Recently while on a trip to Cancun, I was approached by a gentleman who was interested in purchasing property in the Mayan Riviera area, but was discouraged at what he termed gringo pricing. Now, I hate the term gringo pricing. Frankly, any tourist area is going to have tourist pricing not gringo pricing. But during this conversation, I had referred him to the Beach Gringo website. I explained to him that we have a variety of real estate options listed on our website. I was intrigued by his response which was “how do I know that you’re not just another one of these people that look to make a quick Buck off other ex-pats “. Quite frankly, he is correct – you cannot swing a dead cat down here without hitting someone or something who are trying simply make a Buck and run away in the dark of the night with a bag full of your hard-earned cash.

And that is why my friends, it is not only a very valid question but an important one, so let me explain to you how we at the Beach Gringo not only determine who will be a Beach Gringo approved vendor but how we ensure that they continually meet our client service requirements.

I can give you 3 recent examples of how we ensure that anyone we recommend earns and maintains that recommendation:

First off, shortly after I returned from Cancun, I had spoken to one of the largest real estate brokers in the Yucatan Peninsula area. I mentioned to him that I had met with eight or nine people who were interested in real estate purchases and investments in the Yucatan area. He then offered to reimburse my hotel stay. We declined as the Beach Gringo statements on our website, our Facebook page, and our other social media and mailing lists are quite clear that we take no commissions, kickbacks, gratuities, or any other payments unless specifically listed. That way, we maintain our independence and are beholden to no one except ourselves for anything we do, post, recommend, promote or the opposite: decline to recommend, post, or promote any business.

Second, we frequent local businesses and vendors regularly to ensure that what they are offering his quality, regardless of it is food, entertainment, services, medical or dental procedures. You can be assured that not only have we used them, but we have spoken with other clients who have also used them. Where there has been a dispute, we have allowed all parties to present their version of events, and then, based on over 25 years of business experience, have decided whether they will remain a Beach Gringo approved provider. We have removed firms that failed to meet client expectations or our expectations and will continue to do so. Our goal is to ensure that people who we recommend are competent, professional, ethical, and provide the service that they say they will provide. It is as simple as that.

Additionally, we regularly audit firms and service providers that have previously been Beach Gringo approved. For example, yesterday we contacted the president of a large real estate firm who is Beach Gringo approved and requested that we be allowed to audit 2 random listings that were on their website. Within 24 hours we were picked up at the Beach Gringo residence. We provided the two listings that we wanted to audit at the time of pickup so there was no advance notice. We were able to view both listings, compare them to the photos and descriptions that were on their website and verified the accuracy of the listings.

Tonight, we selected 2 random residents during dinner at one of the local restaurants which is also Beach Gringo approved. After dinner we solicited the opinion of our two guests and asked about the quality of food, service and if they would return to the restaurant on their own. These types of interactions and third-party, unattached opinions is what makes becoming Beach Gringo approved not only important to the business but also important to people. People who want factual, unbiased and accurate information so that when they spend their hard-earned money, they know they are getting value for the dollar.

If you run a business in either Yucatan or Quintana Roo and want to be Beach Gringo approved, please contact us at thebeachgringo@gmail.com. We will be happy to walk you through the process of becoming Beach Gringo approved.

If you are interested in working with or using the services of one of our approved vendors, then please feel free to contact us at thebeachgringo@gmail.com for more information.

See you on the beach,

Steve “the beach gringo in chief “Patterson