Customer Service Is Good Politics

By:  Kevin Trainor/Managing Editor

Congress is in recess, but the work of a House, Senate office continues.  Much of it not having to do with the pure politics of the workday.  Constituent services are an important part of an elected official’s duties.  Well, at least his/her staff.  Interns, and legislative correspondents, handle the front office duties.  Upbeat, positive usually, the fresh faced young staffers are the first you encounter whether calling, or walking in.  It is not unusual for them to bear the brunt of constituents, and others, calling in to vent about one topic, or another.  They endure profanity laced tirades until they choose to not.  Some of the callers have ideas.  This columnist recalls being in then Senator Al Gore’s (D-TN) office in 1991, and hearing a well-intentioned person’s idea of covering the United States with a dome for environmental reasons.  They will take notes on calls, and make them available to senior advisors.  The interns will come from schools in state or district.  Junior staff as well.  More senior staff have likely been around the Hill for a long time.  It is a career.  This is what they do.

Requests come in from their state and district.  Recommendations for service academy appointments, 50th Anniversary wishes, someone turned 100, Eagle Scout commendations, White House tour tickets, and the flag requests.  Flag requests are a nice business on Capitol Hill.  Every day, people whose job it is to raise, and lower flags over the house and senate chambers do so.  Repeatedly, from 9am to 3pm, with a lunch break, of course.  Citizens will call, or get on their representative’s website, and order a flag that flew over the Capitol building. The reasons vary.  People will request a specific date, even time.  Not all flags are uniform in size or make.  A choice can be made between cotton, nylon, large, medium, or smaller.  They come with a certificate of authenticity.  Every day, usually interns, trek to the basement of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, and pick up the boxes of flags to be sent out.

The flag office works in its own time and way.  They fulfill the orders in a timely manner.  Most are older, ex-enlisted military.  The patience level for young staffers continuing to call, check on, the progress of a request is minimal.  When the office intern comes down to pick up multiple flags they better have a handcart.  Normally, they will have to stack them too.  The flag office honors the country’s emblem.  Each star and striped banner is folded meticulously with a certificate attached.  They are carefully boxed, stacked, and sorted by office.  Rarely is there a mistake.  These folks have been doing this for years.  A rush job is frowned upon, however, and attitude dealt with.  Most lower tier Capitol Hill staffers have a story, or two, of someone in the warehouse-like basement space being, in their view, “difficult.”


Office holders rarely run on the promise of an efficient customer service mentality if elected.  Most staffs are very responsive, and caring.  Yes, there are notable exceptions, but they are the very rare exception.  Whether it is a passport expedition request, or a grade school student inquiring about a report due on government; these mostly young people are going to work hard to make the boss look good.  Those internships, and first jobs are too precious not too.  The voters will also remember come election day as well.