Garrison pledges to care for customers, employees through SCI

By Ms. Mary Ann Davis (IMCOM)August 11, 2017

SCI Signing 1
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Right) Col. Keith E. Igyarto, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander, signs the Service Culture Initiative Customer Pledge with support from (center) Deborah Reynolds, USAG RP deputy to the garrison commander, and (left) First Sgt. Japonica Ar... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
SCI Signing 2
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Right) Col. Keith E. Igyarto, U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander, signs a Service Culture Initiative Customer Pledge with support from (left) USAG RP Deputy to the Garrison Commander Deborah Reynolds, Aug. 10, 2017. The customer pledge pro... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- The U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz commander signed two Service Culture Initiative pledges Aug. 10 to further solidify an ethos of care and respect for customers and employees.

Col. Keith E. Igyarto, USAG RP commander, signed an SCI Customer Pledge, committing garrison employees to build positive customer relationships, while providing excellent service and treating patrons with dignity and respect. He signed the SCI Leadership Pledge to encourage professional, positive work environments led by caring, engaged leaders.

"We have a pledge to our customers about what they can expect from the garrison and how we are going to treat them in a culture of providing service first," the commander explained. "Then we have a pledge from leadership to the most important part of our formation -- our employees, service members and civilians."

For more than a year, Installation Management Command has embarked on an initiative to enrich the customer-service experience. Treating customers with dignity and respect starts with Army leaders doing the same to their employees. By leaders creating an agreeable atmosphere promoting a excellence, value and a sense of belonging, employees are more likely to have a positive attitude and enjoy working for their organization. This attitude is brought forward during interactions with their customers.

"SCI holds tremendous impact potential for the garrison," said Jacqui Haggerty, SCI manager. "It reminds us that as Army professionals serving our military community, we have more than just an assigned job to do -- we have a responsibility."

The Department of the Army has made great strides in attempting to ensure the services and programs customers receive at one duty station are the same programs and services they receive at a garrison anywhere in the world, Haggerty said.

"Although they may be executed a bit differently, the opportunities still exist," she said. "The problem is -- 'same' isn't good enough. It never has been."

Haggerty compared SCI to the various slogans the Department of the Army has used throughout the years -- "Be All That You Can Be," "Army of One" and "Army Strong."

"SCI takes all of these slogans and creates a solid foundation every Army professional can adhere to," she explained.

Be All That You Can Be -- The garrison promises to position its workforce with the tools and training necessary to evolve into a cohesive, competent and compassionate team that anticipates customer needs and goes out of its way to make every encounter a pleasant one.

Army of One -- The team is only as strong as the individuals working in it. Each Army professional brings a different set of strengths and history of experiences to his or her assigned job. The garrison operates as "One Team" with each team member empowered to make a difference.

Army Strong -- It is only through the strength of Army professionals that the Army, as a whole, remains strong. Soldiers on a mission cannot be expected to keep their heads in the game if they are preoccupied with worries tied to the home front. USAG RP Army professionals are undergoing a profound change in work culture and in the way they do business. Learning that strength of character, integrity and compassion must be in equal measure to career expertise is how people learn and begin to grow.

"The sincere desire of each and every Army professional here is to make USAG RP the assignment no one wants to leave and everyone wants to come back to," she said. "That is our responsibility -- ensure each and every person assigned here, feels like they've 'come home.'"

SCI Pledge Signing