Kharina Zainal
Ministry of Finance

Every cloud has a silver lining. Every unpleasant situation has a bright side. For Kharina Zainal, her encounters with impatient customers have driven her to deliver excellent service.

Kharina, who is Head (Social Programmes) at the Ministry of Finance (MOF), handles a broad range of tax, budget and financing issues.

Her customers are officers from the Ministry of National Development, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and their statutory boards. She works closely with them on policy development and implementation matters.

Living up to the Golden Rule

When Kharina first joined MOF in 2000, she had difficulty adapting to policy work.

"On one occasion, an impatient caller sounded very annoyed over the telephone and I felt intimidated," she recounted.

Such incidents remain fresh in her memory and impact the way she relates to her colleagues and customers.

She said: "Whenever new officers or counterparts from other ministries come to me, I'd remember the plight I used to be in and I'd be more patient with them."

By treating others the way she would like to be treated, Kharina won over many customers. She also received the MOF Star Service Award in 2004.

Making friends, building trust

Sharing her approach to customer service, Kharina said: "I treat my customers the way I treat my friends. I make the effort to know them personally so it becomes so much easier to work with them on an ongoing basis."

Meetings with her often end with lunches or tea breaks together because she believes such interaction help to "break down barriers and get the working relationship going".

She also proactively addresses her customers' concerns. For example, she knew that her counterparts in the various agencies are hesitant about sharing their ideas with her. They fear that should their ideas be turned down, they cannot return to appeal. So they approach MOF only after clearing their proposals with their top management. But by then it would be too late for her to give her inputs and very difficult for her to assess the projects.

Kharina assured them that MOF's objectives are the same as theirs - developing policies for the benefit of Singaporeans and Singapore. She encouraged them to share their ideas with her early and arranged for confidential discussions where she contributed her ideas and expertise.

Her efforts convinced the agencies that MOF is pursuing their best interests. "Ministries are now very forthcoming and willing to share ideas," she said.

Going the distance

What impresses Kharina's customers most is her willingness to help them.

On one occasion, officers from MICA approached MOF about tax incentives to attract people to donate to arts groups. Kharina evaluated their proposal and found it unsuitable. Instead of flatly turning it down, she and her team spent six months developing an alternative tax proposal with MICA's aims and needs in mind.

Kharina's helpfulness has won her praises. For example, a customer wrote: "I would like to commend Ms Kharina Zainal for her excellent responsiveness and service quality. Among all the MOF officers I have worked with, she is the most efficient and helpful. She is also knowledgeable in her area of work."

Summing up why she always tries to help others, Kharina said: "If you can do a good job and make somebody's day, why not? Besides, I see myself working with my customers in the long term."

— Contributed by Lee Kok Fatt, MOF