave valuables in your hotel’s safe-deposit box. You should try not to attract attention.

3. Pickpockets are sometimes a problem so don’t carry large sums of money. It’s best to use traveller’s cheques or credit cards.

4. When traveling by car, always keep the doors locked and the windows only slightly open. You must lock your car doors at all times. It’s a good idea to use car parks that are supervised if possible.

Recommendations for tourists can depend on the destination and the type of holiday.

For example, Thailand is a popular tourist destination. Thailand is a safe country for travelers but some simple precautions are still required. Hotels and taxis are safe and it is safe for women-travellers. If traveling alone, keep in touch with someone on a regular basis.

There are plenty of pharmacies that sell insect repellents and basic medicines. It’s advisable to take malaria pills. Heat and humidity can be a problem so drink a lot of fluids, avoid the midday sun and take a plenty of rest. It’s a good idea to take a medical kit with antiseptic cream, mosquito repellent, aspirin, sunblock, bandage, plasters, thermometer, pocketknife and so on.

Diarrhea is a common complaint. If it occurs, eat plain food and drink lots of fluids. It’s best to avoid uncooked food. Avoid tap water – bottled water is easily available – and avoid crushed ice in drinks from street vendors. It’s vital to have the right vaccinations before you go to exotic destinations.

If you are going to South Africa let me give you some health and safety recommendations.

Although many inner cities and townships can be dangerous, especially at night, South Africa is generally safe for travellers who take reasonable precautions.

• Never go out on your own.

• Don’t wear expensive clothes or carry large amounts of cash with you. Use the hotel’s safe-deposit box. Pickpockets are a problems, as are muggers, who snatch handbags and run away.

• When driving always keep the doors locked and don’t stop to give people a lift.

• Tap water is generally safe to drink and travellers to South Africa usually don’t suffer from stomach upsets.

• On safari, animals should always be respected and there are some poisonous spiders and snakes. Always carry a small medical pack / kit when on safari. Malaria and bilharzia occur in certain areas.

Dealing with complaints

Tourist industry is a people industry. Our main principle is: “The customer is always right”. It’s about always smiling, it’s about always listening, it’s about loving your job, not just doing it.

However we live on the Earth, in the world of people who have different tastes, viewpoints, positive and negative features of character. People can make mistakes; it’s so natural for human beings. Mistakes in any business and in tourism in particular cause complaints.

Well, how to deal with complaints in tourism business?

1. Of course, most important of all is to accept them. Complaints are a way of getting better, so be positive.

2. Secondly, most complaints are about things that are easy to do something about. And for the really difficult complaints, you’ve got a manager. So, put yourself in the situation.

You’ve got a customer complaining. What’s the first step?

1. Let the customer speak. Listen without interrupting.

2. The next step is to apologize. Apologize with care in your voice. Feel sorry.

3. The third stage is about questions. We only ask relevant questions, and we shouldn’t ask too many questions.

4. And the last thing is giving the customer a solution to the problem.

Many tourism organizations set “quality standards” or “performance standards” for their employees.

Quality standards for checking out customers at a hotel might include the following:

• to smile and to be courteous to the guest;

• to use the guest’s name when addressing him or her;

• to process a guest’s account quickly and efficiently;

• to check all items are included in the bill and to agree them with the guest;

• to check the guest was happy with the service provided and, if not, to note any problems and pass them on to the management.

Customer satisfaction is the extent to which a customer is pleased with a particular product or service. Customer satisfaction is our priority.