City of Phoenix issued the following announcement on Dec. 4
Customer service is often overlooked until it's needed. This year, the City of Phoenix City Services customer service was needed more than ever. Deborah Doss is the Treasury Collections Supervisor for Phoenix Water customer service and has been with the city for 16 years; 10 of those years have been with the Water Services Department.
The majority of Doss' career has been in payment collections, working for a private company before starting with the city. She now leads a team of customer service representatives who work with customers to collect outstanding payments on their water, trash, and sewer (City Services) bill.
Prior to the ongoing pandemic, Doss and her team of five customer service representatives' primary role was to collect payment on outstanding bills. When 2020 changed everything for everyone, Doss and her team transitioned to helping customers find financial relief through the CARES Act.
Customers are encouraged to pay any amount possible towards their monthly bill and enroll in the Deferred Payment Plan to keep their account in good standing. But with the CARES Act, customers have options to help find additional relief with outstanding payments. The staff educate customers on the options available and assist them with applying for funds.
The CARES Act appropriated $150 billion to State, Local and Tribal governments to alleviate the financial impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. The City of Phoenix received a small portion of this funding. The money allotted to the city was made available to customers, through residential and commercial assistance programs, to pay their City Services bill in hopes of relieving some of stress for the city of Phoenix customers. Doss' team took the lead on calling customers with outstanding accounts to inform them of the assistance available and explain to them how to apply.
“People repeatedly call in and say they lost their job; they don't know what's going to happen, and I'm here to help them," Doss said. “Customers are crying and scared. They don't know how they're going to get by, and our team is there to offer hope. We don't like to rush the calls."
Doss and her team's dedication to getting the word out about the financial relief led to them make over 28,601 calls from July - October 2020. Doss' 'How can I help the customer?' attitude has come a long way in helping the city of Phoenix customers find hope in a time when things seem so uncertain.
Due to the nature of the work, teleworking was not an option for Doss and her staff. To better support the team, plexiglass was installed to create physical distance for employees, and they are also provided hand sanitizer and masks. Some of the employees were relocated to different facilities to give, at minimum, six feet of distance.
“The work our customer service representatives are doing is essential in assuring the public health benefits of our water systems and solid waste disposal. Without it, the good work of Water Services and Public Works couldn't get done. We strive to serve and assist our customers with equity and dignity." said Assistant Director Holly Rosenthal of Phoenix Water.
It is essential for the staff to reach as many people as they can. Having Spanish speaking staff available to assist the significant Latino population in Phoenix went a long way to reach an audience that may not have been able to connect otherwise.
Residents have until December 31, 2020, to receive the CARES Grant to assist with their City Services bill and are encouraged to start the application process as soon as possible.
More information can be found on phoenix.gov/resources or by calling customer service directly at 602-262-6251. Customer service staff are available Monday- Friday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Residents can also visit Phoenix.gov/payonline to sign up for the Deferred Payment Plan by using the online portal.
Original source can be found here.
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