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                        JeffNEWS, October 5, 1994
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Why No News Is Not Necessarily Good News
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There was a time when not hearing negative criticism from customers 
meant they were happy and all was well. Not anymore. Nowadays, most people 
don't complain when the hotel clerk loses their reservation or when the 
bank teller is rude. Rather, they let their feet do the talking and take 
their business elsewhere. Moreover, they tell many others about the poor 
service they received. Not only does poor service cost an organization its 
loyal customers, potential ones are lost as well.

There also was a time when delivering "good" service was all a company 
had to do to retain people and stay in business. Now, "good" isn't good 
enough anymore, because customers demand excellent service and quality 
products. They don't just want their mail delivered on time; they want it 
delivered by a letter carrier who's courteous and friendly and says hello 
to them by name. 

Jefferson has an even greater challenge with service. Due to our 
outstanding reputation, people who come to Jefferson have even higher 
expectations. Therefore, Jefferson employees on all levels must deliver 
higher-than-expected service; we must deliver superior service.

Understanding these points, in 1986, Jefferson established a service 
program called the S.T.A.R. Program. The acronym stands for sensitivity, 
teamwork, awareness and respect - the hallmarks of service excellence. 
Directed by Kathleen Goodman, the S.T.A.R. Program emphasizes the 
importance of identifying and meeting customers' expectations, educates 
employees on how to do this and then recognizes those employees who do an 
outstanding job.

"While one of Jefferson's goal as an organization is to deliver 
outstanding service, it's up to each department to determine who their 
customers are, what their needs are, and the best ways to meet these 
expectations," says Ms. Goodman.

For instance, if you work in one of the three colleges, your primary 
customers are students, whereas employees in the human resources department 
primarily serve Jefferson employees. By contrast, if you work in a hospital 
department, your main concern is serving patients and visitors.

Yet, regardless of who your customers are, they all want the same 
things: cooperation; a comfortable environment; prompt, courteous and 
personal attention; to be treated with respect; and to be kept informed. 	

Good telephone communication is a crucial, yet often overlooked, 
component of excellent customer service. Because of this, the newly formed 
Telephone Advisory Group will be responsible for developing universitywide 
telephone standards. Among others, proper telephone skills include 
identifying yourself and your department when you answer the phone. This 
personalizes the contact with the caller on the other end.


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Information provided by:  Editor, JeffNEWS
                          (215) 955-6204
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