Public agencies can make service feel more human by using plain language, listening closely, and explaining what happens next. Clear information matters especially when people are dealing with deadlines, benefits, permits, or other consequential services.
What can staff do during an interaction?
For an employee handling a complex request, Be There means attending to the person’s actual question rather than moving through a script on autopilot. A resident calling about an application, for example, may need to know which document is missing, how to submit it, and when to expect an update. Staff can acknowledge the concern, explain what they know, and say plainly when they need to check something.
Human service does not require promising an outcome the agency cannot deliver. It does require treating people with respect, being transparent about limits, and offering a useful next step, such as the correct office or a reasonable estimate of when information will be available.
At the end of a contact, ask the person to describe what they understand will happen next. If their answer differs from the plan, clarify it before the interaction ends.
Questions like this one, and many more about service culture, are explored in the FISH! Philosophy upgraded trial, which gives your team 30 days of access to the FISH! film and its digital guides.
