Aubyn Hill
MANY PEOPLE ask me what surprised me most when I returned to Jamaica after being away for almost 30 years ( albeit returning home all through that period with my family for at least an annual visit).
The first and most lasting surprise, and the thing I struggle most to understand, is how Jamaica could be so proximal to the United States and practically all of our population seems to have missed the service revolution that took place in that country.
Somehow the scores of television channels, the endless visits to Miami, New York and elsewhere in the U.S. and in spite of the valiant efforts of the best of our managers, very little of the high service mentality and, just as importantly, the very positive attitude to serve customers well seemed to have had little effect on our population at large.
AFRAID TO INSTILL HIGH STANDARDS
There is a noticeable absence of urgency on the part of most employees (those in government or the private sector) to get things done by an agreed deadline.
As I have written elsewhere, supervisors and managers seem to be afraid to instil high standards and require their employees to reach those standards on a regular basis.
Managers, supervisors and regular employees appear to have developed a distinct disconnect between the pay they receive and the quality of work they must deliver by a particular deadline.
Even professionals find it hard to keep their commitments. Many managers and supervisors seem to duck their responsibility to require employees under their charge to set and meet high standards and abide by clear tight deadlines. I have noticed that the worst workplace epithet that can be hurled at anyone is the term 'slave driver'.
MANY CRAFTSMEN HAVE LOST THEIR PRIDE
In recent months, I have watched with dismay at how low the quality of work of many craftsmen has fallen.
I see carpenters who will craft doors out of uncured lumber and completely forget that a door is the showpiece in the building and, therefore, the pieces of lumber chosen to make it should be of the highest quality and devoid of blemishes.
Instead, carpenters, who demand the highest pay, will simply scrape together the most ordinary pieces of lumber and produce very shoddy work - whether in the making of doors or in other carpentry activities.
Many have little or no care for the quality of the finish of their carpentry work. Many edges are rough and improperly shaven or sanded and stain and varnish are just slapped on leaving brush marks to be seen rather than the smooth finish that one would expect a good carpenter or joiner to deliver.
Needless to say, there are many craftsmen and technicians who do practice their craft to the highest standards and seek to conduct their business with the most professional and positive attitudes. Regrettably, their conduct is not pervasive enough across our workplaces.
Many customers appear to be cowed by the raw and sometimes rude attitude of the people who provide services for us, and they too try to duck the 'slave driver' curse word.
Far too many customers accept shoddy work and poor standards from the people who serve them. Scores refuse to employ even a modicum of tact spliced with a measure of firmness in order to secure better service from those whom we pay to deliver.
Too often many customers allow those who deliver products and services to intimidate us to accept that they are doing us a favour - inspite of paying good legal sums of money for their services or products.
Customers need to make a concerted effort to raise the standard of service and the cultivation of good and positive attitudes among those who serve us in business and government.
PROFESSIONALS ARE EQUALLY GUILTY OF LOW STANDARDS
It is not just some carpenters and other craftsmen who set low standards for themselves and produce shoddy work.
I am aware of a set of local Internet providing companies which between them took almost two weeks to fix the Internet service for one of their customers.
One provider kept blaming the other and nothing happened until the customer laid down the ultimatum that if it was not fixed by a certain hour on a certain day, the biggest competitor would be called to supply the service.
It was amazing how in a couple of hours a problem that was outstanding and irritating the user (customer) was fixed - once the firm ultimatum was given.
It turned out that the solution was a rather simple one in that one of the previous providers had done some shoddy work by not installing some connections properly.
NEED TO RAISE STANDARDS
This could have been found out from the first visit (two weeks earlier), but everyone just sauntered around the issue and no one would take professional responsibility or adopt professional pride and work towards a solution. Indeed, many of our workers need to be 'solution providers' rather than seek to shift the blame to anyone in or out of sight.
Clerical staff in companies, entrepreneurs, craftsmen and technicians, supervisors and managers, as well as professionals all need to raise the standard by which we do our jobs and make a significant improvement in the quality of the service that we offer our customers.
Many in the tourism sector are setting a fine example in delivering high quality service; many more of us in business and government need to follow their example and raise the standard by which we judge ourselves and the quality of service that we deliver to our customers.
Aubyn Hill is managing partner of Corporate Strategies Ltd, a restructuring and financial advisory firm. Respond to: writerhill@gmail.com
