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Taking care of Soldiers, civilian employees and their families is what U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz is all about. So knowing customers’ needs, delivering quality products and services, while building relationships with them is important – important enough to receive mandatory training annually.
Annual garrison Service Culture Initiative training is a simple reminder of how to demonstrate consumer-focused actions and behaviors necessary to satisfy customers, said Jacqui Haggarty with the USAG RP Workforce Development Office.
“Service Culture Initiative classes are broken up into two courses – Operation Excellence and the Leaders Course,” said Haggarty, who has worked in this position for six months. “Op Ex is a four-hour course designed to give you the basics of customer service. The Leaders Course is not based on rank or grade, but how you carry yourself – your persona.”
People may wonder why the garrison needs a customer-service class. Anyone who’s been a customer should know how one wants to be treated. Right?
“I’m not here to teach people something they don’t already know,” she said. “This class is a reminder of how customers should be treated, and it’s a great way to meet people and hear their experiences as well.”
The class has a proven track record, Haggarty said. Morale, Welfare and Recreation began teaching its employees the course in 2008 with great success. Back then, customers rated MWR customer-service satisfaction at 22 percent. Today MWR receives a 97 percent customer-service satisfaction, verifying the annual class does work.
Haggarty said participants are scheduled with people from other directorates deliberately to initiate discussion and listen to issues from different perspectives.
“Many times, participants will hear stories and realize that people from other offices are dealing with the same customer-related issues,” she explained. “So, we learn how to deal with issues and develop customer-service skills from each other. This class is a really good reminder of treating others how you would want to be treated.”
Teaching that “Golden Rule” of customer service is anything but boring in Haggarty’s class, where she places scented markers, building blocks, interlocking toys and chocolate candies on the tables to ensure attendee’s minds are engaged between activities.
“I hate boring training, so the only promise I can make is people won’t be bored if they come to my classroom,” said Haggarty, who has a theatrical background and holds impromptu skits in class. “My methodology of teaching is very hands on. We do a lot of team building and group activities, so you won’t stay seated for hours looking at slides.”
The classroom is always full of chatter and discussions, and she prefers it that way because people “learn the best from each other. So when students begin their sharing experiences about good and bad customer experiences, soon the floodgates open up and everyone starts sharing. It’s not anything I do,” Haggarty explained. “It’s what the participants do. My job is to provide a good atmosphere so that people will open up and feel free to share – and they do.”
During the class, participants discuss differences between internal and external customers; what drives customer service; how to recognize good and bad customer service; and active listening.
For Jürgen Seeberger with the Directorate of Public Works, OP EX was the first customer-service related training he’s received.
“This is good training because it teaches people how to be more sensitive about customer relations and how they should be treated,” said Seeberger, the chief of the Quality Assurance Branch. “The training is very active and gives people a chance to hear other viewpoints and exchange experiences. You can’t get that with online training.”
Seeberger said customer service may not be inherent for everyone, because it might come down to how people were raised.
“It starts with how you grew up. If giving a cheerful greeting was not a common practice at home, you won’t adapt it at work,” he explained. “That is why people sometimes need to be reminded how to treat their customers and to listen to what their needs are.”
What was the biggest thing he learned from the class?
“Being there for your customer, listen to them and be open to their needs,” Seeberger said.
Although the class is expected of USAG RP employees, it is what people make of it, Haggarty said.
“You can always say, ‘I have to go because it’s mandatory,’ but I would rather you come because you care about the people you are serving,” she said. “We are all serving a client base, and Soldiers and their families are not an interruption of our jobs – they are the reason we have jobs. Take a moment to learn how to communicate better with our customers, so they will appreciate the service we provide them.”
To sign up for an Operation Excellence or Leader’s Course class, garrison civilian employees may call Haggerty at 541-0132.
