Customer
Service Excellence
[1] [2]
Jose Galindo
Aviation
“Jose Galindo is one of the nicest, most helpful city employees I’ve ever met,” W.D. Moore wrote about the Hobby airport custodian.
“Mr. Galindo greets visitors with a hearty welcome, and he willingly gives directions with a smile. He does more than his job. He puts a face on the city.”
Noe Ontiveros
Public Works & Engineering
When Traci Murphy opened a letter from the city saying her check had been dishonored, she whipped out her laptop and sent an e-mail to the Public Works Department. Murphy, a contractor, knew the electronic payment had never been submitted to her bank.
She surfed the Internet for a few more minutes, then closed the laptop. As she was putting it down, her phone rang. On the other end, Noe Ontiveros explained the problem, said that it was common and offered to have it fixed.
“I was very upset about the letter,” Murphy recalled. “Within minutes, Noe calmed my frazzled nerves, thus restoring my faith in customer service.”
Meryal Annison, George Brackett
Library
Meryal Annison and George Brackett were professional and proficient in handling Rev. M. Holmes’ requests.
“May the Lord bless them real good in all of their endeavors,” Holmes wrote. “Please give them a pat on the back and a big fat pay raise.”
John Williams, Christi Rollins
Health & Human Services
J. Pappas was frustrated.
The house next-door to his had overgrown vegetation, a polluted swimming pool with no fence around it, and a water drain that diverted water onto Pappas’ property.
The neighbor ignored Pappas’ repeated requests to clean up the property. So Pappas called the city and complained about the state laws and city ordinances these seedy conditions were violating.
For years, he met with, talked to and wrote city personnel, but they “couldn’t be bothered to come out and inspect the premises,” Pappas wrote. When a supervisor came to look over the yard, he agreed there were violations but didn’t act.
Then Pappas called Health & Human Services, and within 24 hours John Williams and Christi Rollins were at the house. After assessing the situation, Williams contacted the owner, and he kept on him until the vegetation was trimmed, the swimming pool drained and the drain water flowed into the street, Pappas wrote.
“I got outstanding results from John,” he wrote.
Itanya Guliex
Human Resources
When newly hired R. Wright didn’t know how to request a temporary employee to help with a grants audit, she called Itanya Guliex. Guliex walked her through the process, answered all her questions and forwarded the necessary documents.
“I believe this audit would not have gone as smoothly if it had not been for Itanya’s help,” Wright wrote. “She had a great attitude, and never did I feel like she didn’t want to help.”
Linda Gilder, Ronald Randall
Public Works & Engineering
For six months, M. Jimeson dealt with a water leak that caused his water bills to increase. First he used dye in an attempt to detect a leak. When that didn’t work, he paid a plumber to inspect the pipes.
No leak was found.
Then he submitted a request for meter accuracy to Public Works and noted on the request that he wanted to be present during the test. The first water employee came without notice and left a note on his door when he wasn’t there, Jimeson wrote.
Upset, Jimeson called the department. Linda Gilder scheduled another employee to inspect the meter.
But that employee never showed up, Jimeson wrote. “Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.”
He called Gilder again, and she apologized and promised Ronald Randall would be onsite early the next morning.
“He was!” Jimeson wrote.
Randall went above and beyond the call of duty, Jimeson wrote. On a cold, rainy day, Randall worked until he discovered a leak in an unusual location on Jimeson’s property.
“These two were marvelous in helping me solve a vexing problem and saving me lots of money,” Jimeson wrote.
Joe Leggett Jr., Travis Dean
Fire
A Waste Management jet delivered two Hurricane Katrina survivors, both in their late 70s and relatives of a company employee, from Louisiana to Texas, wrote Vice President Zachary Lowe. One survivor’s condition was worse than they had anticipated. She had broken her hip two months earlier, and her feet were swollen and sore.
Employees were fearful of causing her more harm by moving her, Lowe wrote. So they called the fire department for help.
Joe Leggett Jr. and Travis Dean arrived in minutes, Lowe wrote. They carefully and painlessly removed her from the jet, and took her to the hospital.
“No doubt there are many actions like this taking place around Houston right now,” Lowe wrote. “But these two officers played an important role in a case that was important to us and the family of one Waste Management employee.”