Michelle Pollard-Gonzalez knows that good customer service is critical to the success of any business. Serving as Member Ombudsman at the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS), her core focus is on customer service and quality assurance. But with all these responsibilities she still finds time to enjoy some quality time away from the job. This she shared with Outlook recently.

1. What is the last book you read?

The last book I read was Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell's book seeks to explain why some people excel and some don't. He presents a number of case studies and looks for the things that successful people have in common. The book really gives examples to explain what we already know - hard work and being in the right place at the right time works!

2. Whose CD are you listening to now?

I enjoy a wide cross-section of music. Right now, I'm listening to a CD that is a compilation of music which includes music from Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Cuba and West Africa.

3. Where was the last interesting place you visited and why you found it so?

The last interesting place I visited was a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, New York. What was amazing was how relaxed the staff was while making 400-plus people feel welcome and satisfied. As a customer service practitioner I was absolutely fascinated at the ability of the staff to effortlessly control a crowd of this size by following some simple in-house rules.

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com