IAAP – Municipal Employees Chapter

1. Recognize Who Is The Customer.
The customer is someone who receives service.

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.