Customer Service Is a Public Service: How Customer Service Strengthens Fair and Effective Assessing

Customer Service - Core To Assessing

Customer service is a key part of an assessor’s everyday work. Phone calls, site visits, in emails, or even in a quick text – all are instances of customer service. Sometimes these interactions feel like a burden, but really, they’re opportunities to influence.

Every time you explain a valuation, clarify a process, or answer a tough question, you’re shaping how people experience the assessment process. Their sense of fairness is, in part, influenced by how they feel about the support you gave them. And after you hang up the phone or walk away from their property, their experience will determine how they’ll talk about your office to others.

That’s why it’s worth paying more attention to how customer service fits naturally into the work you’re already doing. When you approach your daily tasks with a customer service mindset, they become chances to build trust and reduce tension.

A positive interaction today can lead to fewer appeals, better data, and a smoother process tomorrow. Let’s take a look at how great customer service can help assessors do what they already do—even better.

Service Lessons from Amazon, Zappos, the IRS, and the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office

Private companies like Zappos and Amazon train their support teams to listen carefully, explain clearly, and solve issues with empathy—not just efficiency. When you contact them, chances are you’ll speak to someone who listens carefully, explains things clearly, and genuinely tries to solve your issue with empathy.

This mindset is gaining traction in the public sector. Take the IRS, for instance. In response to growing criticism, they created the Taxpayer Experience Office to improve service. Former Commissioner Charles Rossotti pointed out that in 2022, only 11 % of calls were being answered—that lack of response eroded public trust. How did they IRS handle the problem? They added more staff, improved training, and expanded in-person support. The result? The agency cut wait times and improved satisfaction.

A closer-to-home example is the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office. Larry Stone, who led the office for 30 years, won nearly 70 % of the vote in his last election—a direct reflection of his focus on transparency, professionalism, and what he called “excellence in customer service.” His office uses plain language in public materials, offers multiple ways for people to get in touch, and publishes an annual report to keep the community informed. Stone focused on putting service first and built lasting trust—he won his last election to be assessor in a landslide victory.

Build Trust for Your Office; Make Your Job Easier

As you already know, not every property owner will be happy with their assessment—especially if their property value goes up. But take a page from Amazon, Zappos, and the IRS, and aim to be more like Santa Clara County: give the people who interact with your office a great service experience.

When property owners encounter assessors who combine empathy with fairness and transparency, public perception shifts. And that shift builds trust, which makes everything else—from data collection to appeal management—easier.

Customer Service Beyond the Office: The Field Is Part of It Too

When you leave the office, the customer service mentality should remain. An in-person visit, for instance, allows for a different kind of interaction: more direct, more meaningful. It’s a chance for people to ask questions, share their perspective, or talk through details that might not come up otherwise. And when you take the time to listen, the information you get from the visit is often more complete and more accurate.

That doesn’t mean every visit has be a long conversation. It just means use the visit to show that you’re there to do a fair, careful job. To let them experience you listening closely, answering questions, and being open.

This kind of contact builds trust—and trust makes cooperation easier, both in the moment and in future interactions. At CIDARE, we’ve seen it firsthand: when people feel respected and included in the process, they’re more likely to collaborate and share useful information.

Yes, fieldwork is technical—but it’s personal, too. And when those two pieces come together, information is better.

What Good Customer Service Really Means

Good service doesn’t mean doing more—or turning into a PR expert. The technical side of the job matters, but what property owners really remember is how they were treated.

As assessors, we don’t just work with data—we work with people. When people experience great customer service, they trust assessors and are willing to collaborate down the line. They feel heard . That’s why customer service isn’t a bonus—it’s at the core of doing this job well.