Customer Service Excellence

Dodie Goss, Edward Johnson, Marshall O’Brien, Anthony Perry, Wendell Smith
Public Works & Engineering
Sonia Melton
Finance & Administration
Kim Young-Payne
City Secretary
A pair of Whistling Ducks and their brood were crossing a busy street when the ducklings became confused and scampered into a storm drain, wrote Patrick Dunn. After two hours of calling for help and not getting it, Dunn finally reached Kim Young-Payne, who phoned 311’s Sonia Melton.

Within 15 minutes, this crew arrived, Dunn wrote.

In the June heat, Marshall O’Brien jumped down into the drain and spent nearly an hour crawling through the pipes for more than two blocks looking for the ducklings. The crew located five of the more than 20 ducklings.

“I have always thought that the more I know people, the more I love animals,” Dunn wrote. “Yesterday proved that is not always true. These people went the extra mile to help those who are helpless.”

Kim Estes, Valerie Prevost
HAS
“We have often heard of southern hospitality but never knew it really existed,” wrote Abe Flohr, who traveled from Toronto to attend the Super Bowl. Flohr didn’t have American coins to use for the long-distance call to the hotel in Galveston that was providing his shuttle service.

Kim Estes offered the couple use of the phone in the Super Bowl Hospitality Room. When the call wouldn’t go through, Valerie Prevost took the couple to the upstairs security office to get an outside line. That didn’t work, so she offered to drive the couple to Galveston to pick up their Super Bowl tickets and then to their hotel near Hobby Airport. The Flohrs declined her offer.

“We understand the mayor of Houston told everyone that company’s coming, Flohr wrote. “Well, they certainly listened and obliged. We come from what is paraphrased as ‘Toronto the Good,’ but it definitely doesn’t compare to Houston.”

Alice Dooley, Elizabeth Kelly
Library
Carolyn Gurske called Alice Dooley and Elizabeth Kelly polite, kind and considerate librarians.

Bala Balachandran, Gwendolyn Cox
Planning & Development
R. Wright, a student in the Texas Southern University Urban Planning program, needed information on affordable housing in the Third Ward area, so she contacted the city. She was patched through to Bala Balachandran.

Within days, Balachandran called Wright to come to his office to look over some census data and reports. The information was exactly what she needed.

“This guy was unbelievable,” Wright wrote. “He was so eager and willing to help me. He is the kind of leader that needs to be put in the forefront.

“But Bala is not the only employee in your department who made a lasting impression. I also meet Gwendolyn Cox. She too was so willing to help.”

Roland Delacerda
Municipal Courts Administration
Ray Anderson was not a happy citizen when he called Roland Delacerda. Because all the parking spots at his townhouse complex were taken, Anderson parked behind a large trash dumpster across the street in a no-parking zone.

When he returned to his vehicle, a ticket was riding the windshield, wrote Anderson, who never had a parking ticket in more than 50 years of driving.

Expecting a runaround, Anderson called Delacerda. Instead Delacerda was courteous, listened to his complaints and outlined alternative actions, Anderson wrote. One suggestion was how he could have the no-parking restriction temporarily lifted during the period of heavy construction that created the parking jam.

“Mr. Delacerda converted an adversary into a pleased and supportive taxpayer,” Anderson wrote.

Viveca Sonberg
Human Resources
“Is it a requirement of the city that its division managers be able to raise the dead?” Beverly Smith wrote. At the end of a full day of sitting in their seats listening to lectures, students in the professional development class at San Jacinto College North eagerly took notes and asked questions when Viveca Sonberg gave a presentation, Smith wrote. She used style, grace and humor to paint a picture of today’s job market.

Debra Wright
Finance & Administration
At 4:30 p.m., Catherine Burst called 311 looking for help in reviewing the city’s capital improvement plan. Debra Wright provided that help.

“She discussed my request in enough detail that I was able to secure the answer I needed,” Burst wrote. “Even though it was the end of the day, she was unfailingly polite and friendly in talking me through using the city’s online resources to obtain information.”

Pamela Bazile, Lavonne Harris, Tina Rodriguez
HAS
Tina Rodriguez knew exactly what to do when Edward Hostetter left his cell phone in the taxicab he took from Hobby Airport. With just a few questions, Rodriguez was able to narrow to two the list of possible taxicab companies he could have used, Hostetter wrote.

Less than an hour after Hostetter hung up with Rodriguez, Lavonne Harris called to say she’d found the taxi he’d taken. The next morning, Pamela Bazile called to say the driver was on his way to Hostetter’s office with the cell phone.

“This group is a special gem in Houston,” Hostetter wrote.

William Arnold, Robert Coleman, Justin Gable, Jakob Lawson, Thomas McKenna, Raquel Perez, Richard Rocha, Clifton Wooten
Fire
Although the EMS crews were unable to save her 24-year-old daughter after she went into cardiac arrest, Mary Jacobs noted their efforts and comforting gestures.

“I want to thank each of them from the bottom of my heart for the tremendous effort they made to save my baby’s life,” Jacobs wrote about this crew. “Words could not express my gratitude.”

Thomas McKenna also made sure Jacobs’ house was secure and that each member of the family made it to the hospital safely.

“Mr. McKenna has made my heartache a little easier by the kindness he showed to me, my granddaughter and other members of my family,” Jacobs wrote. “He barely left my side during the whole ordeal.”

Connie Fuentes
SWM
After two years of trying to get a trash container for his business, Jerry Golds finally reached Connie Fuentes. She quickly and efficiently located a can for his company, Golds wrote.

Golds isn’t alone in praising Fuentes. Rhea Fairly wrote that Fuentes often provides residents of the Northfield subdivision with important information on waste collection. After Fairly’s parents died, Fuentes stopped by Fairly’s home and offered condolences on behalf of the city.

“Connie Fuentes is a great torch-bearer for the city of Houston,” Fairly wrote. “She made us change the way we view city employees. Now, because of Ms. Fuentes, my family looks at city representatives and hold our heads high.”

Lloyd Morrison
HPD
Jack and Vicki Harvey considered themselves abandoned after the shuttle bus left Hobby Airport without them. When Officer Lloyd Morrison heard of the couple’s plight, he loaded their luggage into his cruiser and drove them to their parking garage, Harvey wrote.

The garage was locked. Morrison wouldn’t leave until a security guard unlocked the facility, Harvey wrote. “It’s people like Officer Morrison who build good will and confidence in our government.”

Michael Blasko
Planning & Development
The company holding the title to Trammi Nguyen’s house mistakenly claimed her house encroached onto city property and delayed its sale. Nguyen called the city on Good Friday and reached Michael Blasko.

He searched city records and reassured her that her property was properly situated and permitted by the city, Nguyen wrote. The “encroachment” was probably an allowable, 30-inch overhang off the front of the house.

While speaking to the title company on Nguyen’s behalf, Blasko discovered the survey company had inadvertently drawn a solid line rather than the dashed line that signified an overhang. That solved a mystery that had frustrated Nguyen and her husband.

“Blaskow’s tone and voice were the most pleasant, professional and reasonable sounding I heard in so many months working on the relocation,” Nguyen wrote. “I wanted to give him a gift certificate for dinner with his wife, but he said, ‘No, it’s my job.’”