Winsome Wynter – Customs officer par excellence
THIS VERY calm, composed, customs officer has exemplified herself as customs officer par excellence and the epitome of the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) motto: ‘Country Above Self’.
As the first public sector employee to have copped the Tourism Product Development Company’s Tourism Service Excellence Award for 2016 speaks volumes of her character, integrity, and commitment as a public servant.
For this dedicated customs officer, she feels honoured, elated and humbled to be the recipient of such a prestigious award. She was quick to point out that it came as a pleasant surprise and that it felt good to be recognised for a job well done.
ALWAYS SMILING
Wynter wears an almost permanent smile and a pleasant countenance and has been within the employ of the public sector in general and the Jamaica Customs Agency for 37 years. She describes herself as “hardworking and reliable and always ready to assist in any way possible”.
She says the key ingredient that has contributed to her remaining in the public sector is the love of her job. She enjoys what she does and executes her daily tasks with passion. She admits that there are challenges; however, with the support of her colleagues, whom she regards as her extended family, the good times far outweigh the challenges.
She says that one of her greatest challenge during her 37 years is the language barrier that sometimes exists between officer and passenger. To alleviate this problem, she purchases language dictionaries and teaches herself.
Being stationed at the Sangster International Airport for over 20 years intermittently has proved to be very rewarding. There she, on numerous occasions, felt satisfied when the travelling public with whom she interacted, would commend her high level of customer service and client care.
‘COUNTRY ABOVE SELF’
In carrying out her daily tasks, she posits that the JCA’s motto, ‘Country Above Self’ is always at the back of her mind. This calm, cool and composed officer has made a tremendous contribution towards the JCA and by extension Jamaica.
Wynter says she finds great pleasure in assisting in training new recruits on how to deliver superior service. She also has taken part in mentorship programmes and imparts her knowledge in an effort to elevate the standard of public service employees.
When asked if she had to do it all over again, if she would she choose the same career path, her response was a resounding “yes!”