Nicola Adair Explores the Broader, Deeper Impacts of Service
October, 2010

Many people have ideas about service —from a waiter responding to a request for more water to an executive responding proactively to a client complaint. But to Nicola Adair, service is a deep, personal motivation as well as a corporate brand.

Adair, administrative coordinator of projects in the office of the dean, recently submitted a power point presentation on the idea of service for the medical college’s Shared Values Campaign, which won the vote of her colleagues. A lot of the ideas for her presentation came from past experience when she was charged with a brand campaign, and realized that a company’s image is much more than just what’s shown in a logo.

“Excellent service is a brand,” Adair says. “Every interaction we have, internally and externally, allows people to form an opinion of WCMC-Q as an organization.”

Beyond smiling when someone enters the office or sounding pleasant on the phone, Adair says excellent service involves going beyond the expectations in every situation to ensure needs are met and that everyone is advancing and motivated. As an example internally, she spoke of her experience with WCMC-Q’s Human Resources division when she was moving to Qatar.

“When I started, I received excellent service from HR in terms of communication and support,” she said. “And this allowed me to form a positive impression of that division.”

Doing more than what is required on an average, action-packed day may seem like a lot to ask, but according to Adair, the benefits outweigh the cost.

" When I get home at the end of the day, and I know that I’ve done everything and more than what was expected of me, I feel completely motivated for the next day,” she says. “Just knowing that you have made someone’s life easier is completely motivating.”

To view Adair’s presentation and earlier submissions in the Shared Values Campaign, click here.

By Emily Alp