Top Photo – When having a bad day, look for our trained and dedicated Parking Enforcement Officers to jump in and help with traffic control and public safety support whenever possible. When a driver’s tire came off his truck in Boulder, Colorado, while waiting for the tow truck, Sean Croteau, Fred Flesch, and Tucker Blanchard stepped in to create a safe environment for the vehicle owner.
Bottom Photo – Two veteran Parking Enforcement Officers, Fred Flesch and Roy Calvo, with almost 50 years of combined experience, quickly assisted a family visiting downtown Boulder, Colorado, whose car battery died. The dedicated officers use their training to help create parking access, look for opportunities to assist people in need, and provide excellent customer service whenever possible.
By Leo Pelle, PTMP
Parking Enforcement Customer Service. Does the word “enforcement” go hand in hand with customer service? Yes, it certainly does, and it can be demonstrated daily in both big and small ways. I want to speak more about this and how a servant leader can positively impact an enforcement team to serve their community and show this toward each other in internal customer service, leading to employee retention and a positive and happy workplace.
What is customer service? The Oxford dictionary defines it as “the assistance and advice provided by a company to those people who buy or use its products or services.” But it means so much more than this because it can create a feeling and attitude of support and motivate an individual to help others, bringing satisfaction and gratitude to both the giver and the receiver.
Customer Service involves using various tools, including listening, empathy, understanding, and problem-solving, while feeling empowered to help.
In my seven years as a parking enforcement supervisor with the City of Boulder, we always work hard to demonstrate the city values of Respect, Collaboration, Innovation, Integrity, and Customer Service. This shows up daily with anyone we cross paths with. However, the value of customer service involves more than just doing a job. It often goes beyond what’s expected. Whether changing someone’s tire, jumping someone’s dead battery, providing directions, or being there for someone in a time of need, we can always find ways to show excellent customer service. This cannot be just a simple expectation but must come from somewhere more than a policy. It’s seeing a community or customer as family. It comes from a heartfelt desire to help as if this person is a family member in a time of need.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts about this.
Leo Pelle, PTMP, is a Parking Enforcement Supervisor for the City of Boulder, Colorado. Leo can be reached at pellel@bouldercolorado.gov.
