Service Orientation

Service Orientation -- Listening to and understanding the customer (both inside and outside government); anticipating customer needs; giving high priority to customer satisfaction.

To most citizens, the contact person is the organization. In their eyes, the organization is only as competent, knowledgeable, courteous, and reliable as the person who represents it.

Key Behaviors:

• Greets the person promptly and courteously.
• Pays attention to the person.
• Asks questions to determine the person's needs.
• Listens carefully and empathizes with the person's concerns.
• Offers relevant information.
• Summarizes to check for understanding.
• Acts or agrees on a clear course of action.
• Tries to do better than expected.
• Asks questions to check for satisfaction.
• Follows through.
• Thanks the individual.
• Takes surveys to determine people's needs.
• Is courteous to citizens, clients, patients, etc.
• Does not "pass the buck."

Key Words -- quality, responsiveness, courtesy, follow-through

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