Business: Towards the "Jamaican Amazon", Cust Service Association Conference

Making continual reference to the head of online behemoth Amazon (and, at last check, world's richest man) Jeff Bezos, Courtney Campbell - VMBS CEO trumpeted the customer-centric and even "customer-obsessed" model to an attentive and - it ought to be noted - overwhelmingly female audience at the Opening Session of the 15th annual Conference of the Jamaica Customer Service Association at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston on Monday.

In an environment where mediocre and poor service are frequently fodder for verandah talk as well as the stuff of editorial and social media letters, the JCSA appears committed to being a beacon of a different mode of thought and the opening presentations brought much consider, from the mutual CEO's outlining of how 130-year old VMBS is modernizing to better meet the needs of its members here and abroad to the preceding presentation - sparkling with wit and wisdom in an almost sermon-like style -  from Planning Institute Director-General Wayne Henry.

Henry also spoke pointedly to the impacts, actual and intended, of increased customer focus on growth and development against the backdrop of Vision 2030 (this writer will reserve judgement on the particular document) and through notable improvements in public sector service. The latter was separately substantiated by the hospitality meted out to this writer by reps of the National Housing Trust - many time award-winners for Customer Service in the Public Sector  PIOJ

Co-hosts, Sagicor Marking Exec Alysia Moulton Whyte along with POWER 106 host Althea McKenzie guided the proceedings with an unforced informality that considerably lightened the mood of the room.

The Conference concluded on Tuesday, under the theme, "Service Comes Alive.....Jamaica 55".