With a system already intact to help the people of Seattle get quick answers and services to their basic city needs such as water, power, parks, roads and public safety, the city is still finding their service not up to par to what individuals need and are looking for.

Over the years and after receiving over 10 million phone calls, thousands of e-mails, letters and visits from people looking for help in their neighborhoods and in the city, the city says it has noticed three problems customers are running into with the current service.

First, most individuals do not know what number to call for the service, leading them to the second problem of not calling the correct number, giving them the idea that it won't be guaranteed that they will be helped in a efficient orderly fashion. Thirdly, because there is no way to rate the city's performance in customer service, officials have no idea whether or not what they are doing is succeeding, failing or can be improved in a different way.

Due to the system's current problems, officials have come up with a Customer Service Initiative that will "make sure that the new and improved service will focus on providing high-quality city services."

People are asked to help construct a Customer Bill of Rights that will be based on the following guiding principles:

- Easy and understandable. City products and services should be easy to locate and access.

- Responsive. City employees should be helpful, connecting customers with others who can help if they cannot.

- Fair. There should be no economic, social or cultural barriers to accessing city products and services.

- Result oriented. Customers should get results not just process.

To assist in the development of a successful Customer Bill of Rights, the city wants resident's to take the time to complete a brief online survey at http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/issues/billOfRights/ or by calling the Customer Service Bureau at 684-2489 until June 30.