House Bill 1047e1
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HB 1047, First Engrossed
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to state government; creating
3 the "Florida Customer Service Standards Act";
4 specifying measures that state departments are
5 directed to implement with respect to
6 interaction with their customers; specifying
7 that failure to comply with the act does not
8 constitute a cause of action; providing an
9 effective date.
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11 WHEREAS, confidence in the government's ability to
12 solve problems has been deteriorating for the past three
13 decades; in 1963, the national public's confidence level rated
14 75 percent, compared to 1993, when confidence levels rated as
15 low as 17 percent, and
16 WHEREAS, there is a need for customers to be treated
17 with courtesy and respect, to have simplified access to
18 services, to have services that are efficient, to have
19 communications that are clear and easily understood, and to
20 save money, and
21 WHEREAS, the State of Florida is dedicated to improving
22 the service standards practiced by state departments and
23 agencies, NOW, THEREFORE,
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25 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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27 Section 1. Florida Customer Service Standards Act.--
28 (1) SHORT TITLE.--This section may be cited as the
29 "Florida Customer Service Standards Act."
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HB 1047, First Engrossed
1 (2) PURPOSE.--It is the purpose of this section to
2 direct state departments to practice and employ all the
3 measures set forth in this section.
4 (3) DEFINITIONS.--As used in this section, the term:
5 (a) "Customer" means any member of the public who uses
6 or requests services or information provided by a state
7 department or who is required by statute to interact with the
8 department.
9 (b) "Department" means a principal administrative unit
10 within the executive branch of state government, as defined in
11 chapter 20, and shall also include the Public Service
12 Commission.
13 (4) MEASURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED.--State departments
14 shall:
15 (a) Designate an employee or employees in the
16 department who shall be responsible for facilitating the
17 resolution of customer complaints, including any customer
18 complaints regarding unsatisfactory treatment by department
19 employees.
20 (b) Provide available information, except information
21 which is confidential pursuant to any other state or federal
22 law, and accurate responses to questions and requests for
23 assistance in a prompt manner.
24 (c) Acknowledge receipt of a telephonic or electronic
25 question or request by the end of the next business day.
26 (d) Provide direct local or toll-free telephonic or
27 direct electronic access to the department employee or
28 employees designated to resolve customer complaints.
29 (e) Develop a process for review by upper-level
30 management of any customer complaints not resolved by the
31 department employee or employees designated to resolve
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HB 1047, First Engrossed
1 customer complaints. In evaluating the appropriateness of
2 response time, management may consider periodic, high volume
3 inquiries as a justifiable cause of delay.
4 (f) Develop customer-satisfaction measures as part of
5 the department's performance-measurement system.
6 (g) Employ a system by which customer complaints and
7 resolutions of those complaints are tracked.
8 (h) Provide statistical data on customer complaints
9 and resolutions of those complaints, and on
10 customer-satisfaction measures in annual reports or other
11 performance publications, and use this data when conducting
12 management and budget-planning activities.
13 (i) Provide training to employees on improving
14 customer service and on the role of the department employee or
15 employees designated to resolve customer complaints.
16 (j) Include in the departmental strategic plan a
17 program outline or goal regarding customer service.
18 (k) Conduct interdepartmental discussions on methods
19 of providing and improving customer service.
20 (5) AGENCY OPERATING HOURS.--Departments shall be
21 staffed and open to the public for business on all regular
22 business days.
23 (6) FUNDING.--Departments shall use available
24 resources to achieve the purposes of this section.
25 (7) FAILURE TO COMPLY.--No cause of action shall arise
26 in favor of any person due to a department's failure to comply
27 with any provision of this section.
28 (8) EXCEPTIONS.--This section does not apply to a
29 person who uses or requests services or information from a
30 department when such service or information is related to that
31 person's:
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HB 1047, First Engrossed
1 (a) Criminal prosecution,
2 (b) Incarceration,
3 (c) Pending administrative action, or
4 (d) Current lawful state or local government custody.
5 Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2000.
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