“Any desired attitude when motivated properly and regularly, becomes a foundation leading to core work values that define culture in any organization.” These words I read some time ago. We have no doubt that these come from a well-meaning modern human resource management expert.
I read these again on Facebook posted yesterday by a former co-employee at a local company. Ms. Fe Sinco, a human resource management expert herself who, we learned lately, is now into consultancy.
We are quoting it here again to describe our observation on the marked improvement of the ways that the Davao City Water District (DCWD) employees are dealing with water consumers these days.
Honestly, we feel there are still areas of the water distribution firm that still need improvement. But we believe that these “weak areas” pale in comparison with the very apparent excellence attained when it comes to consumer satisfaction.
We can only attribute these positive changes to the water agency’s policy makers, the Board of Directors headed by businessman Ed Bangayan. And of course the DCWD’s management team should also get a chunk of the credit as it is the team that carries out the implementation of policies laid down by the board.
We had been to the agency’s Matina office twice in the last two months to seek clarifications on our account. And each time, we simply introduced ourselves as any other customer out to settle certain issues.
Yet, from the guards up to the front liners we did not feel any body language that could be interpreted as discriminatory. We also observe that those who were ahead of us were ushered in a welcome manner. The frontline employees, ladies all, seem not to tire smiling to every customer whose turn to be attended to comes. And to think that those who were with our group have no other purpose but to present problems with their account or connection.
And yes, even with the way the DCWD’s communication unit is reaching out to the consumers or responding to inquiries, the unit under Ms. JC Duhaylungsod, is doing their thing on a very personalized manner. The unit has become so accessible that any consumer can be assured he or she can get answers to his/her inquiries the soonest.
Of course there is this area of DCWD’s service we feel wanting in improvement. Say for example, in our case, bigger water bill could have been avoided had the meter reader brought to our attention – or to the attention of any other consumers similarly situated – the huge jump in our, his or her water consumption compared to the months preceding. After all, consumers are paying meter maintenance fee monthly.
Maybe the DCWD management can look into this aspect of the water firm’s service. We believe that considering consumer suggestions is one way of engaging the community in looking for viable improvement measures in utility companies like the DCWD.
On the whole though we can say that the clearly streamlined service delivery of the water district is an evolving culture in the organization brought about by the core work values defined by the DCWD policy making body.
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This is something unexpected and even intriguing.
We mean the bringing out into the open the issue of the unfinished restoration of destroyed roads due to the pipe laying of the Davao City Bulk Water Project jointly undertaken by the Apo Agua Infrastructura, and the Davao City Water District.
How come it took a city councilor from the first district to let out the people’s disgust on the still uncompleted road restoration? Why not any of the councilors from the third and the second districts where the destroyed roads are located? None of them has ever passed the affected roads? Or, are they deaf to the loud complaints of motorists and pedestrians using the affected thoroughfares?
Good thing that Councilor Angelo Mahipus of the second district was able to “piggy-back” on first district councilor Bonz Militar’s venting of his frustration. At least a whimper from the second district is heard.
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