Team Georgia-Georgia Customer Service

Bob Bauguss at the Dept. of Banking & Finance follows a simple rule to be "responsive" to his customers.

"I try to treat all of my clients the way that I would like to be treated, and I also try to use the sundown rule. That's making sure that I get back with all of my clients before I leave that day. Hopefully it's before the sun goes down!"

For Sergeant First Class Tony White and Trooper First Class Chad Wynn, responsive service is often a matter of life and death. SFC White is a Georgia State Patrol helicopter pilot currently assigned to the Georgia Aviation Authority. TFC Wynn is a Tactical Flight Officer assigned to the Georgia State Patrol Post in Thomasville.

The two recently responded to a rescue call in Jeff Davis Co. for a missing elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease who disappeared in a rural, densely wooded area. Adding to the urgency of the situation, the woman was inadequately dressed for the freezing temperatures that evening, wearing only blue jeans and a t-shirt.

Without delay, the officers boarded their helicopter in Albany and traveled across the state to Jeff Davis Co., where they began a large aerial grid search using a forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) system to find the missing woman. After searching for more than an hour, the aircrew located the woman and directed ground rescue units to her exact location. The woman was treated at the scene by EMS and returned safely to her family. Thanks to their efforts, SFC White and TFC Wynn prevented an almost certain tragedy.

Jeff Davis Co. Sheriff Richard Deas praised their quick response and diligence. "The life they helped save was invaluable to her family. We deeply appreciate the concern these individuals have shown for someone they did not know and for working diligently with our agency in her rescue. 'Thank you' cannot express our gratitude we have for these men."

When local employer American Fibers & Yarns closed its doors on Friday, Oct. 17, 2008, Bainbridge College opened its classrooms to laid-off workers on Monday, Oct. 20. More than half the AF&Y workforce signed up to begin immediately working toward new careers.

Dr. Tonya Strickland helped create the special mid-semester classes for AF&Y employees. She contacted publishers and arranged for these students to receive free textbooks for their English and reading classes. She took on teaching an extra English class herself.

In Feb. 2010, the college added classes again for displaced workers and others who were unable to begin classes in January. "If people are laid off right after the semester starts, normally they would have to wait five months to enroll," said Tonya. "We want to give them hope right then. We don't want to turn anyone away who wants an education."

Many of the workers-turned-students are studying for new, in-demand careers such as nursing and teaching. "These are some of the best students I've ever had," said Tonya. "They have an outstanding work ethic. They really want to better their lives. Their presence is good for everyone in the classroom."

When it comes to road safety, "we'll get to it eventually" isn't good enough for David Millen and colleagues at the Georgia Dept. of Transportation (GDOT). David, a district engineer in Thomaston, works with a GDOT control center in Macon responding to road safety issues reported by Georgia motorists. Using an interactive tracking tool to manage customer calls, David says, "We can respond to customer needs with an immediate answer."

The new system also improves service to GDOT's internal customers. By serving as the point of contact and remaining in constant communication with all maintenance and construction field personnel, handling incidents, responding to trouble calls, conducting preventative maintenance duties are achieved quickly and efficiently.

"The Macon Transportation Management Center staff gets you the information that you need to handle the situation," says Lee Roy Duncan, a routine maintenance foreman. "If it's a tree down, they find out if it's in the road. Is it too large to be removed by hand? Will I need additional forces to assist? This information saves man hours by eliminating wasted trips and false alarms."

District maintenance engineer Ken Robinson agrees. "One call does it all. If they are called about a problem, I have complete confidence that the problem is taken care of."

When a pandemic threatened the state, the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) sprang into action to heighten awareness and promote the importance of getting the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccinations. The Office of Health Improvement (OHI), Communications and the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) worked closely together on this project.

As vaccines arrived, a diverse team quickly acted to get immunizations into the workplace. Claire Drogula (pictured left), Wellness Coordinator, managed the response for SHBP, cutting red tape and making the vaccine available at job sites around the state for covered employees and their families.

To give the shots, local public health departments dispatched a spirited team of nurses like Tonya Jackson (pictured right), North DeKalb Clinic Coordinator, DeKalb County Board of Health. The OHI staff made sure that this pattern extended to remote locations and reached minority citizens.

“Georgia's response has been robust primarily because of the exceptional partnerships DCH has forged with hospitals, private providers, the education community, the pharmacy community, the community health centers, and especially with local health departments,” said J. Patrick O'Neal, MD, Director, DCH Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Georgia's increased unemployment rate calls for increased responsiveness from employees like Erica Talley with the Dept. of Labor in Macon. When local businesses are forced to lay off workers, Erica goes on-site to help both employers and employees receive the best possible guidance during a difficult transition.

Recently at one local plant, Erica recalls, "Some employees had only a GED or less, so the employer was concerned about their ability to get back into the job market." Erica conducted a workshop called "Re-Place Yourself," designed to help job seekers develop a plan, sell their skills to employers and shorten their period of unemployment. "They were grateful for the step-by-step help at their location."

Erica's team also participates in the Dept. of Labor's Georgia Work$ program, which allows unemployed Georgians to draw benefits while receiving workplace training from a local employer for up to six weeks. Participants receive credentials for newly acquired job skills and are considered for employment.

"It gives people a chance to try out a new line of work, gain experience and get a foot in the door with local employers," says Erica. The Georgia Work$ hiring rate is 50%, and Erica's office is on track to exceed its goal for employee placements in FY 2010.

When widespread flooding hit North Georgia in Sept. 2009, emergency coordinator Raymond Noel and his team at the Dept. of Community Affairs (DCA) joined forces with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and other local, state and federal organizations to respond to flood victims.

As part of the multi-agency Georgia Disaster Housing Task Force (GDHTF), the DCA team helped more than 1,100 flood victims search for temporary or permanent housing using DCA's Web site, www.GeorgiaHousingSearch.org, which offered more than 140,000 rental property listings with search options for affordability, special needs, seniors and more. The team also coordinated a federal waiver to help get people housed faster, bypassing typical federal housing paperwork.

Team members were prepared for this event by their experience responding to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Georgia tornados of 2007 and 2008. When the GDHTF was activated to respond to the Sept. 2009 floods, DCA employees were ready and arrived on-site as soon as FEMA/GEMA Disaster Recovery Centers opened. They worked around-the-clock at each of these centers for the next several weeks. In all, more than 98 DCA employees logged 1,600 volunteer hours responding to this event.

"Many agencies did an outstanding job working together to help Georgians in need. We were ready and there when they needed us," said Raymond. Colleague Phillis Thomas agreed, crediting a culture of service at DCA: "It's natural for us to step up and volunteer to help out – it's just something we do here."

"One day you're fine, and the next day you've lost everything." Kathy Huggins, constituent services representative for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), empathizes with her customers, which include many Georgians affected by the floods of September 2009.

Kathy was often the first voice on the line for flood victims needing immediate help. "In the very beginning, affected citizens didn't know where to turn, since they'd never had anything like this happen," says Kathy. "I advised people to report their damages, call their insurance companies and be careful about going back into their homes because of potential mold, mildew and electrical dangers."

Kathy also connected victims to relief resources including the Red Cross and Salvation Army; state agencies like the Dept. of Community Affairs, the Insurance Commissioner's Office, the DHS Division of Family & Children Services and the Dept. of Labor; and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Kathy advises all Georgians to have a "ready kit" with essential supplies should an emergency arise. Talk to your family members – if it happens, where you will meet, and where to call. In addition, know what your insurance plans cover and don't cover, such as flooding. (Learn more at www.ready.ga.gov).

Responsive Service: We're On it

"Like many workers across our state, Team Georgia employees have been asked to do more with less. Citizens count on you more than ever to deliver quality services in a timely manner. I'm proud to see the many ways in which you are responding quickly to the new and changing needs of many Georgians. Thanks to the care and attention you give your customers each day, our state is weathering the storm and preparing for a bright future."

-- Governor Sonny Perdue