In the true spirit of inter-agency partnership, the Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC) hosted the Immigration Department in a training session on October 23^rd.

Seven Immigration staff members (including five communication officers) engaged in a workshop covering Professionalism, Communications and Call Processing.  Consequently, skills were honed in the areas of customer service delivery, call processing/handling as well as telephone etiquette.

All attendees processed incoming calls to the Department of Immigration and attended the counter to assist walk-in customers.

The DPSC Deputy Director and trainer, L. Lennox Vernon, also discussed the art of effective communicating through active listening; improving speech and diction; and the impact that non-verbal communication has on daily interaction with people, be it in person or on the telephone.

Also covered were techniques for information-gathering, inferences and observations.

A follow-up workshop, in addition to ‘sit-alongs’ in the DPSC’s Public Safety Communications Centre (also known as 9-1-1), are scheduled for early November.

Chief Immigration Officer Linda Evans commented- “We welcome this learning opportunity for our staff and it speaks positively of the interdepartmental partnerships that exist.”