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sick bay. He is just finishing the deck when in walks MM
Boate. He is tightly gripping his left wrist while blood
wells from a cut and drips onto the floor.
“What’s the idea? Can’t you see the ’Secured’ sign
on the door,” demands HM Doe?
“What do you mean, secured? I cut my hand!”
“Sorry about that, but I haven’t got time now to treat
it—I have to finish up field day. Come back in about
30 minutes, and quite dripping blood on my clean
deck!”
Does this seem farfetched? Not at all; it is an extreme
example, but it actually happened.
Routines or procedures help us provide more
efficient customer service by enabling us to do jobs
easier, faster, and more accurately. However, if
following a routine becomes more important than
providing service, you need to take a good, hard look at
your job priorities. Routines are intended to improve
service, not to hinder it.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Thus far, we have focused our discussion on
attitude. Although attitude is important when dealing
with others, good attitude alone is not enough. The
customer comes to the contact point for service-not
camaraderie.
What would be your reaction in the following
situation? You have gone to the dental clinic with a
toothache. The DT meets you at the door with a smile,
shakes your hand, shows you to a chair, and offers you
a cup of coffee. You say, “Thanks just the same, but this
tooth is driving me up the wall. Can you take care of it?’
The DT replies, “Oh, I don’t know anything about
teeth—but I’m friendly.”
This situation is ridiculous. You know that carrying
out your responsibility at a contact point requires
professional competence. Professional competence
includes knowing what you can do, how to do it, and
when to do it.
KNOWING MEMBERS’ RIGHTS AND
PRIVILEGES
All Navy members have certain rights and
privileges by law. You have the responsibility as a
contact point representative to know what these rights
and privileges are and to whom they apply.
Some customers choose not to take advantage of
certain rights and privileges, while others may not be
eligible for them; for example:
You may have no dependents; therefore, you
have no eligibility or need for dependents’ health
care.
You may choose not to take advantage of
available educational opportunities.
You have too many years of service remaining to
worry about the details of retirement.
Even though some customers will not use the rights
and privileges they are eligible for, others will. You must
be prepared to answer their questions regardless of
whether they intend to take advantage of them or not.
Some contact representatives feel they are doing
customers a favor by providing information about these
rights and privileges. They think they may grant or
withhold such information as they wish. That should not
be the case, and it should never occur! The Navy
provides these rights and privileges as incentives for
enlistment and reenlistment and as a form of
compensation. Withholding them for any reason except
as provided by law undermines members’ morale and
confidence in the Navy and defeats the purpose of
providing them.
KNOWING REGULATIONS
After the customer has explained a problem, you
must then decide what you can do to solve it. You must
have a thorough knowledge of pertinent regulations and
directives if your decision is to be appropriate.
One thing common to all contact points is the
volumes of regulations, manuals, and directives that set
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