IT may look small, but it carries weight.
This is how the classifieds department team leader, Lisi Ratubalavu, described their section that is published in the newspaper every day.
For 145 years, the newspaper has been right alongside every major development that has occurred in Fiji, from the Deed of Cession to independence to coups.
The same can be said for the classifieds department, whose staff have been working tirelessly for their most-prized possessions — their customers and their readers.
Their role, according to Ms Ratubalavu, is not an easy task because they have to meet daily deadlines and communicate with the production department on how various advertisements need to be placed in the paper.
Just as times have changed over those many decades, the classifieds department too has seen changes.
This is from typewriters to computers to online booking and payment, and now with the use of credit cards, all for the sake of its customers.
Ms Ratubalavu, who has been with the company for the past 26 years, said technology had made their work a lot more easier.
Before, she said advertisements would be manually cut and pasted.
She said it was pleasing to see a lot of their old customers still advertising.
“They know they can trust us and we are so proud because The Fiji Times is a well-respected newspaper,” she said smilingly.
“That is the power of classifieds.”
Their work involves booking advertisements, from real estate, birthdays, death notices to memoriam to car sales and other advertisements under the classifieds section in the newspaper.
Besides classifieds sales for The Fiji Times and Fiji Times Online, the classifieds team is also responsible for classifieds in the three weekly publications, namely the Sunday Times, Nai Lalakai and Shanti Dut.
With The Fiji Times’ solid reputation as the oldest, most reputable newspaper in the country and the most widely read, it is without a doubt, an excellent product, which we are proud to promote.
Ms Ratubalavu said the feedback from customers on how their advertisements were received from readers was overwhelming.
She said customers could place their advertisements at any Post Fiji outlet or they could make online payments or through credit card.
“For credit cards and online payment, we will verify your documents then we will provide customers with confirmation documents from us and from the bank.”
She said the classifieds section in the newspaper was also interesting because all advertisements were categorised.
“Save your money and grow with The Fiji Times,” she said.