Positivity – approach everything with a positive ‘can do’ attitude
Reliability – always do things when we say we will, and do it perfectly every time
Initiative – foster and encourage initiative in all our employees
Caring – care about and for our staff and our clients
Efficiency – no fuss, no mistakes, urgency without haste or drama
It’s reflected in all our behaviours toward our clients, suppliers, colleagues and society at large.
It describes how we continue to deliver exemplary customer service, and develop our staff both professionally and personally.
It underpins and drives our purpose, vision and values.
We say that caring requires synchronisation of three dimensions… of the Head, Heart and Hands. For example, when our staff approach the needs of a client, they’re not only concerned with satisfying the tangible and technical task requirements (Hands) which electricians can easily gravitate to; but first they must use their Heads eg planning, organising, safety checking, and documentation. They must also consider how the proposed work will make people feel (Heart) such as business and personal effects like convenience, containing costs, keeping people informed, respecting the time of others, etc. These principles are applied situationally, and with regard to all parties eg suppliers, other trades like builders, and so on.
We expect our staff to treat all contacts as they themselves would like to be treated. And importantly, to pause and ponder … ‘how could I/we care more for this person/organisation’. It’s an ongoing intentional process with a specific question:
The question is: ‘how can we CARE more’, and the answers are reflected in 4 observable competencies:
Communication – ask good questions, take good records, keep people informed, document well..Appreciation – be personable, treat different people and situations differently, understand fully before acting, say thank you, etcResponsibility – own the process and the outcome, be proactive, avert or inform of potential problems, no excuses, etcExpertise – keep up-to-date, be sure before you act (or revert to C and ask a question), find a better way, etc.
There is obviously a lot to caring. It’s not a set of rules. It’s an attitude. And it’s something we work hard at instilling and reinforcing because it’s not typical of the trades in general, including the electrical trade in particular. So we choose our staff carefully, and we induct them rigorously. A brilliant technician who doesn’t care will never pass the probation period at ComSpark. Caring is part of being ‘more than just electricians’. It underpins our PRICE guidelines. And it extends to our charitable giving.
So many people are disadvantaged – locally and internationally – and ComSpark is committed to regularly supporting (with money, time and skills) specific organisations that directly assist those who are disadvantaged.
For example … we financially support a number of not-for-profit clients with capped profitability pricing which is rebated quarterly as a donation. If you’re a NFP, feel free to contact us about such an arrangement with your own organisation.
We also donate regularly to several cancer research and treatment organisations. This has arisen largely out of the history and associations of past and present staff, particularly in remembrance of Frank Battista.
We also have a policy of involving our clients in giving by passing on some of their fees to each of three overseas charities we’ve chosen to support long-term. Specifically, $1 of every invoice we issue is donated, 33 cents per invoice to each of our chosen charities. We do this every month. So for example, if we issue 999 invoices in April, we pay each charity $333 in May, that’s $999 in total (on top of our other charitable endeavours). It doesn’t matter whether a given invoice is for a large or small sum of money. It all averages out over time. It’s just a simple way to involve all of our clients. It may not sound like a lot; but overseas it does … and the dollars soon add up over the months. Our clients aren’t paying any extra. We’re just passing on a gift … sharing some of the abundance of our society.
The below chosen overseas charities have Australian offices, and together they reflect our culture of CARE:
The services of these charities are provided without discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs, race, gender, culture, social position, or nationality. They also ensure a high percentage of donated funds directly benefit the needy as intended.
Caring necessarily requires an outward focus, getting outside ourselves and our personal needs and giving to someone else instead. People who don’t give evidently don’t care. And those who care to give usually receive the most in far more valuable ‘currencies’. The philosophy and practice of giving is integral to our training in careful customer service.
If our ethos resonates with you and your organisation, maybe we’re the electrical contractors you should be partnering with.
