Customer Service Excellence

Reginald Drake
Planning and Development
His company needed help getting an apartment project approved, wrote Gregory Harbin, president of Heights Builders Inc, so he called Reginald Drake. Drake was pleasant, thorough and helpful, Harbin wrote.

“He is a uniquely outstanding worker who went above and beyond the average employee,” Harbin wrote. “He also realized we were people and treated us as such.”

Naz Sabripour
Convention and Entertainment Facilities
“A great deal of planning and preparation is required for an event to be successful,” wrote Dave Lutz of Conferon. “Our experience in Houston – and specifically with Naz Sabripour – exceeded our expectations on all levels.”

Thanks to Sabripour’s attention to detail and fantastic customer service, Conferon’s annual trade show was a success, Lutz wrote.

“Her communication skills are among the best our planning team has experienced!”

Hiawatha Henry, Rosa Gutierrez
Library
Kudos to Hiawatha Henry, whose kind persistence got Mike Ferrell the clarification he needed about the library’s policy regarding stolen items. Someone had stolen a disc Ferrell had checked out from the Kendall branch library.

“Ms. Henry was friendly and cordial – an example of what our founders expected of a civil servant,” Ferrell wrote.

He also commended Rosa Gutierrez, whose efforts helped avoid further confusion.

Deborah Payton
Solid Waste
“Deborah Payton proves there is still professionalism and customer service to be had in Houston,” wrote Deborah Sifuentes after talking to Payton about her 80-year-old parents’ disabilities.

Laura Garza
Municipal Courts Judicial
Laura Garza was knowledgeable, prompt, friendly and helpful when Quyen Nguyen called about a citation he’d received. “Despite my unpleasant personal situation, Laura still managed to make the entire inquiry a pleasant one,” Nguyen wrote.

Byron King
Public Works & Engineering
One of Dennis Haws’ customers wanted to renovate his bathroom to make it handicap accessible for his son. Previous work to the bathroom hadn’t been properly documented, so they couldn’t get the room inspected by the city, Haws wrote.

Haws took the customer to the code enforcement division, where Byron King handled the “very angry and confused customer with the calmest, most professional manner imaginable.”

“With Mr. King’s help, we solved the issues and the customer was able to obtain the proper inspections,” Haws wrote.

Chris Routt
Parks
“Chris Routt was very caring and honest when he helped me with my concerns regarding the tow truck ordinance,” wrote Joseph Tijerina.

Linda Davis
Public Works & Engineering
After surgery, Delia Yao Nogar returned home to find her water had been cut off.

“I was traumatized,” Nogar wrote.

One call to Linda Davis solved all her problems.

“Your sincere concern for eliminating my water problems makes me realize that we have public servants with a heart for the citizens,” Nogar wrote. “Your professionalism and customer service will never be forgotten.”

Lucy Ortiz
Aviation
For two years, Simmons & Co. International waged an unsuccessful fight to resolve a problem with their 2002 county property taxes, wrote Diana Armbrust. Then Lucy Ortiz stepped in.

“It’s a miracle!” Armbrust wrote. “Rather than having to pay the thousands of dollars and penalties that were threatened, we just received a $236.38 rebate from the Harris County tax office! And it’s all thanks to you, Lucy.”

The company has come to expect that kind of exceptional work from Ortiz, Armbrust wrote. “Once again, you have gone above and far beyond the call of duty.”

Charles Foerster
Legal
Pamela Moore
Public Works & Engineering
Attorney Marvin Katz called Charles Foerster and Pamela Moore courteous, professional and prompt in solving a complicated street and utility abandonment project.

“You are both great to work with, and the city is fortunate to have such competent and dedicated representatives,” Katz wrote.

Rudy Aleman, Anthony Martinez, David Rodriguez, Eduardo Rodriguez
Fire
Diena Knox was bleeding when she collapsed on the bathroom floor.

Eduardo Rodriguez, Anthony Martinez, David Rodriguez and Rudy Aleman responded to the emergency call and treated Knox with great respect, allowing her to keep her dignity in an embarrassing situation, Knox’s family wrote.

“These gentleman were so very kind to her in trying to put her mind at ease,” they wrote. But Aleman, David Rodriguez and Martinez’s care didn’t stop after they loaded Knox onto the stretcher.

The three men comforted Knox’s granddaughter after she “just fell to pieces,” the family wrote. “I want to commend these gentlemen for the wonderful care and compassion they showed my mom, daughter, father and me that day,” they wrote.