Excellent customer service starts internally and is reflected externally. Unless processes, procedures, organizational culture, and employee relationships support a service environment, the organization will fail to deliver terrific service. You must begin by determining who your internal customers are, understanding their needs, and fostering a sense of unity at your organization. Then you must understand how teamwork and service teams can benefit your organization. Partnering successfully and learning to empower service agents are other important elements.

Customer service is about the way any organization or business, including DHHS, responds to needs and requests from both outside and within the agency. A customer may be a North Carolina resident, someone from another state, another agency or business, or the person at the next desk.

Customer service impacts every goal and initiative of DHHS. From the Secretary down, DHHS is committed to serving the citizens of North Carolina. Accountability for outstanding service is delegated to each division/office/institution director and cascades down to each individual employee. Every DHHS employee's goal should be to inspire our customers and be accountable. Providing quality customer service is the way we do business!

Please take time to look at the information contained in the links on this page. No one has THE answer to flawless customer service. But by concentrating on service outcomes, the impact of our actions on customers, and how to improve the way we do things, we will improve our customer relationships.

Excellent customer service doesn't just make "customers" happy; it also makes for a better working environment for employees and a more effective agency.