Mayor Brian Bowman calls for review of Winnipeg city services

When was the last time you felt you should leave a tip for someone who works for the city?

Mayor Brian Bowman isn't looking for gratuities, but he does want to know how well the city is delivering customer service.

On the anniversary of his first year in office, Bowman told an audience at a small business summit Thursday that he has ordered a review of how everyone at the city delivers its services.

"What are we doing in terms of the full customer service experience that citizens have with the city of Winnipeg? Who do we train at the city of Winnipeg in terms of customer service? What training is deficient; what do we need to improve upon?" Bowman said to CBC News.

The review will go top to bottom: from staff at the permits office to senior administrators and even politicians. Bowman said he wants to know what's working and what is not.

"Folks at 311 do receive some training — is it enough? Are there other people that work for the city of Winnipeg that you do interact with as a citizen that don't receive any training on customer service? If not, we need to address that," he said.

Bowman said he made the announcement at the small business summit in part because that group knows what delivering good service means to the bottom line.

The findings of the review could prompt the city to change processes and practices and possibly offer more training to staff, he said.