Senate Bill 1966c1
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1966
By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Productivity;
and Senator Latvala
302-1819A-00
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to state government; creating
3 the "Florida Customer Service Standards Act";
4 specifying measures that state departments are
5 directed to implement with respect to
6 interaction with their customers; specifying
7 that failure to comply with the act does not
8 constitute a cause of action; providing an
9 effective date.
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11 WHEREAS, confidence in the government's ability to
12 solve problems has been deteriorating for the past three
13 decades; in 1963, the national public's confidence level rated
14 75 percent, compared to 1993, when confidence levels rated as
15 low as 17 percent, and
16 WHEREAS, there is a need for customers to be treated
17 with courtesy and respect, to have simplified access to
18 services, to have services that are efficient, to have
19 communications that are clear and easily understood, and to
20 save money, and
21 WHEREAS, the State of Florida is dedicated to improving
22 the service standards practiced by state departments and
23 agencies, NOW, THEREFORE,
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25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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27 Section 1. Florida Customer Service Standards Act.--
28 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the
29 "Florida Customer Service Standards Act."
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1966
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1 (2) PURPOSE.--It is the purpose of this section to
2 direct state departments to practice and employ all the
3 measures set forth in this section.
4 (3) DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:
5 (a) "Customer" means any member of the public who uses
6 or requests services or information provided by a state
7 department or who is required by statute to interact with the
8 department. The term does not include those persons who are
9 currently under criminal prosecution or subject to
10 administrative action or who are lawfully in state or local
11 government custody.
12 (b) "Department" means a principal administrative unit
13 within the executive branch of state government, as defined in
14 chapter 20, Florida Statutes.
15 (4) MEASURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED.--State departments
16 shall:
17 (a) Designate an employee or employees in the
18 department who shall be responsible for facilitating the
19 resolution of customer complaints, including any customer
20 complaints regarding unsatisfactory treatment by department
21 employees.
22 (b) Provide available information and accurate
23 responses to questions and requests for assistance in a prompt
24 manner.
25 (c) Acknowledge receipt of a telephonic or electronic
26 question or request by the end of the next business day, when
27 practicable.
28 (d) Provide direct local or toll-free telephonic or
29 direct electronic access to the department employee or
30 employees designated to resolve customer complaints.
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Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1966
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1 (e) Develop a process for review by upper-level
2 management of any customer complaints not resolved by the
3 department employee or employees designated to resolve
4 customer complaints.
5 (f) Develop customer-satisfaction measures as part of
6 the department's performance-measurement system.
7 (g) Employ a system by which customer complaints and
8 resolutions of those complaints are tracked.
9 (h) Provide statistical data on customer complaints
10 and resolutions of those complaints, and on
11 customer-satisfaction measures in annual reports or other
12 performance publications, and use this data when conducting
13 management and budget-planning activities.
14 (i) Provide training to employees on improving
15 customer service and on the role of the department employee or
16 employees designated to resolve customer complaints.
17 (j) Include in the departmental strategic plan a
18 program outline or goal regarding customer service.
19 (k) Conduct interdepartmental discussions on methods
20 of providing and improving customer service.
21 (5) FUNDING.--Departments shall use available
22 resources to achieve the purposes of this section.
23 (6) FAILURE TO COMPLY.--No cause of action shall arise
24 in favor of any person due to a department's failure to comply
25 with any provision of this section.
26 Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2000.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2000 CS for SB 1966
302-1819A-00
1 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
2 SB 1966
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4 Adds that any person who is in "lawful state or local
government custody" is excluded from the definition of
5 customer, rather than only excluding those who are
"incarcerated as a result of a criminal conviction."
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Provides that the act applies to "departments," rather than
7 both "departments and agencies", and defines "departments" as,
"the principal administrative units within the executive
8 branch, as defined in chapter 20."
9 Deletes "normal administrative channels" language.
10 Provides that departments may designate multiple employees
rather than one employee to resolve customer complaints.
11
Deletes requirement that departments respond telephonically or
12 electronically to inquiries.
13 Retains requirement that an acknowledgement of a customer's
telephonic or electronic requests be made the next business
14 day, but adds that this need only be done when practicable.
15 Requires the development of customer satisfaction measures as
part of the department's performance measurement system.
16
Requires the development of a process for upper level
17 management review of complaints not resolved by the designated
employee, rather than the development of a "grievance
18 process."
19 Retains requirement that customer complaints and resolutions
be tracked, but deletes tracking requirement for customer
20 requests.
21 Deletes required merit plan.
22 Deletes language requiring department to enforce act through
existing disciplinary policies.
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