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service possible to Navy members, regardless of their
status. Also, regardless of the status of your customer,
you must always be professional.
Polishing Your Image
To be a good PN, you must look, feel, and act
professional. The Navy is affected, either directly or
indirectly, by the image you project. The satisfaction
and gratitude resulting from a person’s having re-
ceived good customer service will extend beyond you,
the PN, because the image you project will also extend
to your command and the Navy as a whole. Therefore,
the Navy benefits from the good image you have
fostered.
The Navy also bears the brunt of a bad image or
bad service on your part. Bad service creates an atti-
tude of resentment in the customer toward the person-
nel office, the command, and the Navy. Machinery and
equipment can be purchased when needed, but consci-
entious, dedicated people cannot. Thus, it is apparent
that capable people are the Navy’s most valuable asset.”
The Navy is constantly losing its important assets—its
capable petty officers. The choice either to reenlist or
leave the Navy is a personal matter, and the decision
usually represents much careful thought and planning.
Too often, however, the decision to leave the Navy is
made by members who have been frustrated by irritat-
ing incidents and dissatisfied with the service they
have received. In such cases, the Navy has lost not only
the person but also, in many cases, a considerable
training investment.
As a PN, you may ask, “What can I do about it?”
My job can’t be all that important !” Remember: When
you are performing a personal service or supplying a
personal need, there are no unimportant jobs! One of
these days when you leave your ship or the PER-
SUPPDET where you work, look back at the place and
say to yourself, “My job is very important. I am a
significant contributor- toward the overall mission of
my command. I will continue to do my very best.”
Remember: you are an important individual! Your
image should reflect your pride in your job and
yourself.
Improving Service
Few changes are made just for the sake of change.
There is first a recognized need, and then new proce-
dures are developed to meet the need. This is also the
first step in making improvements in the area of serv-
ice. Those involved must recognize that, in all in-
stances, the best possible service has not been
provided. Regardless of how well things maybe work-
ing, there is usually room for improvement.
Recognizing the Customer’s Needs
Before discussing needs, let’s first consider the
people who experience them. Everyone in the Navy
has needs. People’s problems must be often met by
someone else. As a PN, you will encounter many
individuals who have a variety of needs. You most
likely will know the answers to many of the problems
or, if not, you will know where to find them. As
depicted in figure 1-3, you have the key to the
Figure 1-3.—You hold the key to the treasure chest of knowledge for good customer service.
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