Palm Coast Utility Department Celebrated for Enhanced Customer Service

The City of Palm Coast is taking active steps to enhance customer service, with the Utility Department leading the charge in gathering valuable feedback from residents. To recognize their efforts, Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston, Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo, and managers from the Utility Department have personally contributed to purchasing and delivering pizzas to Utility staff at facilities across the city.

The recognition comes after a friendly internal challenge to increase participation in the Citizen Satisfaction Survey, a key tool in assessing and improving the City’s responsiveness to residents. The Utility Department collected the most survey responses in Quarter 4, coming in at 150 surveys total. This reinforces their commitment to listening to residents and ensuring better communication and service.

“This wasn’t just a celebration—it was a way to recognize the hard work of our frontline employees who are actively working to provide exceptional service to our residents,” said Acting City Manager Lauren Johnston. “Residents expect a higher level of service here, and we are working hard to meet that expectation. The Utility Department stepped up, and their engagement with the community is an important step toward meeting our goals.”

As part of the city’s broader commitment to enhancing customer service, Palm Coast has also revamped its customer service portal, Palm Coast Connect. Used by nearly 32,000 residents, the system has been upgraded with several key features, including:

• A status bar allowing residents to track their service requests from submission to completion.
• A comments section for real-time updates and communication between staff and residents.
• A long-requested estimated completion time, providing residents with clear expectations for when their case will be resolved.
• A survey at the close of the ticket, allowing residents to provide feedback.

While residents can still contact customer service by phone, these enhancements allow representatives to resolve cases up to 30% faster, streamlining service requests for garbage collection, PEP tank maintenance, traffic signals, animal control, code enforcement, and more.

“Every interaction matters, and we are committed to improving the resident experience,” Johnston added. “These upgrades and initiatives are about making Palm Coast a more responsive, transparent, and customer-focused city.”

Residents are encouraged to continue providing feedback through the Citizen Satisfaction Survey. For more information on Palm Coast Connect, visit palmcoast.gov/connect.

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