Earl Jarrett (second right), Chief Executive Officer, The JN Group, accepts 2020 Customer Excellence in Service Award in the large category, from Richard Rowe (second left), Deputy Chair, Jamaica Customer Service Association (JaCSA). Also celebrating the achievement are Leon Mitchell (left), Office of the Chief Executive Officer and Claudine Allen, Member Ombudsman. The presentation made at Chief Office on October 9. The JN Group, which was nominated for the award, was recognised for its outstanding customer service delivery and measures taken to ease the impact of COVID-19 on members.
The extensive relief efforts to ease the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on citizens, coupled with its outstanding customer service delivery, has resulted in The Jamaica National Group receiving the 2020 Customer Excellence in Service Award in the large category, from the Jamaica Customer Service Association (JaCSA). The presentation was made at The Group’s Chief Office on October 9, during National Customer Service Week.
Deputy chairman of the JaCSA and chairman for the National Customer Service Week 2020, Richard Rowe, commended The Jamaica National Group for placing customers at the centre of its business.
“The persons whose lives you touched were the ones who nominated you for this prestigious award,” he revealed.
He pointed out that the organisation was also assessed for its social media presence, communication with customers, testimonials, safety protocols and use of technology.
Claudine Allen, member relations executive at The Jamaica National Group, expressed delight on receipt of the award.
“The Jamaica National Group prides itself on providing great customer service over all these years. We are intentional about putting measures in place to ensure consistently good service across our various locations,” she said.
Noting the crippling effect of the Coronavirus pandemic, which necessitated creating other opportunities for customer service delivery, Ms Allen pointed out that the member companies of The Jamaica National Group undertook several welfare activities, to assist persons who were considered most vulnerable.
“When the pandemic struck, we realised that there were certain assets within our service delivery environment, which we needed to leverage to improve the wellbeing of persons, based on the unique circumstances we found ourselves in.”
Jamaica, like other countries, has been experiencing an economic setback brought on by the pandemic. Thousands of Jamaicans, many of whom work in the service and hotel industries, lost their jobs or had their salary reduced. A study released in September by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) revealed that 80 per cent of households had lost an average 46 per cent of their income, since restrictions began in March. To date, more than 8,000 Jamaicans have been infected with the virus and more than 170 persons have lost their lives.
Ms. Allen explained that JN undertook a holistic approach to alleviate the pressures members and customers were experiencing, as a result of the pandemic. The group of companies provided relief with respect to business relationships, while lending a hand to help on the personal side.
“JN Bank provided a suite of concessions for various categories of members – moratoria on loans, fee reductions and waivers, among other things. They also provided special packages for members who had been significantly impacted – tourism workers and civil servants.”
“We catered for the whole person. We provided them with information that they could use to navigate the environment; and then we tailored our operation to provide seamless services to members and customers. We distributed hand sanitizers and masks, as well as other supplies to frontline workers, nurses, policemen, firemen. Payment holidays, moratoriums and adjusted interest rates on loans were some of the initiatives we undertook,” she disclosed.
She further related that millions of dollars were distributed through the JN Circle chapters, a network of service organisations across the country established by The Jamaica National Group, to fund community projects and provide grocery vouchers to persons who were out of work. In addition, the JN Foundation initiated the creation of the JN Listing, a career resource website, to support small and medium-sized businesses to promote their services, provide information to job seekers and for employers to identify potential employees.
“In relation to occupational health and safety, and the preservation of life, we leveraged technology to make it easier to reach more customers; and to create a safer physical environment throughout the various locations of the member companies,” she revealed.
JN General Insurance Company, a member of the JN Group, over a two-month period, offered a 30-day free insurance with the purchase of a 30-day ‘Shorty’ short-term third-party motor insurance policy for as low as $2,500 per month. JUTA operators, who have been among the hardest hit in the economic fallout, were also provided with 20 per cent off general motor insurance, while public sector workers benefited from up to 35 per cent off motor insurance policies.
JN Small Business Loans, another member company, worked closely with small business operators to help to sustain their businesses and provided clients, 70 or older, with care packages. Other member companies in The Jamaica National Group, which were also integral to the welfare initiatives included: JN Money Services, JN Life Insurance, Jamaica Automobile Association and MC Systems.
This year’s Customer Service Week was held under the theme: ‘Customer Service A Fi Wi Business, Big and Small Serving All’.
