George Graham

Jamaicans’ Sunny Nature Proves a Hidden Asset

My daughter, Grace Alonso, works for a company that provides travel software to the worldwide travel industry. Naturally, customer service is a big part of the company’s operations. She told me the other day that one of her company’s top executives visited Jamaica and returned with the news that the island had developed excellent call centers.

The executive reported that educated Jamaicans spoke well-modulated English that is easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. He said they are courteous, friendly and helpful – making them ideal customer service representatives.

The result is that many American companies have outsourced their customer service operations to Jamaica, saving lots of money and creating jobs in the island.

My mother told me that politeness and good diction would pay off some day. But did I believe her?

A joke you a joke, no man?

About the author

gwgraeme

I am a Jamaican-born writer who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States. I live in Lakeland, Florida with my wife, Sandra, our three cats and two dogs. I like to play golf and enjoy our garden, even though it's a lot of work. Since retiring from newspaper reporting I've written a few books. I also write a monthly column for Jamaicans.com