President’s Report

Recently, I sat down with a major cell phone dealer in order to upgrade my cell phone and plan. I was so confused by all the different KINDS of phones and confused on all the different KINDS of plans available! The gentleman that helped me rattled off the technology like nobody’s business! I left the store satisfied with my purchase. I also left the store very much appreciative of my salesman’s attitude. He was not condescending, he was not “pushy.” He truly had good customer service skills.

That experience has led me to use customer service as a topic for this month’s column. We, as city officials, try our best to deal with our customers. But, unlike retail sales, our customer service usually is to deal with a disgruntled citizen, or a citizen that has not paid a utility bill. In other words, our customer service is quite often a negative experience.

And how can we put our best foot forward when dealing with these people? Quite often I try to understand the citizen’s situation. What would I do or think if I were in their shoes? I’ll let you in on a little secret. I am not the world’s greatest customer service rep. It is hard to listen to every excuse there is as to why a utility or nuisance property bill has not been paid.

Those of you that are elected officials deal with customers as well. At any given moment a citizen will call you and complain about the neighbor’s dog. Complain about the neighbor’s yard not being mowed and so on. As an elected official, you all do a good job of customer service because you listen. So, what is the next step? Your citizen needs to know that their complaint is being handled through the proper channels. Now, depending on how involved you are as an elected official in this process is up to you and your city. But, no matter what, you know you are trying to leave that disgruntled citizen with a positive “customer service” experience.

Effective customer service skills are developed through experience and practice. I was told that when you answer the phone you are supposed to smile. People can tell when you are smiling and that sets the tone for a good conversation.

City Hall is normally the first place a new resident will go when moving in to your community. What happens there will be reflective of what their attitude will be about your city. If they receive good customer service they will be excited to be a part of your community.

We are a little over a month away for the SDML Annual Conference in Watertown. I am getting excited to be a part of it again this year! It is great to network with friends and colleagues from all across the state. I hope you are able to join me and get ready to learn a lot of great things on a number of subjects.

Have a great September!

Jeanne Duchscher President