l l l l l l l l l l If Am I familiar with the sources of information used at my point of contact? Do I speak and write clearly and understandably to the best of my ability? Do  I  accept  responsibility  for  doing  my  job? Do I show consideration for my coworkers by what I say or do? Do I treat each customer as an individual with an individual  need? Do  I  treat  each  customer  with  equality  and fairness? Do  I  always  give  customers  the  correct information? Am I considerate of each customer’s time so that I do not cause delays or inconvenience? Does  my  response  to  the  customer  show  a willingness  to  help? If I were the customer, would I be satisfied with the service I received? you did not answer yes to each question, you should  review  those  questions  carefully  and  make necessary adjustments to improve yourself. Physical Aspect Another way of improving customer service is by evaluating the contact point. Improving the contact point is not the sole responsibility of the supervisor. Management  techniques  have  shown  that  effective supervisors   delegate   responsibilities   as   soon   as personnel demonstrate their ability to handle them. This does not lessen the supervisor’s responsibility but it frees them from routine matters. It also gives the supervisor more time to complete important matters such as recognizing personnel. The  contact  point  must  accommodate  both  the representative  and  the  customer.  The  physical  layout must   provide   maximum   efficiency   for   both representative and the customer. For example, the chairs, desks, labor-saving devices, counter, and traffic pattern must be the factors for considering the layout. When  planning  the  layout,  consider  the  following factors: l  The  waiting  line  should  extend  away  from doorways  or  passageways. Provide a table or counter if customers have to fill out forms. Provide chairs if customers must wait for service. Provide a measure of privacy when personal information  must  be  obtained. In a large contact point, provide an initial place of  contact  to  direct  customers  to  the  proper representative. Setting  the  Tone The desirable situation is that the atmosphere of the contact   point   has   a   positive   influence   on   the representative. You, as the supervisor, exert the greatest amount of influence to the team. It is you that the members look up to as an example to develop their own work habits. You must develop the atmosphere in the contact  point  that  promotes  teamwork  and  the  purpose of the service. As these attitudes develop, you will find that they become more and more self-sustaining. The  standards  for  performance  and  behavior developed by the team is the combined standards of its members   which   is   acceptable   to   the   supervisor. (NOTE: The supervisor must be familiar with and meet the standards set forth by higher authority.) The team then exerts its influence on each member to meet the standards. Any new members will be aware of the attitude of the team. As the new member develops knowledge  and  job  skills,  it  is  likely  that  similar  attitudes will be accepted and developed. Molding the Team In the Navy, all jobs are important. They are all part of the assembly line that accomplishes the mission. The performance of a particular job is important to the worker,  the  contact  point  representative.  The  worker must be able to see some worth in the job to maintain a sense of personal pride. If the worker is convinced that the job has little value, it is a reasonable assumption that the supervisor considered the worker to be of little value. In some cases, the representative assigned to a job is  over  qualified  You  should  provide  an  adequate explanation  along  with  the  job  assignment  to  the representative. Planning job assignments for new members can stimulate initiative. New members should be assigned to  a  job,  which  is  the  first  step  to  increasing responsibility. As the new member becomes proficient, 1-18