By Jill Acklin, Indiana Office of Court Services
Every day we can provide superior customer service to the citizens with whom we come into contact—our “customers.” Judges are taking innovative approaches to customer service and are sharing what they have learned.
Often those who speak with court staff are intimidated, afraid, or confused by the judicial process. If the questioner doesn’t have his thoughts in order, court staff may find it difficult to assist the person. Floyd Superior Court 1 recently sought the advice of an expert in handling emergencies—a 911 dispatcher.
The dispatcher spoke about how best to obtain information from people in distress and diffuse situations. According to Judge Susan Orth, the dispatcher provided the following helpful tips:
- Be firm, yet understanding;
- Be empathetic;
- Be direct and specific with questions to narrow down the required information;
- Repeat statements back to make sure both of you understand correctly;
- Ask the person to speak more slowly if necessary;
- If you must refer them to another office, give them a phone number and, possibly, a contact name to ask for; and
- Do not judge or dismiss the person.
After providing the tips, the dispatcher devised some mock encounters and fact scenarios for the court staff and Judge Orth. These exercises showed how difficult it is at times to clearly get one’s point across to even the most seasoned court employee. The entire court staff found that taking a step back, putting themselves in the other person’s shoes, and reminding themselves how it feels to be on the other side of the counter was very enlightening.
It helps to keep in mind that the “customers” in front of you are often dealing with the most important issue in their life. They are undoubtedly emotional and not always clear in thought.
Judge Orth reported that she has already heard her staff using the information that they learned in the training with success, and she is using many of the techniques on the bench.
Finally, Senior Judge Barbara Harcourt observed that many times people come to the courts with a problem and what they are really looking for is a referral to a social service agency.
She recommends having a sheet prepared in advance with telephone numbers for places such as community mental health centers, the township trustee’s office, anger management programs, 2-1-1, and other local community resources/agencies. She also recommends always giving two referrals to increase the chances that the person will be able to locate assistance.
Every day across Indiana, new and pending cases alike bring attorneys, witnesses, jurors, interested parties, and litigants to Indiana’s courts. All of these encounters are opportunities to practice excellent customer service, and the ideas suggested above can be implemented in courts across the state to better serve all of our “customers.”