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Michelle Moore: Travel and Customer Service Expert

Michelle Moore: Travel and Customer Service Expert

May 08, 2009 By Gus in Miami: Travel News | 4 Comments

Above: A customer service training video produced by the City of Miami Beach and Mayor David Dermer’s Blue Ribbon Task Force in August, 2002.

My wife has spent the last 10 years providing expert travel advice and customer service. At the restaurant, she was the server our manager would always count on to take care of the VIPs. When the City of Miami Beach produced a customer service training video, they cast Michelle as the ingenue. And at Miami Beach 411, she’s taken all she’s learned and developed a system to coordinate trips for people who travel with us.

Every month, Michelle helps hundreds of people visit Florida.

So, who does the Miami Herald newspaper call when they need a quote from a local business owner in the hospitality industry? They call Michelle, of course:

‘‘It’s definitely a horrible point about Miami,’’ said Michelle Moore, who with her husband, Gus, created a website called MiamiBeach411.com. The pair, former waiters, were appalled by the attitudes of some of their co-workers.

Some of her customers complain that businesses they reach out to don’t answer the phone or are downright surly when they do.

Moore attributes some workers’ lackadaisical outlook in part to what she calls ``the vacation attitude.’‘

‘‘People just come to Miami and they want to be on this permanent vacation,’’ she said. ``They don’t really care.”

Seeking better customer service

What does it take to be a travel and customer service expert? Well, youâ€™d have to ask Michelle, and she plans on blogging about it soon, but I wanted to be the first to say how proud I am of her, for so many reasons. Thank you, honey!

Related Categories: Miami: Travel News,

Gus Moore heads up Miami Beach 411 as site administrator. You can reach him at 1-305-754-2206.

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4 Comments on

"Michelle Moore: Travel and Customer Service Expert"

Carlos Miller says:

Right on, Michelle.

You’re a lucky man, Gus.

Posted on 05/08/2009 at 7:58 PM

Michelle says:

Thanks, Carlos!

It’s nice to be mentioned in the newspaper, but my quote was not correct. I never said I was “appalled by the attitudes of some of their co-workers”. On the contrary, my co-workers at the restaurant provided great customer service. In fact, the restaurant was noted for the food AND the service.

I mostly attribute poor customer service to languauge and cultural barriers, along with bad management and lack of training.

And then of course, the vacation attitude - “Let me make enough to eat and pay the rent, then I am off to the beach”.

The other day, my neighbor and I were talking. He told me he actually thought customer service in Miami Beach was quite good. I was surprised but happy to hear someone thought that.

Posted on 05/09/2009 at 9:54 AM

Doug says:

What a funny video! Funny as in deja vu with the customer service. Michelle was great! I’m glad the city is making an effort to educate local businesses about customer service. I wish our experiences were more like the second scenario. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sent to that Gap down the street…

Posted on 05/11/2009 at 9:35 AM

Thomas Bertolino says:

Hey Michelle… Your old Tuscan Steak customer here,Thomas… back from Hawaii and working in Boca Raton. I sure would like to see/talk to you sometime. (you promised to introduce me to P.F.Chang…) give me a call sometime.

Posted on 10/04/2009 at 8:27 PM

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