A "culture of entitlement" exists inBermuda that has put the country on a slippery slope, gradually diminishing the importance of treating its customers properly.

That is according to Somers Cooper, managing directorof AS Cooper & Sons, who was writing about the state of the retail industry in the Chamber of Commerce newsletter this month.

Mr. Cooper's comments arose from a panel discussion on ZBM's 'Let's Talk Bermuda' show last month in which a group of Chamber retailers debated the issues facing the sector, with the public given the chance to call in to question the panellists and put their point of view.

"Bermuda retail has hundreds of hardworking individuals dedicated to their jobs and to providing great customer service daily," wrote Mr. Cooper.

"Unfortunately there is a local undercurrent and attitude in Bermuda shared by some that keeps the sector from excelling.

"The over-abundant supply of jobs in Bermuda (until recently) has led to complacency and mediocrity. A culture of entitlement exists that has put us on a slippery slope gradually diminishing the importance of treating our customers properly."

Mr. Cooper said it was down to community leaders, hospitality providers, store owners and line managers to tackle these problems head-on, instill further training and make clear such an attitude was no longer acceptable in Bermuda, pointing to Premier Ewart Brown and Immigration Minister David Burch recognising the issue as a good start.

"Basic things such as customer acknowledgment, eye contact and a simple 'thank you' are not always the norm in our retail establishments when they should be," he said.

"This deficiency is witnessed daily across the board from the gas pumps to the fine jewellery stores. This needs to change before we can move forward."

He said that, however, many of the value added services offered by the Island's traders went unnoticed, such as liberal return policies, warranty support, replacement parts in inventory, personal shoppers, extended hours and Sunday shopping during peak times and customer loyalty programmes and incentives.

"Retailers are huge contributors to the community at large," he said. "How would most groups fundraise without the raffle and silent auction prizes that retail donate daily?"

Mr. Cooper said he was disturbing by the way ZBM interviewer Gary Moreno had started the discourse by insinuating that retailers had been standing idly by, counting their money, doing nothing to improve the experience or merchandise until the customers revolted, adding that millions of dollars have been spent over the past five to 10 years for shop improvements by companies such as Cooper's, Brown & Co., Gibbons Co., Daisy & Mac, Gorham's, Esso, Shell and Pulp & Circumstance.

He said that most of the debate centred around three main issues - price, service and selection.

Mr. Cooper said there were obvious cost factors, including shipping, duty, and high costs of living, which were unique to Bermuda and which contribute to the pricing of goods.

"Retailer's work with their vendors negotiating favourable discounts and/or payment terms where they can but Bermuda retailers can't purchase enough quantity to realise volume discounts," he said. "Unfortunately the reality is that we can't always win the price battle here in Bermuda."

Turning to the issue of selection, Mr. Cooper said that retailers speculate every day trying to work out "who" their customer is and, once defined, they want to know if they are supplying their customers with the merchandise they require.

"In a community of 60,000 people from such diverse backgrounds you can't 'be everything to everyone',"he said.

"On the whole, retailers purposely attempt to attract a certain clientele that best suits their business model. While the majority of customers are catered to fairly well, the ends of the spectrum can sometimes be left unsatisfied with no option but to go overseas."

Another topic for discussion during the show was the belief that Bermuda lacked a sense of 'community', brought on partly by its affluence and general globalisation.

Mr. Cooper said that some people would say that price was always the deciding factor when deciding to 'Buy Bermuda' or not, however, he stressed that consumers were not forced to purchase everything locally or to buy items they don't need or want.

But he added that he believed local consumers should give more thought about the consequences of not spending their money in local stores, questioning whether the dollars saved overseas were really worth the damage they caused on the local economy.

"As a 'community' we need to watch out for each other and support each other," he said. "When a group within the 'community' is falling short or excelling the other members should be voicing their concern or praise.

"Without the 'community' aspect and awareness, local retail will continue to recede, diminishing choice even further and removing some of the fuel that helps drive our country's economy.

"Can retailers improve? Absolutely. Many of us know this all too well and have already been busy adapting to the new economic conditions in order to weather the storm.

"We may lose a few in the process but in the end Bermuda will have stronger, better retailers and happier customers as a result."