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OFFICE ARRANGEMENT
If you have an opportunity to arrange the furniture
in your office, do some advance thinking and planning
before you start moving it. You should place desks so
that those who work at them will have enough light
without having to face the light. Avoid arranging desks
so that anyone’s back is to the reception area. Everyone
in the office should be in a position to see and assist
customers. Also make sure there is enough working
space for your office co-workers to move around.
Chairs should be adjusted so that typists’ feet rest
firmly on the floor and chair seats are at least 12 inches
below the base of the typewriters. Think of the work
that has to go on regularly and place equipment where
it can be used most conveniently and where work will
flow in one direction rather than in a crisscross man-
ner.
You should place tables or counters conveniently
for handling supplies or assembling papers. You
should place files where they are handy for those who
use them, but separated as much as possible from
general office traffic.
Arrange for as much privacy as possible for those
who do interviewing and counseling. We will discuss
more about counseling techniques in a later chapter. If
testing is to be done, provide a quiet spot. If interview-
ing and testing of large numbers are functions of your
office, special interviewing booths and testing rooms
will be needed.
It should be possible to plan an arrangement that
not only is convenient but also looks orderly and
uncluttered. Keep things as simple as possible.
Bookcases and special shelves should be used to store
books, magazines, and pamphlets so that tables and
desks can be used as work spaces and not as
receptacles for piles of reading materials. Arrange
furniture in a manner that satisfies the needs of your
office and is consistent with the availability of space
whether you are aboard ship or ashore.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: THE ART OF
DEALING WITH PEOPLE
At the beginning of this chapter, we told you that
the most important characteristic of a good PN is the
ability to work and deal with people. As a PN, almost
everything you do will involve dealing with people. In
this section, we will tell you about the importance of
providing good customer service to all individuals
regardless of their status. We will describe what can
happen whenever you provide good (or bad) customer
service and the effects you will have on the image of
your office, your rating, your command, and the Navy
as a whole.
As a PN, you are one of the most important
customer service representatives in the Navy. We will
tell you about some of the ways in which you, the PN,
can improve the customer service environment of your
office so that your personnel office can effectively
provide the type of customer service Navy people need
and deserve. We will talk about your role as a customer
service representative and the ways in which your
attitude, personal appearance, and pride in your job
and yourself play a big part in providing good
customer service. We will also tell you about some of
the pitfalls you must avoid so you can provide the type
of service that your customers will need and deserve.
EFFECTS OF FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT
As a customer, have you ever waited in line only
to be told when you finally reach the window, “Come
back tomorrow. The person who takes care of that is
not here today”? Have you ever tried to get a question
answered and had the feeling that the person to whom
you were talking resented being bothered? What about
this situation: Have you ever walked into an office and
waited and waited for service? Did you feel as though
you were being ignored by office personnel who were
just standing around? Did you notice that some of them
realized that you were standing there waiting for
service, but just looked the other way? Most
importantly, have you ever acted toward a customer in
an inappropriate manner, a manner that is not
consistent with your professional responsibilities as a
PN?
As you think about these questions, are you
convinced that there were some good reasons (not
excuses) for these situations to happen?
Only a wishful dreamer would expect all the Navy
members to be 100 percent dedicated to their work, and
only a confirmed pessimist would declare that the
Navy will never be as good as it should be. There must
be a point between these two extremes at which the
problems and requests of naval personnel, their
dependents, and Navy employees can be and should be
handled correctly, promptly, and courteously; a point
at which members will be satisfied with the service
they receive without reducing the efficiency of those
providing the service.
Providing excellent customer service is the re-
sponsibility of everyone in the Navy. A few of the
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