LAWTON – At one time or another, just about everybody who has tried to register a complaint or get an answer to a question from a business or a government agency has been shuffled from one person to another, or put on hold indefinitely while subjected to irritating “elevator music” on a telephone.
The Lawton City Council recently enacted a customer service policy intended to prevent that from happening at city hall.
Council Policy 01-14 establishes “standards and expectations for delivering exceptional service to all citizens, businesses, and stakeholders” interacting with the City of Lawton, Deputy City Manager Dewayne Burk related.
For example, if an issue requires assistance from another department, “do not pass the customer between departments,” the policy instructs. The customer’s initial point of contact “should remain their sole contact with the city unless they request otherwise.”
Every action and service provided by the city should be “centered on the needs and well-being of the citizens.” All city employees “shall prioritize citizen satisfaction…” Information about municipal services, decisions and actions “will be made available in a clear, accurate, jargon-free, and timely manner.” The City of Lawton is accountable to its citizens “and will provide explanations for decisions and actions and take responsibility for outcomes...”
Municipal services “shall be delivered efficiently, with a focus on timely and cost-effective solutions.”
For example, Community Services Director Charlotte Brown, responding May 14 to questions from the city council about building permits, said the Building Division issued more than 1,500 building permits during the preceding 11 months and only six of them exceeded “the 30-day window” for processing.
A “sense of urgency” will guide city employees’ actions in “addressing citizen inquiries, complaints, and service requests,” the policy provides.
All municipal employees are expected to provide “courteous, respectful, and professional service.” The city is “committed to fostering a supportive and welcoming environment for businesses,” the council vowed. “We strive for excellence in all aspects of municipal operations.”
City employees are instructed to “listen attentively.” When a citizen is speaking to them, “listen without interrupting and acknowledge their concerns with nods or verbal affirmations.”
“Empathy training” is encouraged to help employees “understand and relate to customer emotions.” The city should “create channels” that enable citizens to “provide feedback experiences” with the city of Lawton.
Supervisors should conduct quality checks of customer service interactions “to ensure standards are being met.”
When handling complaints, “contact the customer as soon as possible,” the policy mandates. “This initial contact should always make the customer feel assured that their issue will be managed…” City Council members will forward complaints they receive to the city manager’s office “for appropriate assignment to city staff.” Those complaints “will generally be addressed within one business day unless circumstances … prevent immediate action.”