A few years ago, HSBC Bank of Bermuda CEO Phillip Butterfield made a plea to the country to improve the quality of service. Today we can see how his staff have worked hard to raise the level of their service and the awards and frequent comments indicate they have been consistently good. But what about the rest of the country?

Riding to work, it is not unusual to count at least a cellphone in the hands of at least four out of ten drivers and now our motorcyclists are actually riding and doing the same. What does this have to do with service? A great deal.

There is currently a growing addiction to "energy drinks, energy tonics and the Blackberry". Recently when approaching a cashier, the three customers in front of me had to wait until the person texting completed her text. I thought this was a one-off situation only to discover that it is a growing problem, which if allowed to grow, will lead to a national decline in the quality of service.

While the world strives to provide "Five Star Service", Bermudians and our guests just want service. Yes, we would settle for the basics which have now been almost erased.

Service generally means attention. As you raise your standard from one star to five stars, the more attention given to detail, by everyone, will enhance the overall experience and you will receive a five star designation. This will not happen if people are constantly on their Blackberrys.

Talk to a Bermudian about their last trip and they can expertly describe the quality of service received. So we know what it is. We used to give it naturally because it was stressed in our homes. Anyone over fifty will recall how each "knick-knack" on the "Living Room" table had to be carefully wiped and then it would be inspected. As children, we worked hard to polish them. In other words, our attention to details was cemented at home.

In school, sloppy dress and work was not accepted. Ties were up and books generally clean or you had to do it again. Often sulking, and with tears, we would do it three and four times until it was done correctly. And if your parents heard you did it wrong the first time you did it again. At church if you lowered your head or voice while saying a recitation, your Sunday school teachers would encourage you to do it again until it was done at a high standard. There was triple reinforcement on details which you could never escape.

Not one establishment or person, for that matter, lowered the standards. Amazingly these home, church and school standards helped in a big way with future employment. Recently the Mincy Report talked about the importance of "soft skills". What he said was politically correct because nobody wants to talk about the old-fashioned way we received our standards, in the home, Sunday School and school. Mark my word we will hear more complaints about service and poor driving and riding. While we accept the Blackberry as a great communications tool, it is something that should not be allowed where people are on the front-lines ready and eager to greet and serve the customer and not complete a Blackberry text.

If children in school were aware of this, we would not have to deal with the growing rift between management and staff. If we don't get on top of it, your surgeon could be allowed to pause and text a friend while he stitches you up with one hand. Or a Policeman directing traffic at Spurling Hill could make you wait to pass while he types and sends his text. If we want to continue to advertise ourselves as a destination with great service we will have to forgo our communications device until we knock off from work. When you look at those establishments who do gain a five star designation the staff do exactly that and the customer is served and sing their praises.

We have a choice, to ignore the impact this is having on our roads and in the workplace or ensure the culture puts it in its place…. the bag or locker. Failing to do this, we will once again reap what we sow. The words of Phillip Butterfield are ringing true today and will lead to frightening results if we don't change.

Dale Butler J.P.M.P. is the Director of Training, Leadership and Communications for The Little Venice