Customer Service Week 2024: Above and Beyond 

“Above and Beyond” was a reference not just to the theme but also to the shared sense of pride among NYCHA development and department staff during Customer Service Week 2024, celebrated from Monday, October 28 through Friday, November 1.   

Gathering together for a week of communal events and activities across the city, employees were recognized for consistently rising to the occasion in service to the NYCHA community. NYCHA senior leadership and partners also highlighted the importance of customer service in daily emails. As an expression of thanks for their dedicated service, NYCHA’s thousands of employees were provided with certificates of appreciation as well as a complimentary NYCHA “swag” key chain.  

Below are some highlights of how NYCHA colleagues spent the week visiting developments, reviewing best practices, expressing team spirit, and motivating each other as the Authority demonstrated its commitment to providing great customer service.   

Senior staff site visits 

During the week, NYCHA senior staff visited developments to meet with property management staff and other employees, conduct on-site walkthroughs, and learn about the progress of various programs and initiatives.   

On October 29, the Learning and Development Department’s Maintenance Training Unit gave a demonstration on repairs for apartment ranges and refrigerators at Smith Houses in Manhattan. Several senior leaders in attendance praised the informative presentation on the improved repair process for appliances. 

“It was fascinating, and it gave me a new appreciation for the many skills our Maintenance Workers must master. Looking forward to next year’s sessions,” said Rosanne Pisem, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel. 

Vice President of Performance Tracking and Analytics Sybille Louis added, “It was very informative to learn about the stove and refrigerator repair process.”  

The Maintenance Training Unit also hosted a demonstration on stair climbers at the Douglass Houses training center on November 1.   

Jimmy Santana, Vice President for Public Housing Operations in Brooklyn, participated in a walk-through of one of the buildings at Whitman Houses on October 30. The tour – which included representatives from Finance, IT, Healthy Homes, and Property Management – covered the building inspection process, ongoing capital work, and move-out preparations.   

On October 31, Terence Schwartz, Chief of Labor and Employee Relations in the Law Department, joined a tour of Queensbridge South Houses with Neighborhood Administrator Carol Reed and Vice President for Public Housing Operations Neagia Drew.  

“The one-bedroom apartment and buildings we visited were in pristine condition,” Mr. Schwartz said. “The grounds were also immaculate and well-managed.” 

Team festivities 

Several departments celebrated teamwork during Customer Service Week by arranging breakfast and lunchtime gatherings, interactive functions, and group projects promoting the daily themes. 

At Highbridge Gardens in the Bronx, staff decorated the maintenance room in celebration of customer service, posting motivational quotes and a “sunshine board” to share inspirational materials for colleagues. Employees also gathered for a breakfast in recognition of going “above and beyond” for residents and presented excellence awards to deserving team members.  

Other teams that got together for a celebratory breakfast included Queens/Staten Island Property Management staff at International Tower on October 29. “Always remember, no matter who you are, what your title is, or where you work, that you have an important job and you are appreciated,” Administrative Manager Joan Akers said.    

As part of their Customer Service Week activities, staff at Wyckoff Gardens in Brooklyn created a fun NYCHA “Jeopardy” game to play, testing knowledge on topics such as Caretakers/grounds, supervision, NYCHA trivia, maintenance, and professionalism. The Wyckoff Gardens team also highlighted customer service on “Triumphant Thursday” by giving out certificates of achievement to individual colleagues and expressed unity by wearing shirts for breast cancer awareness.   

In Brooklyn’s Neighborhood 2 on October 30, Neighborhood Administrator Jacqueline Hipps said colleagues held a team lunch, where they also played games and had a friendly competition with a word search game.   

The Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Department embraced the “Above and Beyond” theme with several activities during the week. On Triumphant Thursday, EHS staff gathered for a breakfast where several team members were honored for their service with awards presented by Vice President for Environmental Health and Safety Patrick O’Hagan. All EHS team members additionally received their Customer Service Week 2024 certificates of appreciation.  

In another group meeting where certificates of appreciation were bestowed, the Strategy and Innovation, Performance Management and Analytics, and Performance Tracking and Analytics teams enjoyed a breakfast with department leaders at NYCHA’s central office. Some in attendance also played a fun “ice-breaker” game and two PTAD employees received their NYCHA work anniversary pins.  

Earlier in the month, the Learning and Development Department held a team celebration with Vice President Tischelle George at its quarterly meeting. Sporting their NYCHA shirts, team members reflected on recent achievements and efforts to improve programs for NYCHA employees and foster a culture of learning.  

Employee Recognition Program 

Another highlight of Customer Service Week was the second annual ceremony for NYCHA’s Employee Recognition Program, held on November 7 in the Fifth Floor Ceremonial Room at 90 Church Street. 

The Employee Engagement Department launched the Authority-wide Employee Recognition Program last year to instill pride, boost morale, and motivate team spirit. Keeping with this year’s customer service theme, the initiative aims to recognize employees and teams that go above and beyond when performing their duties and responsibilities, while celebrating those who have delivered good customer service to both residents and colleagues.  

All NYCHA full-time employees or teams (units, divisions, departments) are eligible to be nominated for the recognition program. Click here for more information.