A Message from the City Manager
Over the last year or so, I’ve had the privilege of visiting several departments to learn directly from the City employees who provide the services that make Boerne an exemplary Hill Country community.
Recently, I spent the day with our dedicated Boerne Utilities Customer Care and Billing team. Here’s what I learned.
– Ben Thatcher, City Manager
If you want to understand how residents experience City Hall, start at the Boerne Utilities Customer Care and Billing team.
This group, led by Jill Christian, includes Daniela, Kim, April, Jamie, Amy, Kristi, and Tanya. After visiting with them, one thing became clear: This team plays a central role in how our community experiences the City of Boerne.
They are often the first point of contact for residents starting utility service, asking questions, making payments, or working through an issue. That first interaction matters, and this team carries that responsibility every day.
Serving Residents Every Day
The Customer Careteam manages a steady flow of walk-in customers, phone calls, applications, payments, service changes, and account questions. So far this year, they have helped more than 3,000 customers at the window alone, not including the volume of phone calls and internal coordination they handle across the organization.
Despite the growth in online services, many residents still prefer to come in person. Some pay in cash. Others simply value the opportunity to speak with someone face to face. There is a real sense of connection that happens here, and this team understands its importance.
For many residents, this is where their relationship with the City begins.
The Work Behind the Window
While the front counter is what most people see, a significant amount of work happens behind the scenes.
Tanya walked us through the cash room and the daily closeout process, highlighting the level of care required to manage deposits, balance accounts, and handle funds securely. The team also manages service orders, billing coordination, disconnect notices, account updates, and communication with field crews and other departments.
Small errors in this environment don’t stay small. They show up on bills, in customer accounts, and ultimately in the trust our residents place in us. The level of detail and accountability required in this work is high, and this team takes that responsibility seriously.
Modernizing the Process
The team is also actively working toward improvements that will make a meaningful difference for both customers and staff.
Efforts are underway to implement online utility applications, online deposit payments, and mobile service orders. These changes will reduce reliance on paper, streamline communication between departments, and allow field staff to update information in real time.
For customers, this means greater convenience and accessibility. For the organization, it means improved efficiency, faster service delivery, and fewer opportunities for errors.
This is exactly the kind of continuous improvement that strengthens our ability to serve.
The Harder Side of Customer Service
This work also comes with challenges that are not always visible.
While most customer interactions are positive, this team regularly works with residents who are frustrated, confused, or upset, which is often related to billing, due dates, or service interruptions. They are also closely connected to one of the more difficult aspects of utility service: managing accounts that may lead to disconnection.
They make every effort to avoid that outcome. Multiple notices, phone calls, and outreach attempts are made to give customers every opportunity to stay current. When those efforts don’t resolve the situation, they are often the ones having the conversations that lead up to that next step.
Throughout it all, they remain professional, patient, and steady. They listen, they explain, and they work to find solutions while applying policies consistently and fairly.
That takes a level of composure and judgment that should not be overlooked.
A Close Team with Strong Culture
One of the most impressive aspects of this group is their culture.
They described themselves as one of the closest teams they have had, and that was evident during our visit. They support one another, celebrate together, and find ways to maintain a positive environment even when the work is demanding.
To Jill, Daniela, Kim, April, Jamie, Amy, Kristi, and Tanya, thank you for the professionalism, care, and consistency you bring to your work. It makes a difference.
This is what Team Boerne at Work looks like.
