Change…

Written 11/07/2009

Hello Everyone,

Well the buzzword of the past few months has come home to us here in the Print shop. The word is change. There has been an incredible change in our assumptions across the United States and the world we share. I am proud to have voted and hope that each one of you was able to do your civic duty.

Change… it is coming to the Print Shop, it’s been slow but has picked up steam with the submission of our RFP and a date being set for the taking over of the transactional data. The proposals for the new workflow and equipment are due by November 28 and if all goes well we will officially take on two new employees, Jon Davis and Clayton White on November 23.

What does this mean for you? Well it means a continued shift in our thinking, of what quality is and is not. By now, everyone has heard me say in regards to our transactional print that its either right or it’s wrong, there is no in between. We will also incorporate this thinking into the production of our daily work. It is imperative everyone is on board, that each of us continues to look for opportunities of growth while maintaining the standards we have already reached.

There also needs to be a change in the thinking that others are going to take care of us here in the Print Shop, Postal Center, and Surplus Property. Yes, there is so much outside of our control and we can only influence our position so much. However, this bit of influence we do have, we must exercise with caution, care, and commitment to our customers.

We have seen a continued growth in our customers coming to us for mailings and it’s simply because we’re able to fulfill their orders that they come here. Remember in business it’s not what you’ve done for me it’s what you can do for me. Every time you pick up the phone in the Print Shop, you affect that person perspective on all of us. Remember that every phone call is a potential sales call.

One of the wonderful things in my position is I am exposed to other company’s philosophies surrounding customer service. One company that I have enjoyed learning about is the Department of Doing, based in New Zealand. I have enjoyed reading about this company because they offer a change in how to work for and with customers. Their whole philosophy is about doing the right thing all the time. That’s a sea change in thinking and one we need to incorporate into our daily connections.

I’ve included the link here for their website and I encourage you to take a look. It will come up their “mission statement” called The Directives of Doing.”

http://www.departmentofdoing.co.nz/directives.html

I bring this up because I believe we have already turned down that path, it’s a rare week that the Print Shop, Postal Center, or Surplus Property isn’t acknowledged for doing a great job. In the last BGS newsletter Gerry Myers, our Commissioner commented on each of our programs, and we should be proud of the recognition.

Quality service has brought our programs to this level and continued improvement will continue to help us grow and change. Remember to take the time to do the right thing and the change we encounter will feel as if it has always belonged there.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Kevin