The waitress in the courtyard restaurant was polite, attentive and provided us with excellent suggestions. Given the remoteless of the island, most of their vegies and produce were sourced locally. Not much of a salad fan myself, I still ordered their special salad. This was to pave way for a heavy main course to make up for the calories burnt off from the windsurfing. She was delighted that we took up her recommendation. You could really sense that they take pride in the freshness of their food.

When the salad arrived, it was impeccable, well-presented and in generous proportions. As I worked my way through, a piece of the lettuces moved slightly and I realised that I was sharing it with a wiggly oily worm, nicely soaked in the vinegarette dressing. I showed it to the waitress, told her that it sure was 'Fresh' and cancelled the rest of the meal. She was very apologetic and ensured me that the bill has been cancelled.

On the way back to our bungalow (which was a 5mins stroll), the Hotel's resident manager greeted us and explained how embarrassed they were for having spoilt our evening. He took us to another restaurant and shouted us food + drinks for the whole night. By the end of the night, the wiggly worm became a legend.

In today's world, most people would understand that service delivery may not be perfect 100% of the time. Good businesses will deal with such scenarios properly and try to make amends for the affected consumers. What makes this Hotel a star performer was its timeliness and its approach in dealing with the situation. Time is the essence... From when I found my new friend, raised it with their staff to when the Resident Manager greeted us, it was within just a 10mins period.

Having the right culture is also paramount. The waitress had taken her own initiative to raise the issue promptly with their Resident Manager, understanding the importance of passing all necessary information to someone with the authority to act & make amends.

Through having the right processes and culture in place, this resort hotel has managed to turn an unhappy customer into a very strong advocate.

A few of my friends have stayed there since. But all of them have yet to experience the freshness of their salad.