Customer Service

Providing Service

Providing service to the public is an essential duty that all employees of the County of Santa Clara are dutifully entrusted with by our taxpayers. It is crucial that services be consistently performed with the following in mind:

Be courteous and professional at all times, ensuring that clients feel at ease.
Listen patiently and attentivelyListen patiently and attentively; take the time to truly figure out what the client needs.
Communicate clearly and effectively, keep it simple and leave nothing to doubt. Remember communication is more than just the words you say.
Educate the client on what you can and cannot do, and give them realistic timelines, so they know what to expect.
In person communication is most effective, if the client has taken the time to come into the office, remember to take the opportunity to interact directly with the client.
Keep a calming presence; if the client is upset the situation will not improve if you become upset also.
Practice empathy: deliver unwanted information with a dose of care, concern, and understanding.
Respond with positive language:
- Without positive language: “You won’t get benefits until next month, because you didn’t fill out your form in time.”
- With positive language: “We can help you complete your forms today to ensure your benefits will be available on the 1st of next month.”
Be confident in your answers. If you do not know, it is okay to acknowledge that and inform the client you will get back to them with an answer.
Present a cheery personaPresent a cheery persona to the public; do not take things personally. Act as if you are having a great day.

Collect Calls

The Department of Employment and Benefit Services will accept collect calls from clients. For example, a worker may receive a collect call from a client in prison due to reporting that they are incarcerated or to initiate an application in anticipation of leaving incarceration. Refer to the Confidentiality and Collect Calls topic in the Clerical Handbook.