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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10D - Customer Service Standards MEETING DATE: AGENDA #: PREPARED BY: AGENDA ITEM: DISCUSSION: 16200 Eagle Creek Avenue S.E. Prior Lake, MN 55372-1714 CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT June 26, 2006 10D Kelly Meyer, Asst. to the City Manager Consider Approval of Amendments to the City Personnel Policy Relating to Customer Service Standards. Introduction The City's 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan identifies the need to expand and continually improve communication as a high priority necessary to reach the goals defined by our community. This fact was reinforced in 2006 when the City Council appointed the City's first ever Communications Advisory Committee. The objectives of the committee are to: 1. Review, make recommendations for, and monitor the implementation of the City's communications plan. 2. Provide suggestions for enhancements of communication tools to be used; 3. make recommendations for enhancing the City's relationship and communication with the public in day-to-day business affairs; and 4. make suggestions for ways to promote community pride, identity and image. Councilmembers LeMair and Millar are the members of this committee. Current Circumstances The Committee has met four times to date. One of the Committee's first focuses over the course of these meetings was to define and market the City's customer service expectations. The Committee solicited input from City staff, residents, and business owners. After reviewing and discussing their information, the Committee proposed a Customer Creed, and a list of 13 customer service standards. The Customer Creed is a statement of the level of service our customer can expect. It states "Our Customers can expect to be greeted courteously, with respect, a prompt offer of assistance, and a "can-do" attitude." With respect to standards of service, the committee proposes 13 standards divided into five different communication avenues as follows: In General - Under Promise and Over Deliver. Face-to-Face · Customers will be greeted courteously and their needs will be listened to attentively and empathetically. · If necessary to refer a customer to another person or department, the referral will be made with an explanation and a notification to the area where the customer is being transferred. · City employees will wear identification cards while on duty. www.cityofpriorlake.com 1:\COUNCIL\AGNRPTS\2006\customEp~OO~~~~~~~ / Fax 952.447.4245 On-the-Phone · The person answering a customer's call will identify him or her self and offer assistance. · The person answering the phone will listen and understand the nature of the request before transferring a call, and will inform the callers to whom they are being transferred. · Acknowledgement of voice mail messages will be made within one business day. On-the-Web · Information will be current, easy to access and include City e-mail addresses and phone numbers. · A link to technical support will be provided on the Home page. · All City publications and forms, and a calendar of City meetings and events will be available. CorresDondence (letters and e-mail) · Responses to letter and e-mail will be timely (within 48 hours), comprehensive and accurate. If providing an answer to a query will take longer, a phone call will be made to the customer describing the delay and intended response time. · Correspondence will include name, department and contact information of the sender. · Bills, statements and receipts will be accurate and user-friendly. The Communications committee is also recommending their first steps in marketing the plan. Customer Creed display banners will be placed in City buildings where customers are most likely to see them, and the Customer Service standards are recommended for inclusion in the City's Personnel Policy. Developing this customer service plan is not the only step the Communications committee has taken toward improving City communications. The committee also initiated a Builder/Developer forum. One forum has already taken place. The City Manager has distributed notes from that meeting in the Update (notes attached). The staff is working on the changes recommended by the builders and developers and will provide the Council a report and implementation process at the August 7th meeting. Conclusion The Council should consider whether the approach of the Communications Committee is appropriate, and if the customer creed and customer service standards are (1) responSive to the direction of the 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan, and (2) are consistent with the customer service expectations of the City Council. Council members LeMair and Millar may also wish to comment on the process and rationale for the recommendations. ISSUES: There are no significant issues. In many cases, the City staff already implements most of the customer service standards suggested. Adopting the standards and including them in the City's Personnel Policy better creates and better defines how our staff is expected to perform, formalizes those expectations, and allows us to better identify for the customer what they can expect from us as a City staff and City Council. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The financial impact of this action is minimal. At the point the costs are limited to staff time, and funding from the Personnel operating budget for banners and office supplies. Further expenses may be incurred if additional marketing initiatives are undertaken. ALTERNATIVES: 1. Motion and Second to Adopt the Customer Creed and Customer Service Standards, and Directing their Inclusion in the City's Personnel Policy. 2. Provide feedback and refer the item back to the Communications Committee for further review. I:\CQUNCIL \AGNRPTS\2006\customer service standards. DOC RECOMMENDED MOTION: ~t1 Frank Boyles, Alternative 1. I:\COUNCIL \AGNRPTS\2006\customer service standards. DOC I B \4' \ ell (' - D~'J'tll> ptY" \- ~V" \A..W' No} t ~ - :rIA. '" ~ B, zoo h Thanks for participating! I thought it went very well and provided a great opportunity to get sorne inkling about steps we might take to further improve our solid level of service. While we will want to take sorne tirne to think these things though, I would like you to start thinking of how we rnight manage the following: BUILDING PERMITS 1. What are logical classes of building permits based upon tirne required for review and approval? 2. For each class what standard for approval time can be established which will challenge us but at the same time be achievable 95% of the time? 3. How do we go about tracking permits issued each month to see to what extent we are meeting our standards? How do we go about publicizing the standards and our achievement of them? 4. How do we get the tern plate survey to those requesting perrnits so this does not continue to be a major source of delay in the permit issuance process? 5. Since engineering drawings is a second problem area for building permits, do we have a template for them as well or do we conduct a forum for engineers and surveyors together? 6. How best do we share our internal building permit checklists with contractors? INSPECTIONS 1. How do we help applicants to show the preconstruction condition of sidewalks, aprons and the like so we do not fight about who is responsible at yO ji_~e. __ __ 2. Who should prepare a brief procedure for soliciting a second opinion if they disagree with an inspector's interpretation? How do we share with contractors? VARIANCES 1. Should we forrnalize the process and documentation of the track record of PC and CC with similar variances? 2. To what extent can staff suggest alternatives that do not require variances without becorning the petitioner? In short, how do we assist without going too far? FINAL CERT OF OCCUPANCY 1. Consider whether to require an as built survey of the grading. CONCEPT PLAN 1. Who should prepare a standard construction plan set to be emulated by petitioners? 2. Do we include the template survey and engineer drawings here as well? 3. How do we encourage petitioners to consider ponds and topography in their concepts? PRELIMINARY PLATS 1. Try to get all department DRC comments back to petitioner at the sarne time. 2. Give them and idea of when the comments will be returned. 3. Keep the nurnber of rnemos down to a minimum. 4. Communicate to engineers and surveyors only through the petitioner. FINAL PLAT 1. When do we go over the development contract docurnent with thern ASAP after preliminary plat approval? COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT 1. No Issues LOT OF RECORD 1. No Issues OTHER ISSUES 1. Can we issue a model home permit before blacktop with appropriate restrictions? 2. How do we encourage those who are skeptical about PUD that we all end up with a better subdivision? I need to go through my notes again but I thought this might help get things going. We will need to back to the council in 60 days with our proposed and irnplemented changes. Let rne know if I have made errors or missed anything. Thanks. Frank.