1. Customer Service & Social Media
Jeff Cranson Communications Director
Michigan Department of Transportation
The skeptics among us probably believe customer service is a lot like the weather – everyone talks about it but no one does anything about it. (relate story of GR/county setting up the kiosk)
I’m going to speak first about some department-wide initiatives implemented this year to focus on customer service, then speak specifically about my area, Communications, and how we are growing our social media portfolio to engage with customers.

2. Our Mission
Providing the highest quality integrated transportation services for economic benefit and improved quality of life.
The mission statement does not include the word “customer.” But inherent in this is a statement about why we exist -- to provide quality transportation services to our customers. This also sets up the ongoing challenge of identifying the customers, citizens using any of multiple modes, businesses moving goods, billboard companies seeking permits, and in the case of my office – media outlets.

3. Strategic Emphasis on Customers
“The role of government is to serve our citizens as customers ---to make a difference in their lives in a positive way.”
Governor Snyder
Strategic Emphasis on Customers
Our Governor has made it very clear---everywhere he goes---that government is in the customer service business. I especially appreciate this statement which I believe he made last Spring at a meeting with leaders in Flint---this strategic emphasis on customers in state government comes right from the top from the Chief Executive.
At MDOT this strategic focus on customers has been part of our corporate value structure for several years, but this year we are putting extra emphasis on that objective.

4. Strategic Approach to Performance
‘Good Government in Action’ Initiative
Strategic Approach to Performance
Focus on a ‘Wildly Important’ Goal
Act on Lead Measures
Create Compelling Scoreboards
Create A Cadence of Accountability
And so with that strategic framework of customer service in mind, about a year ago our leadership adopted a new approach to our organizational performance which internally we are calling our “Good Government in Action’ initiative. I know it sounds somewhat bureaucratic but it is a sustained effort to apply a disciplined approach to performance management, and is based on the principles defined by Franklin Covey, Inc. as the ‘Four Disciplines of Execution’. Now I am not a salesman for Franklin Covey but in order to explain what we are doing and learning in this process some explanation of these concepts are necessary.
This process is about execution---about getting it done---with focus, action, measurements, and accountability. It is a discipline, with four basic steps.
This first discipline is all about narrowing one’s focus. Research has shown that the achievement of goals is inversely proportional to the number of goals one has. If you have 1-2 goals, you usually can achieve those goals with good success. With 3-5 goals, you might achieve one; and with ten or more, you usually achieve none of your goals to any great degree. This principle is built upon the idea that we all already have a vast number of urgent things that fill our day for us –Franklin Covey calls this the “whirlwind”. The whirlwind consists of many urgent things that demand our attention. It tends to act on us. It is not that the whirlwind is not important, or is something we can opt out of –we do need to respond to it. But if we allow it to, it doesn’t give us much time to advance those things we want or may need to do that are strategic, transformative or new. By focusing on just one or two “wildly important” things, you can carve out enough time to effectively act on those things, in spite of the whirlwind.
To be measureable and achievable,“wildly important goals”, or WIGs, also need to be clearly defined in terms of moving from the current state, "X", to the desired state, "Y", by a certain time: from X to Y by WHEN.
The Second Discipline---Act on the Lead Measures---is about focusing your efforts on those actions which you have control over and which can have a measurable influence on your goal---you take this action and it will LEAD you to the desired result.
The Third Discipline---Keep A Compelling Player’s Scoreboard---is about the power of the team players keeping score in a manner that is visible, engaging and tells them instantly whether or not they are winning the game.
The Fourth Discipline---Create A Cadence of Accountability---is probably the one that has been the most important in terms of the application of discipline in the organization. This is about creating a cadence, a weekly drum beat, to keep us moving forward on what is supposed to be wildly important, in the face of the whirlwind. The idea is to hold short, weekly meetings with your team, less than 30 minutes, to help move the needle on the LEAD measures. The question we ask during these meetings is ‘What one or two things can I do this week that will make the biggest difference?” Each session starts with a reporting of last week’s accomplishments and commitments, then we look at the data on the LAG and LEAD measures, then each team member makes a commitment for the following week. It sounds easy, but in reality, it is hard to do. There is a reason they call this a discipline.

5. Improved Customer Satisfaction
Our ‘WIG’:
Statewide Goal:
Improved Customer Satisfaction
Improve Customer Satisfaction to 80%
For MDOT, that Wildly Important Goal is defined as Improving Customer Satisfaction.
Last year 73%
Department wide initiative: Highway Development, Contracts, Finance and Admin, Economic Development
Regions focus on User Delay component

6. Customer-Centered System Operations
Transportation System Operations:
Customer-Centered System Operations
A Platform for Customer Service and Satisfaction
To support the organization’s wildly important goal of improving customer satisfaction, all seven operating regions came together to establish a supporting goal of limiting user delay costs in our high volume freeway corridors statewide. Expressed in 4dx terms, the goal is to limit user delay costs this year to $304.4M. That represents a 10% improvement over last year’s results.
Goal: Limit User Delay Costs on High Priority Corridors Statewide

7. Limit User Delay Costs Lead/Lag Measures Winter Operations
Work Zone Management
Traffic Incident Management
Three action areas for our operating Regions to monitor User Delay Costs:
Scoreboard:
-Blue line is year long goal
-Each bar represents our score for the week (red is over, green is under, yellow is within 10%)
Posted in each office – Employee engagement
These are the User Delay Costs metrics for our West Michigan region, as you can see they are well under their overall target goal of reducing user delays on their high priority freeway corridors.

8. Normal Speeds <2 hours
Winter Regain Time
After Storm Huddles when regain > 2 hours
Pre-storm communications with contract agencies
Graph shows typical regain analysis
-Red line is average historical speed
-Blue line is actual observed speeds
-Identify start and end of storm
-Regain achieved when actual speeds are within 5mph of average for 1 hour
Results: Minimize delay and reduce winter related crashes = Better Customer Service

9. Data Resources Field Detectors NAVTEQ Trucking Companies Crowdsourcing
Lots of options to gather data
Network for roadside detectors
Third Party Data-collection – MDOT currently uses NAVTEQ
Commercial vehicle companies sharing data
You and me – using Google maps on your phone also helps populate the databases and increase accuracy

10. Scoreboard Performance Measures Accountability Employee Engagement
Cadence
In terms of the player’s scoreboard, this is an element of the discipline where employee engagement and accountability come together.
The lead measures, outcomes and commitments are reviewed every week. Team members are asked, ‘What is the one thing you can do this week to improve the team’s performance?
Employees need (want) to know how we are doing on a weekly basis
Their actions directly impact the score
Everybody wants to win

11. Driving Customer Service Through Communications
Performance Measures
Winter Operations
Work Zone Impacts
Quick Clearance
Post Incident Review
This process brings a team together and incentivizes their communications and their actions on lead measures in order to achieve data-driven results
Working with our Internal and external partners---we are aiming to Move the needle on customer satisfaction
The actual results we are achieving for our statewide effort is showing us that we have done very well so far in managing our regain time and response to the weather and traffic incidents. But these results are just part of the story. The big picture indicates that this process is definitely moving MDOT in the right direction of becoming a more operations oriented DOT.
One of the positive outcomes of this initiative is that employees in many of our non-traffic areas are engaged in highway operations---not just our traffic engineers and operations staff, but maintenance engineers and coordinators, construction engineers, project managers---are, more than ever, paying attention to traffic operations, why it is important, and the impact they can have on improving traffic flow for our customers.
We are seeing a shift from a reactionary response to operational issues to more of a proactive approach to actively managing traffic in real time. Instead of waiting for something to happen, we are putting practices and behaviors in place in order ti avoid operational difficulties, or at least to be able to respond the moment they happen.
There is also improved transparency through all levels of our organization into the daily operational health of our highway system. Staff, managers and senior executives all have better visibility into the type of crashes, weather events and work zone issues that happen, their impact on users, and the abilities we have to respond to and reduce those impacts.
Results: Maximize safety and mobility = Better Customer Service

12. Providing Customer Service Through Social Media
Important traffic, safety & construction information
Notification about news releases, reports, public events & public comment periods
Links to informational videos, photos & the MDOT Web site
MDOT maintains a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

13. Social Media MDOT recognizes that social media works both ways
Communication isn’t just one-sided
Communications staff actively monitors Facebook & Twitter feeds for questions, complaints & traffic news tips from the public
State of Michigan social media policy is to respond to a public question within 24 hours during the work week
Of course traffic doesn’t stop on the weekend, so MDOT staff keeps tabs on social media feeds during the weekends when at all possible

14. Dealing with an angry customer
Social Media
Opportunity to convert critics into fans
Offer help, or at the very least to listen
Even if you can’t solve their current problem, show them that you’re always there to help
Be honest & helpful, not confrontational

15. Don’t leave customers hanging
The Michigan Department of Transportation Social Media - Customer Service
Don’t leave customers hanging
Sometimes you need to ask an expert to help answer a question.
Everyone’s busy, so getting that help may not come quickly. Make sure to let the customer know you’re working on it and that they haven’t been forgotten.

16. The Michigan Department of Transportation Social Media - Customer Service
Example
A quick Facebook post about rest area maintenance led to a question from a follower about why MDOT doesn’t use that money to fix roads instead. A.j. Bertin I just have to ask... why have so many of Michigan's rest areas been demolished and rebuilt over the last few years? Couldn't those funds have gone toward improving more of the actual roads?

17. The Michigan Department of Transportation Social Media - Customer Service
Example
MDOT responded within an hour to acknowledge the question. Communications staff drafted a response and forwarded it to a department expert on rest areas to make sure it was thorough and accurate. Michigan Department of Transportation Working on a response for you, A.j. Bertin. Thanks for the question!

18. The Michigan Department of Transportation Social Media - Customer Service
Example
As it turned out, the expert was away at a meeting and could not respond immediately. MDOT made sure to provide the Facebook follower an update the next morning. Michigan Department of Transportation Haven't forgotten about your question, AJ. Verifying some information we plan to pass along to you.  -- Follower responded by liking MDOT’s post.

19. The Michigan Department of Transportation Social Media - Customer Service
Example
The rest area expert provided information to pass along to the follower. Staff made sure to apologize for the delay in the response. Michigan Department of Transportation Sorry for the time it took to give you the full response. We wanted to make sure we included a thorough explanation of why rest areas/Welcome Centers are so valuable, given the current funding issue. -- Follower responded by liking MDOT’s post.

20. The Michigan Department of Transportation Social Media - Customer Service
Example
A few hours later, the follower made sure to thank MDOT for keeping our promise to respond to him. A.j. Bertin Thank you for this thorough answer. I appreciate you getting back to me! 

21. Dealing with an angry customer
Example
Dealing with an angry customer
Angry Detroit motorist stuck in construction following a concert.
@KINGVERN:
@MichiganDOT I hate you for this traffic on 75 after the Kevin Heart show. Down to two lanes... EFF YOU!!

22. Dealing with an angry customer
Example
Angry Detroit motorist stuck in construction following y'all need to get together
Dealing with an angry customer

23. Dealing with an angry customer
Example
Dealing with an angry customer
Angry Detroit motorist stuck in construction following Sorry for the inconvenience, Vern. Which area of I-75 was that? I can explain the work with that info. Thanks!

24. Dealing with an angry customer
Example
Dealing with an angry customer
Angry Detroit motorist stuck in construction following it was Saturday night between The palace of auburn hills and Crooks road. What happened? Thanks for the response.

25. Dealing with an angry customer
Example
Dealing with an angry customer
Angry Detroit motorist stuck in construction following a I cant responded to my angry tweet lol. #humbled

26. Dealing with an angry customer
Example
Dealing with an angry customer
Angry Detroit motorist stuck in construction following Found it - maintenance work. Hard to do that kind of work during work week, so wkend only option. Sorry again for the delays.

27. Dealing with an angry customer
Example
Dealing with an angry customer
Angry Detroit motorist stuck in construction following thank you

28. Dealing with an angry customer
Example
Dealing with an angry customer
Recap
Angry motorist called out MDOT by name
MDOT responded with offer to help explain the delay
Motorist surprised MDOT responded
Motorist attitude changed from anger to appreciative

29. Summary Monitor social media channels Meet issues head-on
People want to be heard
Stay positive, don’t be confrontational
Opportunity to convert critics to fans

30. MDOT Social Media Sites
Use of Social Media tools is no excuse for distracted driving - Don’t drive while “intexticated!”
@MDOT_Lansing Facebook YouTube Instagram

31. Questions?
Customer Service is Important Please take our customer survey: