Telephone Service Standards

In an effort to continuously improve the level of service we provide to the people of our agency, I am issuing this directive to define what I believe we should establish as telephone customer service standards.

To improve telephone customer service:

1. All callers should be able to reach a live person during normal business hours, if the person they are calling is not available. 
2. All menu-driven telephone systems should provide an option to speak to a live person.
3. Every effort should be made to return all calls within 24 hours or the next business day.
4. Voice mail greetings should be current and allow an easy means to get to a live person.
5. Telephone book listings should be updated and easy to understand.
6. Employees should not screen calls for the purpose of refusing to communicate with any person, unless there is a legal authorization to do so.
7. Agencies should provide training to employees to continuously improve the quality of telephone customer services in state government.

CONCLUSION

It is the responsibility of all state employees to respond to citizens’ calls promptly, professionally, courteously and respectfully.