2. Why Is The Customer Here?
To receive service with a caring and helpful attitude.

3. What Is Government Customer Service?
Government Customer Service is to project at all times a good public image to the taxpayer.

4. How Should We Serve These Customers?

• Greet the customer.
• Listen carefully.
• Keep a positive attitude.
• Treat customers in a friendly and courteous manner.
• Smile when servicing the customers.
• Feedback or verbal communication = WIN/WIN situation.
• Answer all questions to the best of your ability.
• Refrain from talking to fellow coworkers.
• Act in a professional manner.

5. Projecting A Positive Attitude Brings Quality Customer Service

• Quality service begins with learning and using the customer’s name.
• Identify yourself by using you name during the transaction.
• Smile and look pleasant when someone approaches your workstation. Greet your customers with a phrase such as: “Hello” or “How can I help your today?” and a good closure such as: “Thank you” or “Have a good day.”
• Terminate personal conversations while working at your workstation. This projects a very unprofessional manner.
• Maintain eye contact while talking with your customers.
• Arrive early at your workstation to assure that you are organized for the day’s work.
• Send the message of professionalism through your appearance.
• Keep your workstation free of personal items.
• Make a concerted effort to avoid mannerisms or habits, which are annoying to the customers.
• Have an interested demeanor by appearing calm and patient when talking and listening to customers.
• Maintain appropriate atmosphere by appearing friendly – yet professional.
• Enhance your credibility by speaking in a firm, clear and well-modulated voice.

6. Practical Tips for Good Customer Relations:

• Do not take the customer’s behavior personally.
• Make solutions your goal.
• Choose your words carefully.
• Avoid statements like:
• “Why didn’t you…”
• “You probably did this wrong.”
• “People are always making that kind of mistake.”
• “It’s not my fault!”
• “If you would have only…”
• “It’s not my department.”
• Try instead:
• “Let’s see what we can do.”
• “Why don’t we try this?”
• “I’ll bet we can work that out by doing this.
• “Mistakes do happen. Let’s see if we can figure this out.”
• Pay attention to your voice tone and facial expressions.
• Speak in a softer voice.
• Use their name.
• Use words that convey understanding:
• “I’m sorry this happened.”
• “I can see that you’re upset.”
• “I’m sorry that you’ve been inconvenienced.”
• Listen carefully to the customer.
• Make sure you’ve done all you can.

7. Problem Solving Procedures
Listen to the problem:
One has to listen to the customer, looking for paths that lead to understanding and problem solving:

• Let the customer tell his story
• Listening is a skill

Give the person a chance to express his feelings, this will help calm down an irate customer:

• The best medicine for an upset customer is to let him tell his story

Identifying the problem:
Identifying the problem involves asking the taxpayer property tax related questions:

• It requires the ability to paraphrase the taxpayer’s question.
• The employee must be knowledgeable of Georgia property tax laws, county procedures and accessible to reference material within the office.

Solving the problem:
Get the necessary paperwork to solve the problem:

• Ask the customer if you may look at his documents and other paperwork.
• Read the material very carefully and find what papers and/or documents you will need to solve the problem.

You may need assistance in solving the problem:

• Refer to any reference materials such as: Property Tax SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) manual, Georgia Property tax laws or local ordinances.
• Seek assistance from a supervisor or manager who can help you solve a customer problem in an expedient manner.

8. Nonverbal Communication

• Facial Expression-You want to have a calm, concerned, sincere interested facial expression.
• Body Posture-Stand/sit up straight. Maintain a non-threatening, open body stance.
• Don’t crowd the customer.
• Movement-Respond in an efficient manner.
• Gestures-Uncross your arms, show you are listening and have an open mind.
• Chewing Gum or Eating-Don’t chew gum or eat when on the phone or in the public
• Eye.
• Voice Tone-People respond more to how you say something than to what you say.
• Speak with a calm, caring and soothing tone.
• Sighing-Sighing suggests impatience. Don’t sigh in front of customers.

REMEMBER: A customer wants to be assisted by a professional, to be heard and understood and to be fully informed. This gives the customer a feeling that they obtained QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE.

When you are warm and friendly, courteous and tactful you stand out as someone special.

FIVE WAYS TO SOUND AS GOOD AS YOU REALLY ARE:

1. Alertness – Show that you are wide-a-wake, ready to help the person on the line
2. Pleasantness – Put a smile in your voice
3. Naturalness – Use simple, straight-forward language. Avoid technical terms and slang
4. Distinctness – Speak directly into the telephone transmitter, pronouncing your words clearly and carefully.
5. Expressiveness – Talk at a moderate rate and volume, but vary the tone of your voice. This will add emphasis and vitality to what you say.

WHEN YOUR TELEPHONE RINGS:

• Answer Promptly – Quick service helps build a reputation of efficiency for you and the county, so try to answer on the first ring, if possible.
• Identify Yourself – It gets the conversation off to a good start and helps personalize the call.
• Be Friendly – Show that you’re interested. Be a good listener so the person will not have to repeat what he/she says.
• Be Considerate – Don’t try to carry on two conversations at once. Callers shouldn’t be made to feel they’re competing with people in your office for your attention.

KEEP IN TOUCH:

When you must leave the line to obtain information for the caller, it’s courteous to say, “Can you hold? Or should I call you back?” If the person chooses to stay on the line, use the “hold button” or lay the receiver down gently. Should it take longer than expected to gather material, return to the line every 30 seconds or so to assure the caller you’re working on the request. You might say, “Miss________, I’m still checking on that for you.” When you have the information, thank the caller for waiting.

Transfer a call only when necessary. Handle the call yourself, if you can. But when you need to transfer a call, explain why you’re connecting the customer with someone else. Be sure the party wants to be transferred. If not, offer to have someone call back. If the caller agrees to stay on the line, then transfer the call to the appropriate person.

Take time to give the call a good ending. Thank the person for calling and do your best to close the conversation in a way that will leave the party feeling satisfied. After you say good-bye, let the caller hang up first.

TELEPHONE COURTESY:

• It’s better to spend a few minutes keeping a customer happy than to work hours regaining goodwill.
• Greet callers pleasantly, be enthusiastic and sincere.
• Use the person’s name.
• Treat every call as an important call. When customers feel you are giving them personal consideration, they’ll have more confidence in you and the county.
• Be tactful. When it’s necessary to refuse a request because of county policy, give a full and sympathetic explanation.
• Use common courtesy words – say “Please,” “Thank you” and “You’re Welcome.”
• Keep your promises.
• Suggest an appropriate time to return calls.
• Apologize for errors or delays.
• Show co-workers the same courtesy you show customers.

YOU CAN BE A GOOD LISTENER:

• Limit your own talking
• Think like the customer
• Ask questions
• Don’t interrupt unless necessary
• Concentrate on what’s being said
• Take notes
• Listen for ideas—not just words
• Add an occasional “Yes, I see”
• Turn off your own worries
• Prepare in advance
• React to ideas—not to people
• Don’t jump to conclusions
• Listen to tone of voice