Andrew Ferguson, COO of Maritime was quoted recently as saying that "...success in business and in politics depends on how customers are handled."Of course Ferguson is correct.The People's Partnership decision to embrace the private sector and appoint Ken Gordon to head its Economic Advisory Board to accelerate economic growth and diversification is to be applauded. Doma's announced readiness to partner with government is yet another sign of the potential for improvement in "customer care". Moving from Caricom as a regional platform to target global markets, the call from Doma is for Government to assist with "market opportunities identification and business facilitation". This too is customer service.
The working class must not lose this opportunity to reap the benefits of improved customer service, which, in order to prove truly effective, should take the form of a national campaign. Trade unions, credit unions, employee and management associations are all more efficacious when they operate with service to their clients or members' interests as priorities.Public support for increased emoluments for public servants, including security forces, is likely to improve if such pay hikes correspond with increases in productivity; measured by improved efficiency, attitude and speedy delivery of service in areas of health, national security and education.
"Customers" are different according to the context. Politically, customers are voters, constituents who elect and remove governments according to the overall performance of those governments in serving the interests of various strata of the society – the people. In some cases, those interests coincide. In others, they diverge. Once the marketing which precedes elections has made political promises, effective customer service in the political context means fulfilling those promises to the public's satisfaction and communicating clearly and honestly when such promises are delayed or denied.
The finesse and skill with which governments manage and balance conflicting and contending interests in a democratic society is largely a measure of their success in getting re-elected.In a free market, customer choice tends to gravitate from the attitude of "let the buyer beware", normally associated with monopolies just before they are broken up, to competitors who adopt the attitude that "the customer is always right".Ill-mannered, rude, inept, lackadaisical or inefficient approaches to customers are characteristic of businesses that are doomed to mediocrity or failure.
When the public service or any branch of it exhibits inefficiency, excessive bureaucracy, lethargy, apathy and take for granted the public patience and confidence, the party in power pays the political price. But there is a greater price paid by the nation as people fall deeper into cynicism and totter on the verge of despair which precedes social collapse and entropy. We have only to witness the widespread unrest and displays of public dissatisfaction with governance in the Middle East and North Africa today to find evidence to support the need for governments, opposition parties, businesses, unions and Civil Society to understand that social relevance lies in effectively addressing the needs and interests of the people. What then constitutes effective customer service? Can formulas for public service reform be transferred to the private sector and NGO's and vice versa? If so, which ones? Recognising the necessity for focus on customer needs and getting staff members involved in the process of change is a starting point, which must be followed by providing specific methods for improving processes, procedures and policies to address customer needs, concerns and complaints.
Establishing quality control in basic supervisory and managerial functions is basic to finding the cause of specific or general problems related to customers. Brainstorming solutions based on gathering specific information pertaining to difficulties expressed is a means to guarantee that everyone relevant is involved in fixing the problem. Providing public access to company information and to courteous, efficient, competent and helpful front line personnel – either on a help desk phone, Web site or in person – distinguishes businesses and organisations which really do put people first. Customer service is service to the citizens because every citizen is a past, present or future customer.
Customer service in business and in politics will be the subject of the next episode of "Making a Difference in Our Economic Space", to be aired on Monday, April 11, 2011 at 9 pm on CNC3. Partly sponsored by First Citizens, Beacon Insurance and Guardian Media, episode will feature conversations with Minister of the People, Hon Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh and Derrick Chin, CEO of MovieTowne.If you missed Episode 3 of "Making a Difference..." you can view it again this evening at 5:55 pm on CNC3 or see any past episodes by visiting our Web site, www.makingadifferenceforglobalharmony.co.tt