Administrative
Report
N.3., File # 23-6693 Meeting Date: 9/5/2023
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: ELIZABETH HAUSE, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER
TITLE
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A REVISED
COMMUNICATIONS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE PLAN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As part of the strategic planning process, the City Council approved an objective to update the City’s communications plan to address brand alignment, update customer service methodology, and identify new ways to encourage community involvement. Over the course of the last several months, the City’s Communications Team developed a Communications and Customer Service Plan that outlines contemporary engagement techniques and addresses the importance of both internal and external communication efforts. The Plan’s purpose is to guide staff on how to better connect with the Redondo Beach community and deliver higher levels of customer service.
BACKGROUND
A comprehensive communications and customer service plan is critical to the quality of community engagement of any public service organization. It ensures consistent, effective, and customer-centric communication, while fostering trust and improving the public’s perception of the City. Additionally, it empowers staff with the tools and methodologies needed to provide exceptional customer service, driving overall workforce success and sustainable skill growth. With this goal in mind, a Communications Team (Team) consisting of representatives from each City Department was established and tasked to update the City’s Communications and Customer Service Plan (Plan).
The existing Plan was created in 2009 and last updated in 2017 to address the advent of social media. Though the previous Plan provides details on communication tools and best practices, it lacks in application measures and offers little structure on how to engage employees in the implementation effort. After performing a comparative analysis of other cities’ plans and examining best practices in both the public and private sectors, the Team began crafting a Plan that 1) is easy to read, understand, and implement across all City departments, 2) elevates the type of customer service provided by employees and 3) encourages consistent, informative and relatable communication efforts with the community. Below is an outline of the development process and a brief overview of the new Plan.
Developing the Communications Plan
The development process began with specifying goals for the Plan. As mentioned, three priorities framed the Team’s efforts in creating the Plan: 1) readability and City-wide usability, 2) purposeful customer service enhancement and 3) consistent application and implementation. Next, the Team
N.3., File # 23-6693 Meeting Date: 9/5/2023
customer service enhancement and 3) consistent application and implementation. Next, the Team identified target audiences, which was largely outlined in the previous Plan and updated in the new Plan. Communications plans and assessments from other cities were then analyzed, including examples from Beverly Hills, Chula Vista, Hermosa Beach and Garden Grove. Communications plan development strategies were also pulled from private sector resources, which the Team used to supplement the proposed customer service and customer experience guidelines. The final step was an analysis of current communications and customer service practices within the City. The Team specifically noted areas of communication and service in which employees excel, but also examined aspects within the organization that may need additional support and training.
Equipped with these resources, the Team developed a Plan that defined tools and best practices for internal and external communications, emphasized the importance of customer service and created a clear definition of the Team’s role in implementing the Plan. Under the previous Plan, implementation processes were ambiguous. The new Plan offers clear guidance on how the Team will serve as the lead during implementation and what actions and events will take place to meet specific Plan goals over the next six months.
Internal Communications
In developing the internal communications section of the Plan, the Team wanted to focus on training and information-sharing. Oftentimes it becomes easy for a Department or Division to function within a silo; daily workload demands are high and projects require the full attention of employees. As a result, interdepartmental communication wanes and it is possible that information and critical updates are not shared as effectively as possible. In order to mitigate this, the Plan promotes regular interdepartmental training on procedures, processes and programs while also guiding employees on how to use existing software to enhance communication and information-sharing. Also included in this section is the launch of a quarterly employee newsletter; this will foster connections among City staff while also providing a means by which to update all employees on Council initiatives or new projects in the City.
The focus on internal communication in the Plan was intentional and it was placed at the fore of the document specifically because of its immense impact on external communication and customer service. Improved internal communication within an organization provides the following:
· Consistent Messaging: When employees are well-informed and understand organizational goals, they are more likely to convey consistent messaging to customers and the community.
This consistency builds trust and reliability and the community knows what to expect from the City
· Efficient Problem Solving: Effective internal communication ensures employees are aware of resident or business issues and concerns promptly. When employees can collaborate and share information efficiently, they can address customer problems more swiftly and effectively, leading to higher customer satisfaction
· Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Effective internal communication encourages collaboration among different Departments and Divisions within the City. This collaboration can result in the development of integrated solutions, better customer service strategies and more cohesive external communication efforts
· Employee Morale and Engagement: When employees feel well-informed and included in the City’s mission and goals, they are likely to be more engaged and motivated. Engaged
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employees are more likely to go the extra mile to provide excellent customer service External Communications
Effective external communication ensures that City staff are able to establish and maintain positive relationships with residents, businesses and other stakeholders. In developing this particular section of the Plan, the Team focused on ways to improve consistency in City messaging across multiple platforms as well as equipping staff with the skills needed to serve the public in a comprehensive manner. Enhancing communications during emergencies and ensuring publications are regularly distributed to the community are two items also addressed in this section. Although customer service and the role of the Team are touched upon in this section, these two topics are further expanded upon in additional sections of the Plan.
Customer Service
Customer service is at the center of the City’s functions. This section within the Plan highlights the importance of service standards and highlights the City’s commitment to equipping staff with the skills and knowledge necessary to cultivate a culture of excellence in service delivery. The Team also felt strongly that employees should be provided the opportunity to learn how to navigate difficult conversations and acquire fundamental de-escalation techniques should a situation ever require this skillset.
Communications Team - Core Functions
The Team has six essential functions:
· Strategic Communication and Planning: The Team is tasked with ensuring residents and other Redondo stakeholders are regularly informed about ways the Council’s Strategic Plan objectives and goals are being pursued and met. This can include project updates and forecasting Council agenda topics
· Communications Support for Departments: The Team will serve as the catalyst and conduit for sharing information with the public regarding programs, projects and events worked on by City staff
· Public Engagement: By using a variety of platforms and creating a content calendar, the Team will ensure the public is informed of events, City services and other civic engagement opportunities available in a timely manner
· Brand Management: Signage and branding varies throughout the City and within current communications systems. The Team will strategize ways to bring cohesion to the Redondo Beach brand and has already identified initial ways to begin doing so (see attachment E of the Plan)
· Emergency Communication: Though the Police and Fire Departments are at the helm of emergency communication procedures, the Team will serve as a support system and assist in message coordination.
· Employee Engagement: One of the Team’s priorities with the launch of the new Plan is to ensure employee engagement. The Team will continuously develop new ways to involve employees in both internal and external communication improvements and strive to maintain a consistent feedback loop to inform future efforts
Attachments
Unlike the previous Plan, the new Plan will not be a static document; it will continuously improve and develop to ensure the Team and City as a whole consistently grows and adapts as the field of communications and service evolves. This is particularly true for the attachments section, which
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communications and service evolves. This is particularly true for the attachments section, which serves to inform staff on a quick reference basis. This includes attachments for Emergency Operations Communications, how to use a Communications Request form, a Team roster and measurable 6-month goals.
Implementation
Upon Council approval, the Team will begin the implementation process which includes a kick-off meeting with City management, monthly Team strategy meetings, departmental information sessions and several other objectives outlined in Attachment E of the Plan.
Attached to this report is the new Plan, the previous Plan, and resources utilized to inform the development of the Plan. Staff is recommending Council approve the Plan and direct staff to begin implementation.
COORDINATION
The City Manager’s Office coordinated this report, and all Departments, through their designated Team member, participated in the development of the attached Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT
The cost associated with the development of the Plan is included in the City’s operating budget.
Future training opportunities will either be funded through existing FY 2023-24 training funds or through requested additions to the Budget, as needed.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
· Revised City of Redondo Beach Communications and Customer Service Plan · 2009 City of Redondo Beach Communications and Customer Service Plan · Team Resources: Communications Plans from other Cities, Plan Development Strategies and Customer Service Guidelines