City workers given customer service standards

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham staff are bringing an international approach to service to the city with the approval and adoption of new customer service standards by the city commission during the Monday, November 10, meeting.

Assistant city manager Melissa Fairbairn said the practice is seen in Canada, but would put Birmingham on the leading edge amongst neighboring communities.

According to Fairbairn, the intention with implementing the standards is to get all city staff on the same page as to what is expected of them as they interact with the public, ensuring people feel respected and listened to.

The drafted standards outline standards traditionally expected from service providers: greet callers and visitors in a warm polite tone; actively listen to community members’ concerns and work to find solutions; answer community members’ questions accurately and efficiently or connect them with the staff person who can.

During the commission’s discussion of the draft, mayor Clinton Baller suggested the standards should address laying out expectations. He argued the standards are about clarifying and establishing reasonable expectations and living up to them, particularly when it comes to turnaround time for things like permits.

Before voting unanimously, 7-0, to approve the standards, the commission agreed to add a list item that clarifies city staff should provide an estimated turnaround time to the community member for their request to be addressed.

Commissioners collectively stated they felt the standards were a great first step for city staff to implement. Several commissioners added that they’d like to see the city continue to make progress in developing service standards.

“I think this is an excellent first step as a general customer service standard for the city as a whole, but I think it would be good to try and move forward on more department-specific standards,” commissioner Therese Longe said.