Senate Bill sb0710er
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2 An act relating to state government; creating
3 the "Florida Customer Service Standards Act";
4 providing definitions; specifying measures that
5 state departments are directed to implement
6 with respect to interaction with their
7 customers; providing requirements regarding
8 operating hours; providing that failure to
9 comply with the act does not constitute a cause
10 of action; providing exceptions; providing an
11 effective date.
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13 WHEREAS, confidence in the government's ability to
14 solve problems has been deteriorating for the past three
15 decades; in 1963, the national public's confidence level rated
16 75 percent, compared to 1993, when confidence levels rated as
17 low as 17 percent, and
18 WHEREAS, there is a need for customers to be treated
19 with courtesy and respect, to have simplified access to
20 services, to have services that are efficient, to have
21 communications that are clear and easily understood, and to
22 save money, and
23 WHEREAS, the State of Florida is dedicated to improving
24 the service standards practiced by state departments, NOW,
25 THEREFORE,
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27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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29 Section 1. Florida Customer Service Standards Act.--
30 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the
31 "Florida Customer Service Standards Act."
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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:
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.
9 (b) "Department" means a principal administrative unit
10 within the executive branch of state government, as set forth
11 in chapter 20, Florida Statutes, and also includes the Public
12 Service Commission.
13 (4) MEASURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED.--State departments
14 shall:
15 (a) Designate an employee or employees in the
16 department who shall be responsible for facilitating the
17 resolution of customer complaints, including any customer
18 complaints regarding unsatisfactory treatment by department
19 employees.
20 (b) Provide available information, except information
21 which is confidential pursuant to any other state or federal
22 law, and accurate responses to questions and requests for
23 assistance in a prompt manner.
24 (c) Acknowledge receipt of a telephonic or electronic
25 question or request by the end of the next business day.
26 (d) Provide local or toll-free telephonic or
27 electronic access either through a centralized
28 complaint-intake call center or directly to a department
29 employee or employees designated to resolve customer
30 complaints.
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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. In evaluating the appropriateness of
5 response time, management may consider periodic, high volume
6 inquiries as a justifiable cause of delay.
7 (f) Develop customer satisfaction measures as part of
8 the department's performance measurement system.
9 (g) Employ a system by which customer complaints and
10 resolutions of those complaints are tracked.
11 (h) Provide statistical data on customer complaints
12 and resolutions of those complaints, and on customer
13 satisfaction measures in annual reports or other performance
14 publications, and use this data when conducting management and
15 budget planning activities.
16 (i) Provide training to employees on improving
17 customer service and on the role of the department employee or
18 employees designated to resolve customer complaints.
19 (j) Include in the departmental strategic plan a
20 program outline or goal regarding customer service.
21 (k) Conduct interdepartmental discussions on methods
22 of providing and improving customer service.
23 (5) OPERATING HOURS.--Departments shall be staffed and
24 open to the public for business on all regular business days.
25 (6) FUNDING.--Departments shall use available
26 resources to achieve the purposes of this section.
27 (7) FAILURE TO COMPLY.--No cause of action shall arise
28 in favor of any person due to a department's failure to comply
29 with any provision of this section.
30 (8) EXCEPTIONS.--This section does not apply to a
31 person who uses or requests services or information from a
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1 department when such service or information is related to that
2 person's:
3 (a) Pending or current criminal prosecution;
4 (b) Current incarceration;
5 (c) Pending administrative action; or
6 (d) Current lawful state or local government custody.
7 Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2001.
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