SIA awards employees for excellence in service delivery
Published:Monday | February 3, 2025 | 4:55 PMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
For most people, travelling through the Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, St James, is usually a seamless experience, which is not by choice but due to high-quality service provided by employees like Akeem Rhoden and Oshane Kerr.
Rhoden and Kerr were among the more than 40 employees and companies awarded in seven categories at the SIA’s third annual MBJ Customer Experience Excellence Awards ceremony, which was staged on January 23. Rhoden and Kerr were awarded in both the ‘Unsung Heroes’ and the ‘Teamwork Makes the Dream Work’ categories.
Speaking with The Gleaner, Rhoden, a baggage handler and customer service representative assigned to the Guardsman Group at the SIA, said he was motivated by the opportunity to help others and to learn about other cultures.
“Honestly, I am a very shy guy, but my experience here at the SIA helped me to get rid of the shyness,” said Rhoden, who has been working at the airport for seven years and said that he was both surprised and excited about the awards he received. “Meeting people from multiple cultures and diasporas teaches me a lot about what is going on in the world, and I have loved the airport since I was a child.
“My father and mother taught me to help people who are in need. The passengers are my motivation to come to work every day, and even when Hurricane Beryl was blowing down the place, I was here same way.”
err, who has worked as a customer service representative for American Airlines at the SIA for 10 years, was full of gratitude for the recognition given to him and his co-workers.
“I am very grateful, and this experience is overwhelming. I am happy that many people have seen me and that they have seen the effort that I put in and the experience that I give to them that brings smiles and happiness,” said Kerr. “My time with American Airlines has been wonderful, and I would do it for another 10 years if I could.”
The awards service was first held in 2023 as a means of recognising the role of the SIA’s employees in customer service delivery to travellers who pass through the airport daily. Prior to the award recipients being selected, all candidates underwent customer service training with the expectation of applying that training in their daily operations.
Shane Munroe, the chief executive officer of MBJ Airports, which operates the SIA, said the way the airport employees treat travellers impacts Jamaica’s international brand. “These awards acknowledge individuals who consistently go above and beyond and set the standard for excellence in customer experience at our airport. Their dedication not only enhances our reputation, but also contributes significantly to Jamaica’s tourism product,” said Munroe. “Customer experience must be the heart of everything that we do here at SIA.”