BOARDMANSHIP... Handling Citizen Complaints By Dr. Ted Flickinger, CAE IAPD Executive Director and Managing Editor

Any public agency will receive complaints. It is probably true that 90 percent of the complaints come from 10 percent of the people residing in a community. However, this is not to assume that 90 percent of the people are happy and only 10 percent unhappy. The goal should be to eliminate as many complaints as possible. The park, recreation and conservation agency's reputation depends on diminishing complaints.

Handling complaints takes a combined effort of staff and the board. The best way to handle complaints is through open lines of communication. A well planned and orchestrated communication program should be developed. The public should be informed through news releases, radio, television, brochures, and public relations techniques. Equally important, give the public plenty of opportunities to have input, especially about those issues which, when considered by the board, will indeed be controversial. Public hearings can be a real test of a board member's patience or perseverance, but they do have benefits in rendering public trust.

The board and staff must confront complaints to build an agency that is recognized as accountable and credible. What follows are suggestions that a park, recreation or conservation board can follow in handling citizen complaints.

The board should develop in its policy manual a defined procedure for handling complaints, making it clear to the public that suggestions and criticisms are welcome and will receive thoughtful consideration.

Complaints should be handled courteously and promptly.

Complaints should be designated to a particular department or to an individual within the agency. Complaints received by board members are usually handled by a specific staff member or by the CEO, and then, through the executive, shared with the board chairman. Some boards designate a subcommittee to investigate all complaints and work through the chief executive.

The board must make the CEO understand its concerns about complaints, request reports about the unresolved problems, and then monitor the results. However, the board should also understand that the CEO, through his/her staff, can correct the problems; only those which cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the citizen or group should be referred to the board. Most complaints can be handled by staff unless they focus on policy matters.

The board should have a policy requiring all complaints to be in writing with the name, address and telephone number of the complainant. Board members or staff receiving the complaint should not promise to correct the problem; however, they should assure the complainant that his concerns will be investigated, and a follow-up will be issued.

Records should be kept of all complaints. (This gives the agency an overview of who is making the complaints and whether or not the same staff is involved in different complaints.)

A board member listens to complaints as an individual, but he/she should let the board as a whole express a viewpoint about those issued. Of course, it is much easier and more pleasant to prevent complaints than to deal with them. The board can enhance its public relations posture by:

a) conducting its affairs in a manner that wins public respect and support for the agency and guarantees its integrity in the community.

b) maintaining a public relations program throughout the year, utilizing the press, radio, speeches, movies, exhibits, "come-and-see" tours, and other appropriate avenues.

c) representing the interests of the entire community rather than the interests with which individual members may be affiliated.

d) encouraging citizen interest and participation in the agency's work by enlisting volunteers, appointing committees for special projects and forming citizen advisory groups.