Growth & Jobs | 'Clare' winner!
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
From left: Clare Pitter with her daughters, Kathi-Ann and Christina, and husband Anthony.
ALTHOUGH CLARE PITTER'S substantive role at the JN Bank Mandeville branch is an office attendant, she has morphed into a respected customer service extraordinaire who guides customers through the intricacies of the automated teller machines (ATMs).
"Customer service is important. You get to be a counsellor, doctor and lawyer," she quipped. "I enjoy it. Sometimes, I make them laugh," said Pitter, highlighting her multifaceted role in creating a delightful experience for customers.
It is this genuine joy in helping customers which recently earned her the prestigious title of a 'Five Star General', a recognition bestowed on her by the Customer Experience & Service Recovery (CESR) department at JN Bank, for achieving a perfect score in five consecutive mystery shopper customer service assessments.
Her formula for excellent service delivery is a combination of warmth, sincerity, and an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.
Every morning after serving refreshments to her colleagues, Pitter heads to the ATM area to assist customers, particularly those using the smart ATMs, which feature an eDeposit function that facilitates the deposit of funds without the use of a debit card.
"I speak to customers and answer their questions pleasantly. If I don't know the information, I go get it and come back to them," she explained, underscoring her proactive approach to ensuring that customers feel valued.
Pitter, who has been working at the branch since 2019, hastened to point out that her first mystery shopper assessment did not yield a star. A busy day led her to redirect a mystery shopper, unknowingly at the time, to a security officer. Her action was subsequently recorded in a report, and she was given guidance on the correct approach that she should have taken in such a situation.
"Since that one incident, I said never again," she chuckled, emphasising how the incident became a transformative learning experience.
From that point forward, she has so far achieved seven consecutive perfect score assessments. Moreover, her dedication has even drawn admiration from customers, with one likening her as an outstanding schoolteacher due to her adeptness in answering customer queries and explaining how to use the ATMs.
"That's comforting. It brings joy to me knowing that I'm touching lives," she shared, highlighting the profound impact of her service.
Her deep faith in God not only guides her personal life, but also helps her handle difficult customers effortlessly, a skill she attributes to her role as a pastor's wife.
"God knows what to put in my mouth. It has been an experience. I always find the right words to say," she reflected.
Winsome Senior, 0perations support officer at the JN Bank Mandeville branch, related that Pitter is an exceptional member of the team who adds much value to the branch.
"She is warm, caring, respectful, accommodating, and friendly. She does an impressive job working with customers. People always look forward to having her there. She is also very thorough, thus she always follows up any outstanding issue until it is resolved," Senior pointed out.
Michelle Gordon, service measurement specialist, JN Bank, explained that the recognition of the Five Star General is one of the ways that JN Bank rewards excellence in customer service delivery.
"JN Bank commissions a mystery shopper bi-annually to assess the level of customer service being offered at each branch and MoneyShop. Each location is randomly visited twice during each assessment period by different independent 'shoppers', who evaluate the service they received from the employees they interact with. Employees are expected to provide a delightfully memorable customer experience during every interaction with each customer, in keeping with the JN hospitality service standards," she disclosed.
"A staff member who achieves Five Star General designation would have displayed consistency in meeting the standards set by the bank by receiving a perfect score in five mystery shopping experiences over the past three years," she added.
One of Pitter's biggest cheerleaders is her husband, Anthony, a pastor and full-time administrator for more than 20 years at the Faith Assembly Ministries International Inc in Mandeville.
"I'm very proud of her because she has been updating me since she has been there (JN Bank). She is a people person, and she is the type of person who when she meets people, they fall in love with her, so I know when it comes to that area (customer service), she would have been the best person. At church, young people gravitate to her because of her personality and charisma. She doesn't discriminate. She's very jovial," he said, adding that they have been married for 33 years.
At church, Pitter wears multiple hats - praise and worship leader, choir member, moderator, and occasional preacher. As a wife and mother, her tight-knit family is her anchor. Her daughters, Kathi-Ann and Christina, are her pride and joy. Kathi-Ann is a graduate of The University of the West Indies and is currently working as a product development coordinator, and Christina is preparing to start college in Canada.
Growing up in humble circumstances, Pitter is quite familiar with having had to do without many things. Often, she and her five siblings went to school without lunch or money. Her father was a seasonal farmworker in the United States and her mother, a housewife. On Fridays, she always missed school as the funds were not enough to take her through the week.
"Life was hard. None of us children have a university degree," she said.
Prior to her work at JN Bank, Pitter did many odd jobs. She worked as an invigilator for the Ministry of Education for the Grade Six Achievement Test and Grade Nine Achievement Test for about three years. She worked with her brother at a car mart; operated a small clothing and shoe store, sharing space with a church sister; and worked at a company for seven years that sold juices before it was closed.
Reflecting on her life's journey, Pitter expressed pride and a sense of achievement.
"I feel accomplished. It is a dream come true," she beamed.