September 10, 2020
Michelle Bencomo
Las Vegas, N.M. – New Mexico Highlands University will kick off its fourth year of Power of Service Sept. 24, a program that works to train employees to provide exceptional customer service to students.
This year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Power of Service trainings will be delivered via the Zoom online video conferencing platform.
“Service leadership puts customer service representatives as the top priority,” said Highlands University President Sam Minner. “How we treat each other is manifested in how we treat our students. We want to continue to improve customer service to help our students achieve their goals.”
Michelle Bencomo, the student relations coordinator at Highlands, is a co-leader of the Power of Service program this year.
“The Power of Service committee works to provide free professional development training to Highlands staff and faculty,” Bencomo said, “Trainers, for the most part, are our own Highlands staff and faculty, providing training in specialized areas. Training is offered with the goal that providing education and knowledge campus wide will improve customer service at Highlands.”
Bencomo said that while COVID-19 could have halted the Power of Service trainings, the committee quickly pivoted from in-person to Zoom online delivery.
“It’s important to provide the opportunity for professional develop trainings during these coronavirus times to encourage the continued improvement in customer service at Highlands. Students are experiencing difficult times and it’s important that Highlands is one place they can count on for great customer service and support,” Bencomo said.
Bencomo said the Power of Service program launch for 2020-2021 includes a guest speaker, Lawrence Mirabel from the New Mexico Human Services Department, presenting on the topic, “Practicing Emotional Intelligence in the New Normal.” The Zoom link on Sept. 24 from 9 to 11 a.m. will be https://nmhu.zoom.us/s/96540773212.
“Lawrence will guide us through an overview of emotional intelligence, called EQ, and offer practical tips on how we can develop our emotional intelligence to build strong and lasting relationships in our new COVID present world,” Bencomo said.
Bencomo said the great thing about the Power of Service trainings is that the committee takes feedback from attendees and uses it to schedule trainings that are in demand from the campus community, ranging from technology resource training to stress management.
Other co-leaders of the Power of Service committee for 2020-2021 includes Highlands University staff
Veronica Black, Marcy Silva, Kevin Dominguez and Faron Valencia.
Additional Power of Service committee members include Linda Anderle, Anne Bradford, Inca Crespin, Steven Gonzales, April Kent, Patricia Lopez, Adele Ludi, Denise Montoya, Josephine Sena, Cheryl Trujillo, Marka Trujillo, Alyssa Valencia, and Vincent Vigil.