Tax office practicum recommends citywide customer-service communication training for frontline staff

Sandra Montantelema, who works in the City of Laredo tax office and supervises utility customer service, presented a practicum recommending structured communication training for frontline employees. She told the CPM practicum panel that poor communication and unclear guidance cause citizens to be redirected between offices and that employees overwhelmingly supported training: in her survey of 45 employees, every respondent agreed there was a need for improved communication skills.

Her proposed curriculum emphasizes active listening, clarity and tone, conflict resolution, and nonverbal awareness (facial expression, posture and eye contact). Montantelema proposed interactive workshops, role-playing scenarios and online modules delivered in four-hour sessions spread over multiple days so departments can keep services open while staff train. She said the training should be accompanied by periodic reviews of mission statements and policies so that frontline staff can relay accurate guidance.

Why it matters: Presenters and panelists said improving communication at counters and over the phone can reduce citizen frustration, reduce rework and complaints, and increase staff morale. Montantelema suggested leaders model communication behaviors and recommended funding to allow departments with heavy customer loads to rotate staff for training without service interruptions. "When an employee has interaction with a customer, every contact point communicates something about the organization," she said.

Montantelema recommended piloting the program in high-contact offices (tax, utilities and other customer-facing divisions), collecting recurring complaint data to tailor modules and measuring outcomes through post-training feedback and complaint-tally changes.