Ottawa County Customer Service Initiative

“Counties typically consist of more than thirty departments, offices, courts and agencies making them a tapestry of governments rather than a single hierarchical organization. As a result, developing a cohesive Customer Service Vision for Michigan county governments is a daunting task. Ottawa County tackled this major initiative under the guidance of Bill Capodagli. Capodagli led a representative steering committee who developed the Ottawa County Customer Service Story and Vision. He then facilitated lively and informative sessions with ninety thoughtfully chosen County influencers who used Storyboarding to develop customer service Action Plans and Codes of Conduct. Follow-up work will focus on training the remaining County employees and incorporating the Customer Service Vision into the orientation of new personnel. Along with providing a framework for customer service, the sessions broke down the silos that naturally develop between divisions and enhanced the sense of camaraderie in Ottawa County.”  Al Vanderberg, Ottawa County Administrator