Chapter 16 - Providing Quality Customer Service

Question 1

External Local government customers

Answer 1

Citizens
Visitors
Local business owners
Vendor representatives

Question 2

Internal Local Government Customers

Answer 2

Co-workers
Management and supervisors
Employees
Other employees who depend on you for information or work products

Question 3

Expectations and standards

Answer 3

Citizens expect to get good value for the taxes and fees they pay.
Citizens expect government employees to deliver services in a prompt, efficient, effective, and courteous manner.
Service standards must be in alignment with customer expectations.

In the world of customer service, everything matters.

Question 4

Interpersonal communication that enhances customer service

Answer 4

Be positive
Practice good listening
Be aware of your nonverbal messages
Respect your audience
Choose the right communication method
Know when to ask for help

Question 5

Communication tips

Answer 5

When talking with a customer, take your time.
Speak slowly and distinctly.
Imagine that just before meeting you, the person received bad news.
Try not to nod too much while the other person is talking.
Avoid fidgeting, doodling, looking out the window, or otherwise failing to concentrate.
Avoid negative words and phrases.

Question 6

Aspects of professionalism

Answer 6

Appearance
Cleanliness and neatness
Courtesy
Greet customers when they arrive
Inform customers of how long a wait will be
Identify yourself and your department
Issue schedules, notifications, and announcements
Learning from complaints

Question 7

Tips for ensuring professionalism

Answer 7

Be sure employees know how to do their jobs.
Stay up-to-date on the use of new equipment and methods.
Avoid taking work breaks in public areas.
Encourage employees to give attention to their appearance.
Make sure employees understand common courtesy.
Consider using a rule for picking up the phone by a stated number of rings and for returning calls.
Develop guidelines for greeting customers, answering phone calls, and responding to e-mails.

Question 8

For a positive work environment,

Answer 8

Keep the workplace neat and clean
Plan the work space
Make sure that signs clearly mark the building and identify the work area
Create a pleasant work environment.

Question 9

To enhance organizational communication and culture,

Answer 9

Foster cooperation within your work team and with employees in other departments.
Make responsiveness and customer service a priority.
Freely share information with employees.
Communicate by example and instruction that gossip is unacceptable.
Keep informed of major changes in the local government.
Make sure employees are also well informed.

Question 10

Working with the media

Answer 10

Know your organization’s policy for dealing with the media.
If you speak with reporters, give complete, accurate information.
Do not talk about any issues beyond your area of expertise.
Encourage a reporter to talk to the mayor, local government manager, members of the governing body, and department heads.

Question 11

Pursuing continuous improvement

Answer 11

Align service standards with customer expectations.
Look for better and less expensive ways to get the job done.
Anticipate and prevent problems.