Creating “Exceptional Touchpoints”

Years ago, I was called out on a possible water leak. When I arrived, I found that the leak was on the service line between the meter and the house, which meant it was the resident’s responsibility to repair. The resident was a 90-year-old widow, and when I explained that, she told me she simply did not have the money to fix it. After talking with her for a while, I told her that if she could get some neighbors to help dig up the line, I would come back and make the repair. She did, and a large group of kind neighbors came together to help. I returned, made the repair, and what began as a frustrating problem became a moment of gratitude, dignity, and community.

I did not tell that story for a long time because, at the time, it did not seem extraordinary to me. It was only a little bit of my time, and I was glad to help. But that is exactly what makes it an exceptional touchpoint. It was not dramatic. It was not expensive. It was simply an extra step that changed the entire experience for one resident and, in a way, for her neighbors too.

Why it matters

In Public Works, people usually call us when something is wrong or when they think something is wrong. That means many of our touchpoints begin with frustration, uncertainty, or stress. We may be the first city employee a resident speaks to during a bad day, and that makes our tone, our patience, and our willingness to explain things especially important.

That is why I coined the phrase exceptional touchpoints. It reminds our team that even a short phone call, a few extra minutes of explanation, or a calm and respectful conversation can shape how someone feels about the city. These moments are often small to us, but they are not small to the person on the other end.

The clean-up event example

Twice a year, our city holds a clean-up event where residents can bring trash to our building. It is a convenient service, and because of that, many residents come in with a positive experience rather than a complaint. Before each event, we talk as a team about the fact that this may be the only time some residents interact with the city in a favorable setting. That gives us a chance to show who we are.

That is an exceptional touchpoint too. It might be helping someone unload a trailer, answering a question with patience, or simply making the event feel smooth and welcoming. Those are the moments where residents make judgement on how our organization is run.

A lesson from Marriott

Years ago, when my wife and I had just started dating, she was on a trip to Boston with her mom. It was her birthday, and I wanted to do something kind, so I called a flower shop near her hotel and tried to order flowers to her room. The person I dealt with was rude and unhelpful, which was surprising. I then called the Marriott Hotel where she was staying and asked for help. They were incredible. They helped me get the flowers delivered, decorated her room, and even provided a cake. That experience left such a positive impression that we still stay almost exclusively at Marriott hotels.

That story matters because it shows how one organization can turn a simple request into a lasting memory. They did not just deliver a room. They delivered care. That is the power of an exceptional touchpoint.

The standard we set

I tell my team that a resident forms an opinion of us in all kinds of ordinary moments. It might be how we answer the phone, how we explain a policy, or how we treat someone at the gas station if they happen to see us in public. These little things matter because they reveal what kind of organization we really are.

And this is important: exceptional touchpoints are not about pretending to be something we are not. They are not about image management or putting on a fake smile for public approval. They are about living out the reality that we are a good organization made up of good people who want to do the right thing. Sometimes that only takes a few seconds, but those few seconds can make a lasting difference in someone’s day, or even in the way they see their city.

Closing thought

Public Works is often about solving problems, but it is also about creating trust. When we choose to take that extra step, we are doing more than fixing a leak or answering a question. We are creating an exceptional touchpoint. And sometimes the smallest moment of care becomes the moment that defines the whole experience.

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