The twelve retailers were Samantha & Karl Smith, Kirtons Service Station and Robert & Sofie Warren, Bentham Service Station, Barbados; Earl & Enid Carter, Melville Street Service Station, Grenada; Lary & Stephen Lambert, Reduit Service Station, St Lucia; Phyllis Laborde & Glenda Creese, Peruvian Vale Service Station and Lance Stevenson & Brian Alexander, SACS Service Station, St. Vincent.
The RUBIS Retailer Rewards Program, which was implemented in 2013, identifies and rewards the top performing retailers based on various standards over a one-year period with a full expensed trip. The judging criteria included customer service, station image and appearance sales volume and inventory management. The group stayed at the luxurious Hotel Boscolo Exedra in the heart of Rome and was hosted by Mauricio Nicholls, CEO, RUBIS Caribbean and Ricardo Milford, Sales & Marketing Manager, RUBIS Eastern Caribbean. Mr. Nicholls explained, “This trip took on an even more festive feel as Rubis celebrates our 5th anniversary of operations in the region; and we took this opportunity to acknowledge the very high service standards achieved by our top retailers.”
The retailers themselves were also full of praise for the company’s choice of destination and organisation of the entire trip. Many commented on the magical nature of Rome, the camaraderie of the team experience and the lifelong memories that were created. Highlights of the visit included walking and coach tours of the historic sites of the Vatican, St Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the famous Spanish Steps. One of the walking tours took the retailers in the footsteps of Cicero and Caesar in the valley of the Forum Romanum, where the guide recounted several myths and legends that surround the ruins. There was also a visit to Via del Corso, Rome’s fashionable shopping area. This year was the third year of the RUBIS Retailer Rewards Program. In previous years, retailers visited Paris and Madrid.
