The Isle of Skye and Kyle of the Lochalsh are set to embark on a pioneering project to develop an area wide customer service charter with the help of past and present customers and local business people.

Hundreds of visitors to the area along with local people are to be asked what it is that makes them feel welcome and want to stay, or return again and again, to the famous island and peninsula.

Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise (SALE), part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise network, have teamed up with Julie MacLeod, of MacLeod Research Ltd, to put together an email survey of 1000 people.

It is the newest venture of SALE's Who Cares Wins project, which has been running for three years.  Last year 200 businesses took part in the initiative which involves inviting customers to fill out a small card and give their comments on what has made their visit to a hotel, bed and breakfast, or visitor attraction good.  They are also asked to make suggestions on what could be better.

Feedback from the internet survey will allow SALE along with local businesses and their employees to draw up a customer service charter - thought to be the first of its kind for a geographic area.

The email web survey invites the recipients to complete a quick and easy questionnaire but also encourages comments on what they believe makes excellent customer service.

Questions include: 'How important is it that as a customer you are always given a genuine welcome?' -  respondents are able to rate it very important, quite important, not very important or not at all important.

People are also asked to give examples of what they expect to be polite and courteous behaviour towards a customer.

Julie MacLeod, of MacLeod Research Ltd, who put together the internet email survey said the finished charter could be potentially ground-breaking.

She said: "This is quite pioneering.  I have searched the internet and websites and I can't find anything else like this - a customer service charter for an entire area.

"There are charters for individual businesses and tourist attractions, but as far as I can see nothing for a whole area.

"The email survey will go out to visitors from all over the world - Australia, USA, Europe and China.  We are also keen to get local residents of Skye and Lochalsh to be involved.

"They will be invited to give us feedback on what makes excellent customer service. Rather than give a score in marks out of 10 they will be asked what is important about such issues as being greeted with a smile.

"With some good feedback, SALE and local businesses will be able to use that information to draw up a short customer service charter."

One thousand people, who volunteered their email addresses during previous surveys, have been sent the latest survey electronically and have up to a month to reply.

David Win, of Tingle Creek Hotel, Kyle of Lochalsh, said the Who Cares Win programme was proving crucial to building up his business.

He said: "When we took over the business last January it was pretty much on its knees, something which we had known before we came in.

"We had our own ideas what we wanted to do with the place and put together a five year plan.

"But as much as you have our own ideas, you never really know if you are going about it the right way without the feedback from the customers.

"The Who Cares Wins initiative has given us an immediate tool to do that.

"Last year being our first year it was relatively quiet, but we have been able to take more advantage of it this year.

"The reception is the focal point close to the front door of the hotel and that is where we have the forms and we also make use of the Who Cares Wins posters.

"We have had good positive feedback and we spend a lot of time talking to our customers. Repeat business is very important to a place like ours and the Who Cares Wins programme helps us find out what will bring people back."

Anyone interested in taking part can access the survey at:
www.macleodresearch.com/sale/wcw2005.htm

All responses are being handled by MacLeod Research Ltd, a professional market research company working on behalf of Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise, and will be held in confidence.