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Hello DHS,
Today I want to talk about customer service. For the last year or more, as we implement
the management system and the new DHS has been launched, we have focused intentionally
on outcomes and customers as our priority that�s why we�re here, that�s why we
do the work. We all have customers, and as part of our effort to focus there, we�ve
tried to implement new conversations and surveys to get that feedback loop going with our customers
around how are we doing? Are you getting from us what you hoped to get?
We got some preliminary survey results back from partners and stakeholders for the first
time at a statewide level all five program areas and a couple of things stood out for
me. Definitely there are some things that folks say we�re doing well and are thankful
for, and I want to recognize that. But I also, like I think is human nature, paid close attention
to the things we�re not doing quite as well, and I had a couple of thoughts as I read those
comments.
You know, most often the challenges we face and what we hear from our customers is that
it�s not so much what we do but how we do the work and how they feel when they leave
one of our offices, or how they feel when they�ve had an interaction with one of us.
I think most of us can attest that is true. If someone can�t help you, and you still
feel like you�ve been treated with dignity and respect, most often you are going to take
away that feeling even though you may be disappointed that you didn�t get what you needed.
I want to emphasize that so much of what we do ends up coming back to that Golden Rule,
you know, treating others the way you would like to be treated and thinking about how
you engage with folks and even if you can�t be helpful, focusing on the interaction and
engagement just like our Core Values tell us to do every day.
The other takeaway is that in each of the major initiatives we have to transform our
service delivery, we have a very intentional focus on that customer perspective and that
customer experience. It�s going to push all of us to new levels around allowing the
customer to lead instead of us in the human service arena being the experts in what it
is that we have to offer, instead it�s the client, the family, the consumer, the older
person, the younger person telling us what they need. Hopefully, we can figure out ways
to accommodate that need, but ultimately they�re in the driver�s seat (family-driven, customer-driven).
Those are cornerstones of our new delivery models and reflect the value we place on customer
service and the need for our customers to feel valued in what we do.
I want to close by saying that yesterday I saw an awesome presentation by an individual
who is a researcher and expert in trauma-informed practice, and he said something that stood
out to me. He said, Treat someone more kindly than you thought you needed to. He mentioned
that compassion is the number one evidence-based practice when working with individuals who�ve
experienced trauma. When I think about clients, and when I think about us and the challenge
of doing this work every day, I want to challenge all of you, and myself, to treat everyone
you meet more kindly than you thought you needed to.
Thanks so much for what you do.