Poor customer service is being cited as one of the key issues facing the Island's retail industry, Chamber of Commerce president Charles Gosling said yesterday.

He said feedback from the Chamber's Buy Bermuda campaign has shown "significant complaints" about employees' service.

"It is consistently one of the issues that is raised," Mr. Gosling said. "It is a more important issue than the question of selection or overpricing."

Mr. Gosling said tackling the problem required taking the issue seriously which was why the Chamber's visitor retail division (VRD) had worked with the National Training Board (NTB) during the last two years to offer two retail training courses, which could now expand.

"We are hoping that the course selection will be expanded in to a retail sales diploma," said Mr. Gosling.

Gaining the retail credential would be a positive for both the employer and the employee, he continued.

A salesperson's skill set should ideally include the ability to sell not only the store's product but also to promote the Bermuda product to visitors, he said, and to promote that concept, the Chamber may expand on the 'Buy Bermuda' idea with a 'Sell Bermuda' campaign.

Although he stressed that the idea was in the "early conceptual stages", 'Sell Bermuda' could see collaboration between retailers and the Island's hotels and the Department of Tourism.

Mr. Gosling called the concept a "more focused programme to sell Bermuda".

Meanwhile Mr. Gosling said the 'Buy Bermuda' campaign was being carried in to this year and there is slated to be a continued push for shopping at home, including a push to make "celebration" purchases - at Valentine's Day, Easter and Cup Match - in Bermuda.

When asked how successful the 'Buy Bermuda' campaign was, Mr. Gosling said it had proved difficult to measure in monetary terms because retailers "closely hide figures".

However several Front Street retailers have reported that their numbers compared favourably with the previous year - "either spot on or up from last Christmas".

Mr. Gosling said in consideration of the current economic climate "even to break even with last year is quite a victory".

At his store, Gosling's, he said: "We had a good run up to Christmas, but the period between Christmas and New Year's was a little disappointing.

"Overall it was a good month."