Specsavers Opticas Fuengirola are sponsoring the event and are going to be walking and donating 500€ from the store, plus any fees/sponsorship on the day. There are a total of seven of their staff walking and we’re gooing to be joining them. It’s not too late if you want to take part! 

You can register in advance online at www.cudeca.org, at the Cudeca Hospice reception for 10€, or on the day of the event for 12€ for adults, 6€ for children. This year, there’s a special family anti-crisis price of 20€, for Mum, Dad and all the children. The entrance fee will include a commemorative t-shirt, a bottle of water, coca-cola drink, a cap and a raffle ticket.

Of course you can raise more by sponsorship, but if you just want to turn up and take part, your entrance fee will raise valuable funds for this great charity. Hope to see you there.

Mayor of Marbella at the launch of Starlite Festival in Madrid

On 8th May the Mayor of Marbella attended the launch of the Starlite Festival which will take place from 13th July to the 14th August. Throughout the festival there will be a total of 14 concerts, plus DJs in a new concert venue in La Cantera, Sierra Blanca. Artists announced so far include George Benson, Roger Hodgson, Christopher Cross and Hugh Laurie. The Mayor commented that the event will represent “tremendous exposure for the town”.

The concerts are all held in the La Cantera de Nagüeles in the Sierra Blanca behind Marbella and with a capacity for 3,000 people in the auditorium.

On nights that there is no concert, DJs will perform sessions and tapas from ‘El Bulli Catering’ by Paco Roncero, will be available. Ticket prices start at 40 € and go on sale this week at Ticketmaster and in El Corte Inglés.

Thanks to Typically Spanish for this news: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_34621.shtml 

More information in Spanish can be found on the Town Hall website here

Here’s my review of the food, service, ambience and price.

Location – Located at the Hotel Puente Romano, Bulevar Príncipe Alfonso von Hohenlohe, s/n, 29602 Marbella, Málaga, Spain. Drive past the Puente Romano’s tennis club and down to the beach.

The Food – The food at Roberto is Italian/Mediterranean with refined and delicious dishes crafted by a very clever Head Chef and Pastry Chef. We were recommended the Taster Menu to sample the full range of dishes, which comprised of seven heavenly courses. I would definitely suggest the taster menu if you want to push the boat out. However there’s also the a la cart menu with salads, pasta and meat dishes and delicious deserts.

Out of our taster menu my favourite dishes were:  

Vitello Tonato – Finely sliced veal with a tuna sauce, tempura capers, micro herbs and edible flowers – a stunning looking plate which really packed a punch.

Orange Blossom Lobster Bisque with Scallop – A luxurious and creamy lobster bisque with a seared scallop in the middle. When they lifted the lid on the little bowl, the smell of the sea hit you and you knew you were in for a treat.

Olive Oil Black Chocolate Cannelloni with Wine par Naranja Marinated Oranges – A beautifully tempered chocolate “cannelloni” filled with creamy mousse, on top of a light chocolate sponge and served with candied nuts and juicy orange segments marinated in wine. The balance of rich and sharp flavours and different textures made this a real taste sensation.

The Service – The service was some of the best service I have had on the Costa del Sol. Our waiter was extremely helpful and throughout the evening we were made to feel like VIPs. All the staff showed extraordinary knowledge of the menu and provided very high quality service. They managed the difficult balancing act of being available to help at any time and anticipating your needs without crowding you. Andy loved the fact that his glass was magically topped up without having to ask!

Decor and Atmosphere – Roberto is the perfect place to treat yourself to a really special experience and ticks all the boxes! It delivers gorgeous sea views, a relaxed yet magical ambience complete with soft lighting and melodic piano music. Roberto Ristorante is a really special place where you can experience the finest food and service with the best sea views.

The Price- This is not a cheap and cheerful establishment, but for the standard of the food and service I thought it was well worth the money. For 69€ per person we enjoyed seven sublime yet dainty courses which left us delighted with the food, without feeling uncomfortably full. However you can enjoy a meal here for a more modest sum. Prices start from 15€ for a starter, 19€ for a main and 12€ for a desert.

Contact details

Tel: 952 820 900
Email: restaurantes@puenteromano.com
Web: Roberto Ristorante, Hotel Puente Romano

Please join us in celebrating the opening of HomeCareontheWeb’s new

Estepona branch.. Come and meet the team and enjoy some refreshments.

We look forward to meeting you on June 6^th from 5pm to 7.30pm.

Conjunto Residencial María Luisa Gardens

Edificio Vistamar Bloque III, local 20

Avenida Litoral

Estepona

29680

400 meters from Carrefour Supermarket

Taking care of all your property and rental  needs

• Do under promise – But not too much! Find the right level between promoting your good points in a measured way and giving your customers something to get excited about. Happy customers will do a terrific job of spreading the word about how good you are. Exceeding customer expectations is always satisfying for the company and the customer.
• Do follow it up yourself – If you personally make a promise to a customer then have to delegate the task to someone else, make sure to follow-up afterwards to make sure it was done as promised.
• Do train staff with company policy – As the Owner/Director of the business you will know your company message and goals off by heart, however your staff may not. It’s all well and good you shouting about a great company policy in the media but if your staff are not implementing the message and service this will become a major let down to the company. Impressions of the company go right down to your delivery guy.
• Do only make promises you intend to keep – Sounds obvious but it’s extremely common to make quick promises on the spot to customers and then fail to keep them. Even simple promises such as ‘we will call you next week to see how you’re getting on’ must be kept to if you want to create good lasting relationships with your customers.
• Don’t think you need to position yourself as the best – Just make sure it clear to your customers what they can expect from you with no false pretences so they can make their own mind up whether to use your services or not.

Marketing on the Costa del Sol is all about building trust in your product and brand and making people believe in what you do, so being wary of making claims that you cannot fulfil and focusing on delighting your customers is particularly important.

If you want an outsider’s perspective on how your customer is presenting yourself and delivering to your customer we can help. Please contact us to find out how.

Activities include; seed collecting, weeding, planting and general tasks needed to maintain this huge and beautiful park land.

Bring with you a hat, gloves, water and any food you want. Dogs not allowed.  

Sign up on their Facebook page or email info@arboretummarbella.com  to let them know you’re coming. Click here to get directions.

She told me “I am about to start a Bikini Boot camp on Monday 30th of April, it will run on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10am for one hour and for 4 weeks. The sessions will take place either in the studio, on the Beach or on the park, all very varied, challenging at times hard but equally fun. Its very possible to lose a dress size within the four weeks.”

Sounds good! If you want to sign up, contact Sharon slimb33@hotmail.com or call 620389 173

MAX CLIFFORD CELEBRITY GOLF CHALLENGE

The Max Clifford Celebrity Golf Challenge for the Rhys Daniels Trust charity, of which Max is Patron, takes place 7-9 June at La Cala Resort. Golfers can enter as individual players, as a 4 Ball or as a 3 Ball with a celebrity player provided by the Trust. The competition will be played over 2 days and 2 courses. The packed programme includes a practice round, welcome dinner, poolside BBQ and tickets for the Butterfly Ball. For more information call Barry Daniels on (+34) 608-598-050 or call the charity office on (+44) 1992-570550. For more information about the Rhys Daniels Trust visit www.rhysdanielstrust.org

RHYS DANIELS TRUST BUTTERFLY BALL

The spectacular Rhys Daniels Trust Butterfly Ball – an annual event on the Costa del Sol – is being held this year on Saturday 9 June at the beach resort of the Hotel Beatriz Palace & Spa just outside of Fuengirola. Guests will enjoy an evening of superb entertainment. The Butterfly Ball raises funds for the Rhys Daniels Trust ‘Home from Home’ Appeal which provides accommodation for parents whose children are receiving life saving treatment in specialist children’s hospitals around the UK. For more information about the Butterfly Ball call Patti Senker on (0034) 637 969 189 or call the charity office on (+44) 1992-570550 For more information about the Rhys Daniels Trust visit www.rhysdanielstrust.org

Make sure customers love what you do

When starting a new business, you know what you want to offer and who you want to offer it to. The target then of course is to get people interested and buying into your product or service so that it becomes successful.

PR, Advertising and Promotions are excellent at attracting new customers, but it can be tempting to make claims that you can’t then live up to. Remember, customer loyalty and long term success cannot come from marketing alone so think carefully before making claims!

Make it your top priority to delight your clients throughout their experience with your company. From enquiry, to delivery, to aftercare, this whole experience should be taken into consideration from the customer’s point of view and monitored to ensure excellence throughout.

Sometimes established companies will use mystery shoppers to assess the service of their business. The data received from this exercise allows you to see what you are doing right and where things are going on and improve the customer experience.

Research shows us that what people remember experiencing is far more relevant than what they actually experience. The main points a customer will remember are the peak of the experience (good or bad) and the last part of the experience, so make sure they leave on a good note!  In the customers’ memory you want to appear easy to deal with, professional, friendly and living up to your promises throughout, but especially during those points.

Ensure that you know how you will deal with customers’ needs and requirements before launching a promotional campaign. Test the process and make sure you have enough people to handle enquiries. There’s no point driving a lot of traffic to your shop if you’re not ready to cope with the rush at the standards you first promised.  As they say, false pretences might get you near the top but it won’t keep you there.

 It’s better to under promise and over deliver than to make unrealistic claims and then disappoint when people come to you. So make sure you offer the best customer experience and beware of claims such as being “the best” “the cheapest” or “the quickest”.

In our next Marketing Focus we will have some Dos and Don’ts on making promises and delivering on them.

Throughout the day of the Opening there will be music, refreshments, entertainment and special offers. Visitors can buy tickets for a tombola to win great prizes whilst raising money for charity Caritas. At 19.30 there will be a magician and comedian to entertain the whole family.

Specsavers is a family-run global brand of opticians with more than 1,500 stores operating in ten countries, offering customers professional eye care combined with clear, affordable prices. Opening offers include great value glasses from just 25€ including PENTAX single vision lenses, free eye tests and 2 for 1 glasses including sunglasses and designer frames.

Call 965 083 273 for more information and to book a comprehensive free eye test or visit www.specsavers.es.