The 2017 Diamond Team Member from Sandals Grenada

Just as a diamond commences its journey from amidst the rocks, to being selected and sorted, cut and shaped before reaching the consumer, so too did young Richie James begin his journey at Sandals Grenada in 2013 before becoming the 2017 Diamond Team Member.

Grenada was blessed to have Sandals open one of its exclusive resorts on the island in 2013, recruiting hundreds of workers from all over the island. They held a massive job fair, and it was there James’ life took a turn for the better. The Barnacle News Team caught up with James and his colleagues at Sandals Grenada to get the inside scoop on this amazing young man who will be representing Grenada in June at the 10th Sandals Ultimate Awards in Jamaica.

At the age of 18, like almost every other young person, Richie completed school and began seeking employment. He did little odd music jobs for friends throughout that year, before he was informed by his sister, that Sandals was hosting a massive job fair, for which he should apply.

Now, Richie’s story gets even more interesting as he entered the Sandals Job Fair. Speaking to Mr Peter Fraser, General Manager (GM) of Sandals Grenada, he relayed his initial encounter with James on that day to the Barnacle News Team. Mr Fraser described James’ as having “awful looking braided hair, and a t-shirt.” Upon seeing him, Fraser questioned James who informed him that he was here for the Job Fair, and he was subsequently told that he was not properly attired.

James’ next question surprised the GM, “how much time do I have to return [to the Job Fair]?” James quickly went away and returned clad in a jacket and tie and trimmed hair, this very much impressed Mr Fraser who said, “for someone who is 18 years of age, that’s pretty impressive.”

Despite not having any experience in the hotel or tourism industry, it wasn’t difficult to notice the potential beaming from the young James, and he was given an opportunity to prove himself and shine at Sandals. James’ first stint was as a Guest Activities Director on the Entertainment Team, where, according to Mr Fraser, he clearly struggled for just about a year, but “he tried his best.” He was then transferred to the Loyalty and Travel Department as a Concierge, before he was promoted to a Loyalty and Travel Consultant. “There is a position for everybody in life, you just have to find the right niche…[and] this is where he really shined,” Mr Fraser added.

James, the now father of a 3-year-old son, found his niche and today he continues to make tremendous strides in the Loyalty and Travel Department, as he interacts with and helps to educated guests and his colleagues about Sandals Grenada.

As a top performer Richie’s recognition is spread far and wide throughout the entire staff at Sandals Grenada. Giving her input on the “amazing” Richie was Mrs Stephanie Sylvester, the Human Resources Manager of Sandals Grenada. “Richie is going off to represent us in Jamaica, not only because he is a top performer, but he is a great example for all other team members on this Resort who work so hard and diligently…” and this is pleasing to both guests and staff.

Keeping in mind where and how Richie’s Sandals journey began, Mrs Sylvester added “where you start is not necessarily where you’re going to end up,” and this is Richie’s story. He moved across different depts and excels in every turn that he makes.

Richie is indeed a Diamond amidst rocks and continues to receive acclaims from his colleagues, including his immediate Manager, Ms Samantha Bartholomew. Speaking to the Barnacle News Team, Ms Bartholomew described Richie as a phenomenal and dependable young man, with whom she has never been disappointed in the 2 years she has worked with him.

Speaking to the Barnacle News Team, was the man of the moment, Richie James, who through the excitement surrounding him, maintained calm and humble. He told the Team that his journey at Sandals Grenada is a learning experience, and from the time of the Job Fair when he trimmed his hair, “that was the best decision that I have made.”

Richie never saw himself in the tourism or hotel industry while he was attending school. In fact, he wanted to be an accountant. But, with this turn of events as he commenced at Sandals, as young and green as he was, he had no choice but to adapt and put his best foot forward. “When I first started off, I was young, so I had to groom myself accordingly…the journey was rough, because I had to adjust myself to different personalities…at the end of the day you’re here to work.” Through it all he managed to remain modest while growing with this new-found knowledge and experiences.

He thoroughly enjoys meeting and greeting guests, and even more so, loves his job as a Loyalty and Travel Consultant. Basically, his duties comprise getting guests to keep travelling to Sandals Resorts while getting special prices and packages.

As meek as Richie appears to be, his brashness, uniqueness and pleasantness stands out among the rest, and his colleagues are overly thrilled to see him go to Jamaica to represent Sandals Grenada. Responding to the question of how it feels to be so highly praised on this accomplishment, Richie said, “it’s just an amazing feeling to see that I can make everyone so proud, and I’ll do my best to market Grenada…”

The support from everyone including his family, he said has been amazing and it gives him even more encouragement to push himself further and continue to work hard. “I’m always going to shoot for the top.”

After speaking to Richie, The Barnacle News Team observed him in his work environment, interacting with clients and other members of staff, and it was obvious that this young man was in his comfort zone.

Richie’s enthusiasm and commitment to the job and bettering himself did not go unnoticed by his Managers, as he recently copped the coveted title and was named the Sandals 2017 Diamond Talent 2017 and outshone the other 11 competitors. The Diamond Talent is based on employees’ performance and interaction with others, their willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure customer satisfaction – and this was Richie James, in print.

As the Diamond Talent Awardee for Sandals Grenada, Richie will be travelling to Jamaica to represent Grenada at the 10^th Annual Sandals Ultimate Awards, where him and 25 other representatives from Sandals, Beaches, ATL and the Jamaica Observer will vie for the title of Sandals 2017 Ultimate Awardee. The one-week trip will commence on June 2 and conclude at Sandals South Coast on June 9.

According to Sandals Grenada’s Public Relation Manager, Deleon Forrester, the entire team at Sandals Grenada is overwhelmingly proud of Richie’s growth for the time he has been at Sandals, and they’re even prouder that he is representing them in Jamaica. “It’s more than just an award show, it’s an experience,” as the Diamond winners from the various resorts culminate in Jamaica for a week of activities and excursions. There they will be judged on their ambassadorial ability, knowledge of the Sandals brand, interactions with each other, and persons they come in contact with, behavior among other things. They will also get the opportunity to meet Mr Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart and other top officials at Sandals Resort International. The Ultimate winner will be selected by a secret panel and will receive a series of prizes including a grand cash prize and a vacation at any Sandals Resort of their choice.  “it’s a lot to look forward to, and we’re excited for Richie, and we hope that he brings back the Ultimate Award to Grenada.”

The entire team at Sandals Grenada wish Richie all the best.