Customer Service Standards

FMCS is striving to be a more customer-responsive organization, geared toward continuous improvement in its services and performance. To accomplish this, the agency must communicate interactively with its customers, soliciting their feedback on our mediation services, and articulating to them the standards of quality we have set for ourselves in providing for their needs.

Listening to Our Customers: A National Customer Survey

FMCS has undertaken a comprehensive program of market research to ask our customers what they know about the agency and its services, what they think of the job we are doing, and ways that we could better serve their needs. Our Customer Service/Survey Committee worked with research professionals to design and implement a baseline opinion survey of customer attitudes. This study includes a statistically-representative sample of FMCS customers, and is also targeted to potential customers, those companies and unions which could use our services but do not. This survey is scheduled to go in the field in mid-1996.

As part of the National Performance Review, FMCS conducted a series of focus groups with representative samples of our customers to probe perceptions about our mediation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution services. That information, along with results from the baseline survey, form an important part of the basis for redirecting organizational and budget priorities.

This research program provides FMCS with a "snapshot" of attitudes and perceptions at a particular moment. To be useful in measuring the agency's progress toward certain measurable goals in customer service, the research plan includes regular, periodic "tracking" polls so that a continuum of information can be established measuring the agency's performance over time. FMCS is committed to a process of continuously measuring the agency's performance against established customer service standards, and constantly seeking to improve our services and strengthen that performance.

Developing Customer Service Standards: FMCS Values Its Customers

It is essential for our customers to know how FMCS views its responsibilities to them. This can best be articulated through a public commitment to certain standards of service. It is equally important for all FMCS personnel to be constantly reminded of the standards so the agency's performance can be measured against them, by our customers and by ourselves. With this in mind, The Task Force on the Future of FMCS adopted value statements to guide its deliberations and final recommendations. These value statements became the basis for the development of standards for customer service.

Customers: We are committed to meeting our customers' needs with timely and quality service. We recognize the individuality of our customers and are committed to adaptable and innovative approaches to ensure their success in collective bargaining and other problem-solving processes. To these ends, we pledge the continuous development of our knowledge.

People: People are the key to FMCS' effectiveness and ability to excel. We strive for an atmosphere of mutual trust and inclusion with respect for the dignity and uniqueness of all individuals. We promote continuous growth and development and encourage individual responsibility and teamwork for excellence and leadership.

Service: We are dedicated to meeting the needs of our customers through continuous improvement. We are committed to anticipating and responding to change. Commitment to quality education and training is vital to our mission. Leadership through initiative, creativity and innovation is essential. Neutrality, confidentiality and acceptability are the foundations of our work.

Communication: Effective communication, in all forms, is a necessary quality of a dynamic, changing organization. We are dedicated to clear, complete, timely and honest communication. While we respect appropriate confidentiality, we value open communication that begins with listening and encourages participation by all.

These value statements embody the level of performance and professionalism for which we strive, and the quality of service we believe our customers deserve. They have been incorporated into the following draft customer service standards which will be thoroughly tested in our customer survey to determine whether they, in fact, reflect the quality and level of service our customers want.

Customer Service Standards

Quality:

We shall provide our customers with the most skillful services, processes and training in contract mediation, preventive mediation, conflict resolution and all other areas of agency responsibility equal to the very best in the private sector. We shall strive to improve and expand our knowledge and skills in collective bargaining, labor-management relations and conflict resolution so that our customers receive the highest quality service possible.

Neutrality:

We are neither pro-employer nor pro-union. FMCS is pro-collective bargaining. We shall conduct ourselves so that our customers never doubt our neutrality.

Confidentiality:

We shall conduct our business so that our customers have trust in our respect for confidentiality in the collective bargaining process.

Responsiveness:

We are accessible, and always willing to provide prompt response to our customers' needs and questions. Should a service problem occur, we shall do everything possible to correct the problem, and to restore our customers' confidence in us.

Empathy:

We shall provide thoughtful, individualized attention to our customers' needs.

Facilities:

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Last modified: February 09, 1998