Page 8 - Talk of Tequesta - October '24

Page 8, The Talk Of Tequesta

loCal governmenT from page 6
Tax Talk

Dear Friends: WWJD: What Would Jim Do? And the answer is: serve the
Our office was recently client.”
advised by the Florida He adds that an important component to success – both
Highway Patrol (FHP) that for his team and for the customer experience – is recognition.
they are warning drivers who “When clients leave a positive review for an employee, that
have illegal Florida license feedback is passed along.”
plates, which have been altered “As a leader, I think it is my responsibility to recognize
or customized, such as with air my team for the good that they do, knowing that leads to
brushing or vinyl wrapping. better customer service,” says Jim.
In fact, since 2020 citations And what about when things are not going perfectly?
for unlawful altered Florida Jim notes that, “We have a great team environment for
license plates have increased discussing challenges.”
nearly 100 percent. FHP is being proactive in raising awareness A common concern voiced by clients is the long lead
of this and if you are caught with one of these customized or time for making a reservation at one of our service centers.
altered plates, you can receive “We’re researching a whole new reservation system,”
a moving violation citation, Jim says. “The goal is to enable us to take more clients
which includes a fine of $60 by decreasing the lead time.”
(plus fees) and three points Stay tuned to future editions of Tax Talk to read about
on your license! If you have improvements we are making in our service centers and
one of these altered Florida across the agency. And keep an eye out for opportunities
license plates and it cannot be returned to its original condition, to learn more about our team and how we are serving you
I strongly encourage you to make a reservation to visit one of in upcoming “Faces of the TCO” profiles!
our service centers to get a replacement license plate by visiting
www.pbctax.com/reservations.
Anne M. Gannon,
Constitutional Tax Collector, We Are Counting On YOU
Serving Palm Beach County

Customer Service – VOTE November 5!

Appreciation Week – Going
Above And Beyond! As a voter in the state of • Peter & Julie Cummings Library, located in Palm City
• Robert Morgade Library, located in Port Salerno
Florida, you have the option
to vote by mail, vote early, • Hobe Sound Library, located in Hobe Sound
At our office, we make customer service our No. 1 or vote on Election Day • Secure Ballot Intake Stations (drop boxes) will be available
priority! In honor of Customer Service Appreciation Week, at your assigned precinct. during early voting at all six early voting locations for you to
October 7 to 11, I asked a few of our service center managers To help you decide how drop off your voted mail ballot.
to share their thoughts on exceptional customer service and to cast your votes in the • Remember to bring signed, photo identification when
here is what they had to say: upcoming November 5 voting early or when voting at your assigned precinct on
“Exceptional client service enhances our agency’s General Election, here are Election Day. Also, know where your precinct is located if
reputation. Quality customer service is the distinguishing some important facts to keep voting on Election Day, it may be different from your preferred
factor that sets us apart from other agencies. We prioritize the in mind: early voting site.
client’s needs by being effective and empathetic.” – Brian • You can request a vote- • The sample ballot is available on our website at www.
Applebaum, South County Service Center Manager by-mail ballot through Thursday, October 24. Voted ballots MartinVotes.gov by clicking the Sample Ballots icon on the
“Customer service directly impacts public trust and can be dropped off at the Elections Office at any time, homepage. Sample ballots will be mailed to registered voters
satisfaction. When residents interact with us, they often do so however, the deadline to receive voted ballots is Election that have not requested a vote by mail ballot. Additionally,
during critical moments in their lives, original identification Day at 7 p.m. when the polls close. sample ballots are also available at all public libraries.
issuance, driver license testing, vehicle ownership, or • Early Voting will take place in six locations throughout Please visit www.MartinVotes.gov or call the Elections
establishing a new business. Our focus on exceptional the county from Monday, October 21 through Saturday, Office at (772) 288-5637 if you have any questions or need
customer service ensures that these interactions are efficient November 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, which includes more information.
and respectful, which can significantly enhance the public’s Sunday, October 27. Listed are the six early voting locations: Thank you for voting in the upcoming November 5 General
perception of the government.” – Matthew Johnson, • Martin County Elections Office, located in Stuart Election – see you at the polls!
Westlake Service Center Manager • Elisabeth Lahti Library, located in Indiantown Vicki Davis,
“The goal of our customer service is to build trust with • Hoke Library, located in Jensen Beach Martin County Supervisor of Elections
our clients through communication and knowledge of our
services. We strive every day to do this by incorporating
the LEAP principles (listening, empathizing, apologizing,
problem solving) with all our interactions allowing us to
provide exceptional service.” – Michelle Arias, Central
Service Center Manager

Faces Of The Tax Collector’s
Office – James McConnell

Title: Chief Operations Officer
Hometown: Wildwood, NJ
Favorite Activity: Attending various cultural events in Palm
Beach County and beyond
Favorite Food: Veal chop
There are more than 330 tax collector’s office (TCO)
employees, and I thought you might be interested in getting
to know some of them. We
will start with someone who
is behind the scenes, but
very much a part of your
experience as a client.
Jim McConnell, our
chief operations officer, is
a member of our senior
leadership team, and he
oversees the operation
of our six service centers Jim with his shih-tzu, Charlie
throughout the county. Jim is
responsible for approximately 200 employees who provide
service to our clients, so I asked Jim how he helps ensure
that our clients receive exceptional customer service during
each visit.
Jim says, “I’ve given my managers the ability to make
decisions on their own. We talk about customer service in
most of our meetings. The managers jokingly ask one another,