Public officers from the Ministry of Communications and Works and the Facilities Management Unit are now skilled in customer service skills having completed a one week customer service workshop.

The “Exceptional Customer Service” workshop reiterated the importance of treating the internal and external customer right, and reminded participants of how they are to conduct themselves as the face of the Central Administration Complex and the Government of the Virgin Islands.

Facilitator, Mrs. Judith Vanterpool, of BizComEd Consulting Incorporated said she was pleased with the level of participation from the employees and that the sessions were an educational experience.

Mrs. Vanterpool said “We went right into servant leadership and being a servant. If you are going to be a good customer service agent, you have to see yourself as a servant. All of our industries from which we make money, call for service.”

The workshop was a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Communications and Works, and the Facilities Management Unit. It was geared towards assisting the officers with the philosophy and importance of exceptional customer service and the effectiveness of teamwork. All teams participated in several team building exercises and individual self-evaluations that demonstrated the significance of service during the workshop.

Participant Security Officer Junior Brewley said working together as security officers and looking out for each other as internal customers would help them build team power and accountability for their actions.

He added, “When interacting with each other, especially when solving a problem, we need to have that one mindset that this it is not for us, but for the benefit of the Central Administration Complex.”

Participant Facilities Electrician, Mr. Donald Francis said he learnt how to manage himself and how to manage people. He added that the exercises would help his team to work better and open their minds to solving problems creatively.

The Facilities Management Unit will be hosting several other workshops in the year to keep their service skills up to par. 

The Government of the Virgin Islands is committed to enhancing its customer services internally and within the Virgin Islands in aid of providing first-class service to residents and visitors in a timely and efficient manner.