Team Georgia-Georgia Customer Service

At the University of Georgia, parents are offered special access to campus orientation – in their sneakers! Last summer, when 5,000 new freshmen arrived on campus for two days of orientation activities, Dr. Alan Clark (pictured) of the University Health Service saw a unique opportunity to engage visiting parents. He organized and led a series of early-morning runs through campus.

Dr. Clark partnered with the Office of Admissions and New Student Orientation Director Milly Gorman to spread the word to parents about this fun opportunity. He met parents at the UGA Conference Center and Hotel, where most were staying. The hotel even pitched in signage for meeting points, plus water bottles and towels for runners on their return.

The run was not only great excercise, but also it helped parents become familiar with campus, meet one another and get to know UGA staff. By popular demand, Dr. Clark plans to offer the morning runs again next summer.

Ruben Burney, grants specialist for the Georgia Commission for Service & Volunteerism, Department of Community Affairs, has a simple strategy to help misdirected callers get to the right place.

"I receive many citizen calls that are not related to my agency's mission. Many people are attracted to the agency name but have no idea what we really do. In order to help these people, I created a folder on my PC with information from other state agencies and non-profits like United Way. It is very handy for keyword searches."

Betty Jones, call center manager for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, says, "GBI takes pride in being accessible to its customers even though budget cutbacks have meant, for many departments, working with fewer staff or working longer to ensure coverage for their shifts."

Betty continues, "Because of the dedication the employees demonstrate in this agency, positive comments continue to flood my email. Our communication centers are 24/7 and always accessible to customers. Law-enforcement agencies, the justice system and the public rely on our communication staff, which remains helpful and accessible to all by answering phones in less than a minute. Also, GBI has the best security staff that greets employees and customers upon entry, and they ensure that customers get to the right place. Our maintenance crew is awesome, always helpful and there when we need them. 'Accessibility' for this agency is something everyone strides for!"