CHAPTER 2

NAVY CUSTOMERS AND THEIR NEEDS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able ^{to do the following:}

l Discuss your personal inventory when providing customer service to Navy personnel.

l Discuss the personal inventory examples in this chapter.

l Discuss the role of the customer and the effectiveness of your performance.

l Identify the role of the contact point representative.

Chapter 1 addressed the need for contact point representatives to improve their face-to-face skills. In this chapter, we will begin breaking down the overall problem involved in face-to-face contact. We will use two methods in doing that:

First, this chapter contains a list of the abilities and traits a contact point representative should have. We will ask you to compare your own abilities and traits with those listed.

Second, this chapter provides examples of incidents that could occur at various contact points. We will ask you to evaluate the performance of the contact point representatives in each example.

RESPONDING TO NEEDS

Much has been written and said about the "can do" spirit of our country. We often see this spirit when the people of this country respond promptly to some great challenge. Our people claim to have the ability, or the "know how," to deal with the most challenging obstacle. If that claim is true, then we have no excuse for failing to respond promptly to routine tasks as well. Although routine tasks do not motivate us to respond as we would to some challenging obstacle, our responses to both may be equally important.

A "will do" spirit of determination needs to accompany our "can do" spirit. When a customer with a problem asks, "Can you help me?" your reply should

be, "Yes, I can." To this reply, you should respond with action and an attitude that say, "and I will."

PERSONAL INVENTORY

Make a personal inventory of yourself as a contact point representative by studying the following checklist of the abilities and traits you should have. The intent of the checklist is to help you learn which abilities and traits you have and which ones you need to develop or to improve upon.

Read the items carefully; then decide which item in each column best describes the ability or trait you have. Do you rate good, poor, or somewhere in between? Being objective in rating yourself isn't easy, but the checklist can help you identify traits and abilities on which you need to concentrate.