Page 24 - Abacoa Community News - October '24

Page 24, Abacoa
Tax Talk

Dear Friends: Customer Service Appreciation responsible for approximately 200 employees who provide
Our office was recently service to our clients, so I asked Jim how he helps ensure
advised by the Florida Week – Going Above And that our clients receive exceptional customer service during
Highway Patrol (FHP) that each visit.
they are warning drivers who Beyond! Jim says, “I’ve given my managers the ability to make
have illegal Florida license decisions on their own. We talk about customer service in
plates, which have been At our office, we make customer service our No. 1 priority! most of our meetings. The managers jokingly ask one another,
altered or customized, such In honor of Customer Service Appreciation Week, October 7 WWJD: What Would Jim Do? And the answer is: serve the
as with air brushing or vinyl to 11, I asked a few of our service center managers to share client.”
wrapping. In fact, since 2020 their thoughts on exceptional customer service and here is what He adds that an important component to success – both
citations for unlawful altered they had to say: for his team and for the customer experience – is recognition.
Florida license plates have “Exceptional client service enhances our agency’s “When clients leave a positive review for an employee, that
increased nearly 100 percent. FHP is being proactive in reputation. Quality customer service is the distinguishing factor feedback is passed along.”
raising awareness of this and if you are caught with one of that sets us apart from other agencies. We prioritize the client’s “As a leader, I think it is my responsibility to recognize
these customized or altered needs by being effective and empathetic.” – Brian Applebaum, my team for the good that they do, knowing that leads to
plates, you can receive a South County Service Center Manager better customer service,” says Jim.
moving violation citation, “Customer service directly impacts public trust and And what about when things are not going perfectly? Jim
which includes a fine of $60 satisfaction. When residents interact with us, they often do so notes that, “We have a great team environment for discussing
(plus fees) and three points during critical moments in their lives, original identification challenges.”
on your license! If you have issuance, driver license testing, vehicle ownership, or A common concern voiced by clients is the long lead time
one of these altered Florida license plates and it cannot be establishing a new business. Our focus on exceptional for making a reservation at one of our service centers.
returned to its original condition, I strongly encourage you customer service ensures that these interactions are efficient “We’re researching a whole new reservation system,”
to make a reservation to visit one of our service centers to and respectful, which can significantly enhance the public’s Jim says. “The goal is to enable us to take more clients by
get a replacement license plate by visiting www.pbctax.com/ perception of the government.” – Matthew Johnson, Westlake decreasing the lead time.”
reservations. Service Center Manager Stay tuned to future editions of Tax Talk to read about
Anne M. Gannon, “The goal of our customer service is to build trust with improvements we are making in our service centers and
Constitutional Tax Collector, Serving Palm Beach County our clients through communication and knowledge of our across the agency. And keep an eye out for opportunities to
services. We strive every day to do this by incorporating the learn more about our team and how we are serving you in
LEAP principles (listening, empathizing, apologizing, problem upcoming “Faces of the TCO” profiles!
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser from page 23 solving) with all our interactions allowing us to provide
exceptional service.” – Michelle Arias, Central Service Center
• Hemiplegic Manager
• Legally blind
• Total and permanent disability, requires wheelchair Faces Of The Tax Collector’s
for mobility
• Total and permanent disability, does not require Office – James McConnell
wheelchair for mobility
Some of these exemptions have income limitations. Title: Chief Operations
Visit our website at pbcpao.gov for more information Officer
on these exemptions or to download and print forms. Hometown: Wildwood, NJ
You can always call us at (561) 355-2866 or email us Favorite Activity: Attending
at myexemption@pbcpao.gov. various cultural events in
Palm Beach County and
Did You Know? We Call To beyond
Favorite Food: Veal chop
Verify Sales Data There are more than 330
tax collector’s office (TCO) Jim with his shih-tzu, Charlie
Our work entails setting the market value for each employees, and I thought
property, and so property sales data is an important you might be interested in getting to know some of them. We
tool to show where the market is in Palm Beach will start with someone who is behind the scenes, but very
County. Before we use sales data, we first make sure much a part of your experience as a client.
that the details of each sale reflect the market. Only Jim McConnell, our chief operations officer, is a member
sales that meet the definition of market value are used of our senior leadership team, and he oversees the operation
in developing estimates of market value for similar of our six service centers throughout the county. Jim is
properties.
To verify sales information, our appraisers regularly
contact the market participants (sellers, buyers,
brokers, attorneys, etc.) involved with real estate sales.
We try to obtain details regarding property sales from
someone directly involved with each transaction. We
then use this data to determine which sales represent
market value and will be used in the development of
property appraisals.
Answering our questions about property sales
gives our office reliable data from which we can then
create appraisals that are fair, equitable, and reflect
the market.

Offices Open
On Columbus Day

The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s
Office (including all of our Service Centers) will be
open on Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 14.

Monday,
A College Preparatory Catholic High School
Oct. 14

Our Vision is to build life’s champions SCAN TO LEARN MORE
through FAITH, ACADEMICS,
SERVANT LEADERSHIP and a
STRONG FAMILY ATMOSPHERE.
cardinalnewman.com
West Palm Beach, FL
(561) 683-6266