Service is the theme this month for CPSWs. Traditionally, Customer Service and Front Line Health Care Workers  go together. Customer Experience will determine your happiness at work, the morale of the workplace and the relationship with your co-workers. For example, a positive Customer Service experience will result in a positive workplace relationship. Regardless of the industry you choose, or the organization you work for, you will be dealing with internal and external customers. The crucial skills of customer service have been taught throughout the training of a CPSW, and include communication and listening techniques, in both verbal and non-verbal communication. Dealing with clients suffering from acute and chronic pain, neglect or abuse by family or the system of care, use of technology and handling a variety of complex health situations, demands you evaluate your own attitude.  Learn how to keep a positive mental balance in the way you problem solve and communicate with others. CPSWs’ critical values and ethics, like INTEGRITY, drive our commitment to quality services and our commitment to honest, forthright and respectful relations with our customers, providers, business partners, beneficiaries, vendors and fellow employees. RESPONSIBILITY makes us accountable, accepting the consequences of our behaviours. MUTUAL RESPECT creates a work environment based on teamwork, encouragement, trust, concern, and honest and responsive communication among all employees, supervisors, and management. The service industry is not a separate identity but is an integral part of our performance day to day. Positive Customer Experience  is important in the delivery of service. The classroom is where you develop the skills, attitudes and thinking patterns that include the ability to lead, expand, and empower the service process.

“You are what you eat”.. well, the same applies to the mind…. “you are what you continually think about” ..(think about that for a moment or two). Everything you allow into your mind, positively or negatively, will affect your actions. You are “what you think” you are! People can have the strongest affect on our lives. I believe that you become the people you hang out with. The people you associate with and share ideas with have a major influence on how you choose to act upon or not act upon your dreams. Haven’t you ever been around a positively charged person who electrifies you and everyone around you? They say… “confidence is contagious” and so is the lack of confidence. We must demand more of ourselves and the people we choose to spend our precious time with. Always surround yourself with positive “can do” people. You will become a “can do” person, changing the environment and people around you from, little or no action, towards acting and changing situations. Service is grouped with the five C’s of CPSW. Use behaviours that convey to the customer your work culture that includes appearance, grooming, clean work areas, and communications skills that listen more than talk.

The importance of service in an organization is dependent on you. If you have grumpy co-workers, unhappy with life, as well as the job; you will need to discipline yourself towards maintaining positive thinking. This newsletter and future newsletters will address this through replacing the marketing pages with PMA, Positive Mental Attitude.

Why do I consider this to be so important? Well I have worked in environments where one person’s negative attitude affects 25 people and undermines the integrity of the entire organization. Powerful negative dynamics can be overcome if we all accept responsibility and, like my dear friend Dr. Dante Reyes demonstrated to me, it only takes one lighted candle to light a dark room. Mutual respect for honest and responsive communication begins in the classroom and is a habit that can be developed and maintained with the right PMA. Attitude can become Altitude with the will and belief that we can make a difference!