NU12 # 1 by Queen Ant - Training for Service Excellenced

Pseudonym: "The Queen Ant"

AGSB MBAH 10b  Entrepreneurship

Prof. Jorge Saguinsin

December 14, 2012

NU#1: Culture Change starts with a Smile

                  I grew up in a hospital.  I may not have been as knowledgeable as I am now especially in terms of Medical Care but I come and go from my Dad's office most days seeing all sorts of people from patients, to students to employees and business colleagues.  I did not classify them as such, as I do now, but I just saw them as people.  As I got older, their distinction and classification evolved as my perception of this workplace also evolved. I realized each one's role in the chain of life in the work place and sensed a certain stiffness and coldness in the atmosphere.  A place I once considered a second home, was actually not homey in any way, even if it was a place of service and care.  That positive behavior towards us could possibly be more of an obligatory than innate. 

                  It had me thinking about behavior in a workplace.  I thought it should be implanted from the roots of people.  As I began to experience people and places in the real world, it became easier to distinguish good service and bad service, something I was very eager to analyze, on my own, in our institution.

                  Aside from places where they are expected to show a genuinely good attitude towards others like upper end institutions, I distinctly remember the school where my niece and nephew went to.  In comparing with other schools we applied to, they stood out because of the genuine warmth exuded to anyone who entered the premises, and this dates back to the first time I entered the school.  Everyone from the janitor all the way up to the school owner.  They not only made you feel welcome and appreciated, but they made it a point that all employees knew every single child and parent.  But don't get me wrong, even if they didn't know you, they still exuded this warth that made you love going back to the school.  Believe it or not, it still continues up to this day.  I know this because, for the same reason, my sister opted to send her son here after the same experience. 

                  This and other experiences made me think back to my dream as I was growing up in my Dad's workplace.  I dreamt of a hospital, which was like a hotel.  I know, I can't claim Medical Tourism as mine, but that was my dream, but mine was in the sense of how workers act or feel.  I thought that from the time a client comes in, they should be pampered with warmth .  I thought of having some sort of training on service excellence even before they came in to work so they would have it in their roots to treat everyone like a VIP guest.  Of course at that time I wasn't thinking about how this would impact any financial benefit to the institution, I innocently thought that it would be good to enter an institution, any institution in fact, and feel welcome.

                  I still believe in that dream for our institution.  The difference is now, I could, even in little ways, implement a baby step for culture change in the environment of our workplace.  I was thinking, "It all begins with a smile."  Everyone and everything with a smile, or a certain kindness one can exude.  This, should start from the top-down.  But the waves should continue on to the client and to the community we serve.  If I could make this little change in how we serve our clients (and each other), it could send waves to the community and make their perception turn into greater heights.  It's a benefit with no cost.  It involves behavioral change that is good for the person, good for the clients, and good for business.  It can contribute to making your edge and producing a certain brand for the service provided by our institution. 3