Customer Service Award Goes To University Business Affairs Staff

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas office of customer relations will honor the recipients of the second annual Customer Services Award at a reception from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 20, at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House.

This year, the award will be presented to the business affairs staff. The team members include the following individuals: David Martinson, associate vice chancellor for business affairs; Rich Bundsgaard, director of printing services; Marcia Cooper, director of mailing services; Jane Eaves, business manager; James Ezell, director of risk management and telecommunications; Anita Phillips, administrative assistant; Denise Reynolds, financial analyst; Ali Sadeghi, bookstore manager; Gary Smith, director of transit and parking.

The Customer Service Award was developed to identify and reward teams in finance and administration that provide outstanding customer service during the course of a year. Any team within the division of finance and administration was eligible to compete for the award by submitting an entry. The criteria on which each entry was judged included the presentation of the program to internal and external customers, reinforcement of the team’s strengths, acknowledgement of obstacles, commitment of the team to customer service, and identification of solutions to problems. The criteria also included identification of areas needing improvements over the next 12 months. These improvements had to be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time specific.

The business affairs team won this year’s competition with their entry entitled, "Welcome Aboard". The focus of the project was the development and enhancement of the team’s role in welcoming and assisting new faculty. The program now includes an expanded role in the University’s New Faculty Orientation Program in which business affairs team members attend orientation to meet and provide information to the new faculty members. The new faculty members are provided their business cards, a business affairs booklet which contains pertinent information and key phone numbers, a campus telephone directory, campus maps and parking and transit information, memo pads, and are introduced to the business affairs website. Business affairs has recently also announced the launching of a new link on their website that provides a "one stop shopping" point for those considering moving to the area. The site provides links to chambers of commerce, real estate information, schools and other university information. The website address is:

http://www.uark.edu/admin/busaffrs/welcome_aboard.htm

Other teams that submitted entries include the University of Arkansas Bookstore web purchasing and sales team; the treasurer’s office; the Arkansas Bookstore graduation team; the University of Arkansas purchasing team; and the Human Resources’ classification/compensation/employment team.