Providing high-quality service increases customer satisfaction, saves time, reduces costs, allows staff to devote themselves to work that adds value to Milwaukee, and allows employees to take pride in their work. The biggest challenge is developing relationships between labor and management and maintaining effective communication with employees. Thus, the department has replaced annual employee performance appraisals with regular coaching sessions and has developed evaluation forms for employees to provide feedback to their supervisors. Also critical to success is the need to train both management and employees in their new roles. The city of Milwaukee training programs cited previously serve as a starting point.
Customer knowledge is essential to successful implementation.
The Assessor's Office acquires this information through surveys and from frontline workers. Another element vital to success is the ability to be honest about the mission of government and to streamline or eliminate services that can be provided more effectively and efficiently by private business. This innovation has been accomplished with no additional funding. The program has been funded by savings from the efficiencies it has created. Major savings in staff time due to the decrease in appeals has allowed the department for the first time ever to begin a regular program to inspect homes in the city.