The Municipal Customer Service Program

The James Madison Group’s unique Municipal Customer Service Program teaches principles and skills that apply to virtually all municipal employees. Those who interact with citizens or co-workers in the office, on the phone, in the community, or in the field will find new ways to approach both internal and external customers more professionally. Your staff will be known by citizens for their high-quality service. If you prefer, any of these four workshops may be taken separately.

To complete the Municipal Customer Service Program each attendee simply completes all four of the ½-day onsite workshops listed below. We recommend these workshops be done over a 2- to 8-month time period. After each participant completes the program, they will receive a certificate of completion signed by the Chief Administrator and/or Human Resource Director.

Course descriptions follow:

Communication Excellence in the Public Sector

Excellent customer service begins with exceptional communication skills. Whether it’s speaking with the proper tone of voice, listening intently, or using the right body language, it’s important to come across as a professional.

• Come and discover both your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communicating with the public and your co-workers.
• After you learn the finer points of communication, put that knowledge into practice with some enlightening team activities.
• Learn your unique communication style and how it can benefit your team and the citizens.

Take your customer service skills to a higher level so that you can truly enjoy your role in communicating policies, procedures, and other important information to the citizens.

Customer Service Excellence in the Public Sector

Customer service in the public sector comes with unique challenges. Citizens have different expectations than customers in the private sector and they’re not afraid to share them. This can create situations that challenge even the most seasoned customer service veteran.

• Find out what research has shown that citizens expect from you and learn how to not only meet but also exceed these expectations.
• Work with your co-workers as a team to find practical ways to serve the customers and each other in carrying out your organization’s policies and enforcing its codes and laws.
• Learn how to portray a professional image to the citizens so they know you’re serious about excellent public service.

You can make the citizens walk away with a good feeling about their experience with you while showing your team that you are a professional providing a real service, not just an employee doing their job.

Dealing with Angry Citizens and Difficult People

Most citizens and co-workers are reasonable and with a little effort and tact you can handle them with ease. But some external and internal customers can overwhelm even the most patient people.

• Learn proven techniques to deal with angry citizens and difficult people.
• Identify six different types of difficult people and how best to approach them.
• Practice a no-nonsense strategy for calming irate customers down and discerning their needs.
• Win the customer (or co-worker) over by using the 5-A approach to solving any customer problem.

By practicing using some real-world situations, you’ll leave the workshop ready and eager to face the next surmountable challenge.

Teaming up to Better Serve the Citizens

When all departments are working together in a coordinated effort, the citizens receive better service and have a more positive opinion of their local government. When that spirit of true teamwork is not evident, productivity goes down and the organization’s customer service reputation is tarnished.

• Learn the qualities necessary to become better team players.
• Build skills in creating a climate of trust, appreciation, and cohesion.
• Discover how to work through differences for the common good of your teams, the municipal government, and the community.

Each team member will better understand their role in helping their supervisor and co-workers accomplish team goals and tasks. The result will be a more productive, committed, and motivated team members; and a well-served public.