LIHU‘E — A customer can be members of your own family, said Cheryl Fujii, acting director of the Kaua‘i Community College Office of Continuing Education and Training. “How many times have you thought ‘I’m too busy’ when a member of
LIHU‘E — A customer can be members of your own family, said Cheryl Fujii, acting director of the Kaua‘i Community College Office of Continuing Education and Training.
“How many times have you thought ‘I’m too busy’ when a member of your family has come and wants to talk to you?” she said.
Ka‘ala Souza, the owner of Ka‘ala Souza Training and Consulting from O‘ahu, started a series of five workshops Monday as part of Kaua‘i County’s annual training program with KCC, said Beth Tokioka, the mayor’s executive assistant.
“Souza is not a stranger to Kaua‘i because he comes and teaches some of the college’s non-credit courses,” Fujii said.
In addition to bringing his background of marketing research to the workshop, Souza had attendees literally breaking the ice early as he allowed them four minutes to get into more manageable groups following his introduction where he said he serves as the senior pastor to the Hope Chapel Mana‘olana.
Tokioka said Souza has incorporated the “Aloha Begins With Me” slogan into his theme that revolved around customer service for the county’s employees.
“Providing excellent customer service is one of Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.’s five areas of focus and is outlined in his Quarterly Report Card,” Tokioka said. That report can be found online at www.kauai.gov.
During the five sessions, which conclude Tuesday evening, more than 300 county employees will be attending the 3.5-hour course at the War Memorial Convention Hall, Fujii said.
Tokioka noted that a wide range of employees from attorneys to park rangers, bus drivers, counter and baseyard personnel will be taking in the training that she described as lively and highly interactive.
That was clearly demonstrated as workers filled the convention hall with laughter and chatter as Souza asked each group to identify a dozen things everyone shared in common within a four-minute time frame.
In Hawai‘i, we do things differently and embracing that difference is one way that we can make a difference in our customer service, states a flier for the event.
We understand that it’s not just about what you say and do in customer service, it’s about how you say and do it, the flier says. The training session is geared to help employees improve the “what” and the “how” as well as the “why” behind the behaviors of customer service.
“We are trying to assist our employees to do the best job they can by giving them the necessary tools to serve the public with excellence,” Tokioka said.
Areas covered in the short presentation included identifying the feeling, thinking and doing components of service, defining who and what a customer is and what excellent service means, recognizing how our mindsets affect customer interactions, understanding and exceeding customers’ expectations, utilizing communication principles effectively in customer relationships, solving customer service breakdowns and making the link between customer satisfaction.
Fujii said the customer service workshop is co-sponsored by the county and KCC OCET.
On Wednesday, KCC will be hosting a Job Fair from 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the new One Stop Center.
That will be followed by the first Green Tech Expo, May 5, also at the One Stop Center.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
