Burgin urges Public Servants to treat customers politely

Clayton Burgin, Minister of Housing, Informal Human Settlements, Lands & Surveys and Physical Planning, is calling on all public servants to understand and appreciate the need to be customer friendly.{{more}}

Declaring his Ministry’s Customer Service Workshop open on Tuesday, April 5, at the Ministry of Housing etc. Conference Room, Burgin said there are far too many complaints from the public on the issue of customer service and etiquette displayed by public servants.

He said the time has come for public servants straight across the board “to treat everyone politely and with respect, to use appropriate language, to be calm and patient, to be charming, to be considerate, to go the extra mile, and to make customers feel appreciated.”

He also called on public servants to address the needs of all customers and make people feel valued.

“Dealing with the public is seen as a small matter, but it is bigger than you think and we must get it right at all times,” said Burgin to the 20 public servants from the Ministry of Housing etc who participated in the workshop. They were drawn from the Ministry’s Central Administration Unit, the Physical Planning Unit, the Lands and Surveys Department, and the Housing and Land Development Corporation.

“Make them want to come back. Make them tell their families and their friends that the Ministry of Housing etc is an organization which emphasizes quality service. Because, it is what the customers get out of their visit to the Ministry that would make them feel happy after their visit,” said Burgin.

He encouraged his staff to take the lead throughout the Public Service where customer service is concerned.

“Let the other ministries stand up and emulate us, for we are the bright stars, stars which are undoubtedly leading the way, as we seek to carry out the mandate of this Government, as we seek to further develop our blessed land,” said Burgin.

Burgin said in his capacity as Minister, he would like to see improvements in the Ministry’s entire operations.

He used the opportunity to encourage everyone to actively participate in the sessions. Burgin expressed the desire to have the members of his staff leave the sessions “stuffed with new approaches to customer service and customer etiquette.”

“I want to know that you walk away from here so inspired that you would make every attempt to use the new strategies, which I am certain will serve you well in your daily operations,” said Burgin.

The workshop is the first of a series of 10 in-house training sessions in a range of areas conceptualized by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Luis de Shong and members of the Ministry’s Human Resources Management Committee.

Burgin said he and de Shong had recognized the need for members of staff to participate in development sessions in customer service and customer etiquette, given that employees of the Ministry are required to interface with the public on a daily basis.

de Shong, delivering remarks, said the training is “important for the development of our staff.”

“I want to say to you that any organization which is worth its salt is responsible for the training and development of all staff, so that they could work towards delivering what the goals are, meeting expectations, and as a result, at the end of this year, we should be able to look back as a ministry and focus on what we will have achieved then,” said de Shong.

The Permanent Secretary said his Ministry is working assiduously to achieve the goals that have been set for 2011.

The workshop was facilitated by Olicia Frank, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a major in Management and a minor in Marketing, as well as a Master’s degree in Human Resources Development and Management. She works in the Ministry of National Reconciliation etc ,in the Public Sector Reform Unit.

The event was also attended by Anthony Bowman, Town Planner, and Adolphus Ollivierre, Chief Surveyor.