CREATING EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE



CREATING EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

IN A REGISTER OF DEEDS OFFICE

BY

Terry Seifert

B.S., Black Hills State University, 1987

A Professional Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of

the Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Science

Administrative Studies Program

In the Graduate School

The University of South Dakota

July 2001

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Need for Training in a Register of Deeds Office

Introduction _____________________________ 2

What a Register of Deeds Office Does_________ 3

Job Description___________________________ 6

Use of This Training Manual________________ 7

Performance Appraisals ____________________ 8

Chapter 2: Training Manual

Note: This chapter has been edited out of this document. For information on this chapter, please contact the author at tseifert@. Thank you.

Table of Contents________________________ 11

Deeds__________________________________ 12

Definitions________________________ 12

Maps_____________________________14

Examples of Deeds__________________18

Exemptions from Transfer Fees________ 21

Mortgages_______________________________24

Definitions________________________ 24

Examples of Mortgages______________ 26

Miscellaneous Documents__________________ 31

Definitions________________________ 31

Recording Miscellaneous Documents___ 32

Examples of Miscellaneous Documents_ 34

Work Flow______________________________38

Processing______________________________ 44

Check-out Process_____________________ ___55

Chapter 3: Methodology

Appreciative Instructional Design___________ 56

AiD Discover and Dream____________ 57

AiD Design_______________________ 60

AiD Destiny ______________________ 62

Conclusion_____________________________ 63

Appendix A ______________________________________ 64

Questionnaire #1_________________________65

Questionnaire #2_________________________66

Appendix B_______________________________________ 67

Readiness Evaluation_____________________ 68

Customer Evaluation _____________________69

References _______________________________________ 70

Abstract

This is a training manual for The Register of Deeds office. It was designed to help make training more efficient and effective. Resources for this office are becoming more limited as County services are cut and property tax revenues decline.

Chapter one is an overview of the office and the job of Deputy. This sets out what the duties entail and provides a brief job description of the position. Chapter two is the training manual itself. This includes a description of the majority of the documents that are recorded in the office and includes examples of those most frequently recorded. Chapter three explains the methodology used in creating this training manual.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to all who helped me with this project.

Tim Seifert

Paula J. Walker

Shauna Bruce

Margaret Collins

Mindy Zacher

Sherry Fox

Rayberta Miller

Sandy Atwater

Roxanne Chamberlain

Dr. Karen Norum

CHAPTER 1

THE NEED FOR TRAINING IN A REGISTER OF DEEDS OFFICE

Introduction

Each of the sixty-six counties in The State of South Dakota has a Register of Deeds Office. These offices are supported by the county government, but are subject to the laws and regulation of the State Government. This office is a low-profile office; not dealing with taxes or other funding issues and is sometimes considered insignificant by the governing body.

This is an office, however, that has a great deal of positive customer relations and can help create a positive image for the county government during the times of tax crisis and governmental controversy. Local governments have the most direct contact with their constituents. By giving the customer excellent customer service in an office not associated with paying, distributing or levying taxes, taxpayers can experience a positive association with their local government.

Local governments are experiencing funding reductions. When looking for places to eliminate services, the burden falls on the office that does not have a large financial bearing. This creates personnel shortages and low pay in this particular office.

Most of the training is provided through workshops and conventions. Generally, the person attending is the Register of Deeds. This information is then relayed to the Deputy. Without a formal training program and receiving second hand information and combined with the diversity of duties in the office, the Deputy can become frustrated with the training process.

Real estate recordings are the main function of the office. Learning this first will allow the Deputy to perform the main function of the office. For new personnel, the diversity of duties can be overwhelming and discouraging. They must follow state and federal regulations at all times, learn new computer systems, and deal with the public while trying to understand complex real estate law and recording procedures.

Having held this position for over eleven years, the author developed this manual to assist her successors in their endeavor to provide the public with exceptional customer service. The lack of formal training can be frustrating and discouraging. The purpose of this manual is to address learning the main aspect (real estate recordings) of this diverse office.

What a Register of Deeds Office Does

The Register of Deeds Office is the office in the county government that is responsible for various legal documents and their safekeeping. These documents consist of all the land records for the county. This includes, but is not limited to, deeds, mortgages, mortgage satisfactions and assignments of mortgages, power of attorneys, easements, covenants and restrictions, plats, contracts, leases, oil and gas documents and any other legal documents that need to be of public record. Other filings in the office may include water right documents, state and federal tax lien notices, county liens and bills of sale. All of these documents can affect the ownership of property and need to be accessible to interested parties, including land or home owners, title and mortgage insurance companies, lenders, potential buyers or leasers, attorneys involved with the parties of affected land owners and any other person who may have an interest in the property.

The Register of Deeds office is also responsible for liens attached to motor vehicles. This office records an encumbrance placed on vehicle titles after the purchases and also removes the lien when the lender releases its interest in the vehicle. Replacement titles are processed through the office, so anyone who has lost the title to their vehicle needs to appear in this office to obtain a replacement title.

The Register of Deeds office is also in charge of all vital records for that county. This includes issuing marriage licenses, issuing certified copies of birth records, filing death certificates and issuing certified copies. The office also maintains records for all cemeteries located within the county.

The primary function of this office, however, is the recording of land documents and the processing of all property sales in the county. The office is the first step in processing any real estate transaction. The documents that transfer the property are brought into the office and the recording of these documents literally changes the name in which the property is held. If these papers are not filed properly, the property title does not completely transfer ownership. After these documents are filed in the Register of Deeds office, they are then relayed to the County Treasurer, who notes that the property has been transferred and what person is now responsible for the property taxes that are owed. The County Director of Equalization is involved in the process also. That office receives the transfer notice and transfers the property assessments into the proper name. They use the information about the sale to determine valuation of that property and the value of other property with similar characteristics and in similar locations. This information is used to determine valuation for real property so that all taxpayers are paying their fair share for the services that the state and county provide.

The Register of Deeds office has the most diverse clientele of all the county offices. Lawyers use the information in the office to prepare the documents that affect the real estate of their clients. If there is any dispute over the property, the records provide the information to address these issues. The Title Company uses the records of this office on a daily basis. They are responsible for the title insurance that a lender requires on property that is mortgaged. Title insurance is a way of guaranteeing that the property is actually owned by the person mortgaging or selling it. In researching land records for title insurance, things may be discovered that affect the ownership, such as a garage, fence or other structure improperly placed onto the adjoining lot. Perhaps, some owners have not executed the proper documents and still have an ownership interest in the property that must be taken care of before the title is properly transferred again. It is important that all documents pertaining to property ownership have been properly filed to ensure that any problems or questions can be determined and eliminated so that the person buying the property can have clear title to it. Mortgage lenders use the office for recording their security interest in the property and also to check that the land description is titled in the proper names for mortgage purposes. This insures that property is not sold or mortgaged by unauthorized persons.

The life-giving factor of this office is the exceptional customer service it gives to taxpayers and professional users of the office. The friendliness and helpfulness of the personnel are a great value to everyone who uses this office and its resources. This training program is designed to continue and enrich this life factor by providing a manual for learning the correct recording of real estate documents.

To help familiarize new personnel with the diverse duties they will be expected to perform, a brief job description follows. This will help them in understanding what is involved as Deputy Register of Deeds. A description about the use of this manual then provides them with instructions for its use. The Performance Appraisal will help them understand how they will be evaluated as they progress through the manual.

Job Description

The position of Deputy Register of Deeds requires diverse skill and knowledge. Computer applications knowledge is important. This office uses Microsoft Works, spreadsheets and Access database. It also is connected to the Department of Health and Department of Revenue by a computer network. Good public relations skills are necessary to serve a diverse customer base. General office skills are also required. Helpful skills include typing, copy machine and microfilm copying equipment experience. Real estate and research knowledge is also helpful.

The Deputy is legally able to execute all the duties of this office, as would the Register of Deeds. This position is able to notarize documents through the legal authority of the office. The Deputy can perform all duties that the Registrar executes. This includes recording of all documents, signing all recorded documents and certified copies of documents that are of record in this office. This position needs to be familiar with all requirements for these recordings and take care to carry out their responsibilities in a conscientious manner. All aspects of the business of this office will be learned and at times the Deputy will have full charge and responsibility of the office.

This position will also be responsible for customer service. Finding and copying documents for attorneys, bankers and the general public is an important part of this service. The Deputy will take documents in; assigning them an order in the work process by the time they arrived. Accounting that will be performed includes handling cash transactions, daily balancing of the cash drawer and accounts receivable for transfer sheets on a monthly schedule. These transfer sheets will be processed and billed by the position personnel at the end of each month.

Other responsibilities include typing transfer sheets and correspondence, using the copy machine and maintaining supplies for the machine. Producing reports that will be sent to the appropriate state office and helping individuals complete their transactions are also duties of this position.

Use of This Training Manual

This manual is designed to help in the training of the position of Deputy Register of Deeds. It is also designed to help the general public do their own research and to access the land records with minimal help from office staff. This is a self-paced manual and can be accessed as time allows. It would be most helpful to use this manual at the beginning of training new personnel. It should be used as an introduction to the duties of the office, as well as to familiarize personnel with real estate concepts and functions concerning this office. The focus of this manual is to develop proficiency in the area of the recording of real estate documents to sustain and improve the customer service offered by the office. This need is demonstrated by the insufficient staff and recent budget cuts, which make the traditional training inefficient.

Personnel should work through the manual, making sure to understand each concept before continuing onto the next session. Supervisors should monitor progress and test the knowledge of each concept before the trainee progresses to the next concept. This will ensure that each concept is understood and that knowledge can successfully build on the next concept. This testing can be accomplished by having the trainee perform the actual office recording, then having the supervisor check to make sure the recording was properly done.

Performance Appraisals

Due to time and manpower constraints, this training program needs to be incorporated into the actual office duties. The supervisor will be responsible for the accuracy of the recording process throughout the training. Performance appraisals will be given at the end of each session of this manual to ensure the trainee is learning those skills that are needed as they progress through the lessons (Appendix B, page 68). A questionnaire will be used by the public to evaluate the effectiveness of the training and to ensure that the life-giving factors of the office are sustained (Appendix B, page 69).

Chapter 2

The Training Manual

Note: Please understand that this chapter is specific to the office interviewed for this project and to the laws of this state. Therefore, this chapter has been edited out of this version of my document. Not all of the pages are available for viewing on computer, however, if you are interested in the full version, please contact the author at tseifert@.

Register of Deeds Training Manual

Real Estate Recordings

June 2001

Table of Contents

Deeds__________________________________ 12

Definitions________________________ 12

Maps_____________________________14

Examples of Deeds__________________18

Exemptions from Transfer Fees________ 21

Mortgages_______________________________24

Definitions________________________ 24

Examples of Mortgages______________ 26

Miscellaneous Documents__________________ 31

Definitions________________________ 31

Recording Miscellaneous Documents___ 32

Examples of Miscellaneous Documents_ 34

Work Flow______________________________38

Processing______________________________ 44

Check-out Process_____________________ ___55

Chapter 3

Methodology

Appreciative instructional Design

The author used Appreciative instructional Design (Norum, 2000) to develop this training manual. The Appreciative instructional Design (AiD) model draws its foundation from Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry has been best described “as a radically affirmative approach to change which completely lets go of problem-based management and in so doing vitally transforms strategic planning, survey methods, culture change, merger integration methods, approaches to TQM, measurement systems, sociotechnical systems.” (Cooperrider & Whitney, 2000, p. 5). Appreciative Inquiry seeks to discover what is best in the organization and the people of the organization.

Appreciative instructional Design uses the 4-D cycle found in Appreciative Inquiry: Discovery, Dream, Design, Destiny (Norum, 2000). The goal is to discover what gives “life” to an organization when it is functioning in the most effective way. Focus is on the positive – “what we do that is exceptional”. This is in contrast to the more traditional approach of looking for problems, then developing solutions. (Cooperrider, 2000).

In Appreciative Inquiry, the Discovery phase searches for the life of the organization. Stories are collected from those in the organization about the positive experiences they have had. This leads to positive change by focusing on the appreciation of what is and discovery of the “life” of the organization.

In the Dream phase, the vision of what could be is revealed. The Design phase is the construction of that idea. The Destiny phase builds and sustains the positive changes through learning and empowerment.

This same 4-D cycle is used in Appreciative instructional Design. In the Discovery phase, questions are crafted to find out what the “best of” performance level looks like (Norum, 2000). For this project, the questions were crafted to determine what was going on in the Register of Deeds Office when customers were most satisfied with the service and the office was functioning at its best. In the Dream phase, questions were asked to elicit the ideal training and working situations. Data was gathered in the Discovery and Dream phases through interviewing people who have worked in the office or who are regular customers. In the Design phase, the competencies and skills that need to be developed and nurtured for “best of” performance levels were identified. A plan for evaluating and assessing the effectiveness of the training was developed in the Destiny phase. The goal in this phase is to maintain and sustain that “best of” level of performance, which will involve becoming aware of when the training needs to be revised.

AiD Discovery and Dream

To create this training manual, the author interviewed six people using the questions found in Appendix A, page 65 and 66. Interview #1 and Interview #2 presently work in a Register of Deeds office. Interview #3 had worked the two different Register of Deeds offices and still maintains a working contact with that office. Interview #4 and #5 had been head of other county offices and had worked extensively and daily with a Register of Deeds office. Interview #6 is involved in a business that relies on a Register of Deeds office for their business. The author chose to interview these six people for their different perspectives of the office. Each person the author interviewed has some detailed knowledge of how the office functions and why it is a vital part of county government.

The responses to the interview questions were fairly similar. Interview #1 and #2 currently working in the office felt that the office was understaffed. They did think that they are able to maintain productivity in the office because they are cross-trained and can do any job that is required. There is no waiting for the other person to complete a task before going on to something else. Each person can complete the task from start to finish without delaying the workflow. The office also functions on a timing schedule. As each document enters the office, it is dated and timed. It is then processed in the order it is received. This eliminates trying to prioritize work or doing “favors” for certain individuals by completing their documents first. Interview #1 and #2 also indicated that they are joyful and positive people and try to express that to their customers and in their work. Interview #2 started the job six months before the interview and felt that training was not really adequate to effectively learn all aspects of the job. This has led to discouragement and possibly seeking another position.

One theme that appeared in both Interview #1 and #2 was the lack of respect for the position. The Register of Deeds Office is not a high profile office. The general public is not as aware of the duties of this office as compared to the Treasurer’s Office, which all county residents deal with when buying license plates, titling a vehicle or paying property taxes. Interview #1 and #2 felt that the other office heads and the county commissioners lacked the knowledge of the way the office works and the duties involved and therefore did not take the needs of the office seriously. The serious financial cuts have placed a hardship on the office to complete the work in a timely manner.

Interview #2 felt the lack of adequate training for the position was hindered due to the reduced time to complete the work and by the diversity of the duties of the office. Concentration in one area at a time before being trained on the next area would be helpful. The real estate was difficult to understand.

Interview #3 had previously held the position and agreed with most of what the present personnel said. One useful thing that this interview revealed was that the development of a manual with detailed information about each of the duties in the office had helped with previous training in other offices. This manual had included things like how to record each of the various documents with detailed descriptions of how to understand the document for recording purposes. It also included copies of actual documents to help employees become familiar with the various recorded instruments.

Interview #6 said the pleasantness of the staff and the aesthetics of the office were assets to the office. The warm, homey feeling of the décor made the office more appealing. This person indicated the new computer system had made it much easier to work with the office and total office automation would be desirable, with a customer friendly computer system.

Interview #4 and #5 were heads of other offices that dealt extensively with this office. Interview #4 now uses the office extensively in her profession. Both noted that the cross training of the personnel was an asset because of the speed of response. Not having to wait for one certain person to be available to accomplish their needs increased efficiency. Both felt the office was friendly, helpful and efficient.

The dream of each person interviewed seems to be the total computerization of the office. This includes all real estate records on CD ROM, accessible to the general public and having access over the Internet to records. Internet access would also accomplish other filings of the office, such as motor vehicles and vital records. The office has recently acquired funding for a document scanning system that could be used to accomplish this if personnel are available to complete the work. This could also be an internship position, staffed through the local high school or college for class credits.

AiD Design

The life-giving factor of this office is the exceptional customer service it gives to the taxpayers. Several of the interviews revealed that the friendliness of the personnel and their helpfulness in dealing with the complexities of the office are a great value to the people who use these records. Without proper training, this life factor cannot be sustained.

This office seems to run efficiently the way the work flows though the office. The main objective is to provide an effective training program to keep the office highly functional. This program needs to be simple and streamlined for speed and efficiency so that personnel turnover will not negatively affect the positive and helpful atmosphere of the office. This manual was developed to provide answers to questions that arise during the training process and also can be used in the actual day-to-day operations of the office. This will allow personnel to quickly learn the duties of the office and be able to answer questions that will arise after the training period is ended.

What works well in this office is the positive attitude and helpfulness of the staff. The training was designed to supplement the knowledge of the staff while maintaining and improving customer service.

This training manual can be used as somewhat of a “cheat sheet” with specific details of the process of recording. It is a detailed explanation for each step of the recording process and provides explanations of the information contained in the documents. This manual can be reviewed after training to answer questions or as a refresher for personnel. Customers could use the manual as a guide for finding documents in the office.

The training will develop competencies in real estate. It is designed as a self-study session on documents. Deeds and mortgages should be the first area of learning. The personnel will have copies of documents and will be instructed as to each relative item that is used in the recording process. This will be grantor, grantee, and legal descriptions. This training manual is designed to be a self-study program, however, the department head may want to assist in this process. A review of the actual documents will familiarize the person with them so they can become comfortable with each aspect of them.

Throughout this course of study it should be remembered that documents are not always the same. Different banks and attorneys use different forms. Several different forms will be represented. Since there are such a variety of documents recorded, this training will concentrate on those most frequently recorded. This should give the person a good base of knowledge of the format used in legal documents.

After study of the manual, the trainee will be given an actual document, and walked through each step by experienced personnel. This will reinforce the manual training. After completion of this step, the trainee can progress to the recording of documents on his or her own. After the document has been recorded, a written evaluation by the supervisor will determine if the training has met its objective. The supervisor will determine when the trainee is ready to proceed on his or her own.

AiD Destiny

This is the phase where the plan for evaluating and assessing the effectiveness of the training is developed. In the case, on going evaluation will determine if this training program is effective. The first determining factor will be whether the trainee can or cannot perform the tasks required (Appendix B, page 68). Once the training is complete, customer service will be optimized and the office will once more function efficiently and effectively in a positive manner. The Customer Service Evaluation (Appendix B, page 69) will help the office determine if the needs of the customers are being met and if additional training is needed. This will also help evaluate the need to tweak the training program to enhance the “best of” the office.

Another area that each person interviewed dreamed of for the office was that all records be put on the CD ROM and the office have a more customer friendly computer system. This could be accomplished by implementing an Internship program through the high school or local colleges. This would involve the scanning and documenting of all previous county records from the 1880’s up to 1996, which is when the new computer system was implemented. All documents since 1996 have been scanned onto CD ROM.

Conclusion

The Register of Deeds office is a very positive asset to county government. This office does not deal with taxes and, therefore, is not an issue-sensitive office. The atmosphere is customer friendly and many of the duties performed are of a helpful nature to the public. This life factor needs to be preserved. With the financial burdens of county government and the constraints placed on this office, training needs have increased greatly. Low pay and lack of benefits will also lead to a high personnel turnover.

The training program presented can be implemented to provide exceptional training at relatively low costs. It can also be used to speed customer service. The manual can be used to help individual customers to research their own records with minimal assistance required from staff. This will leave the office staff free to process documents and take care of other office duties.

APPENDIX

A

Questionnaire #1

This set of questions was asked to customers and regular users of the Register of Deeds Office. This included the heads of the other offices that regularly dealt with the office.

As you are aware, county government is the government that deals most directly with the taxpayer. These are the offices that people feel most accurately reflect the attitude of the people that they elect to serve them. I am asking these questions today to try and develop a customer friendly job training description for the position of Deputy Register of Deeds.

Tell me a story about the best experience you've had with this office.

What happened to make it so positive?

What do you see or what have you experienced that in your opinion brings

life to this office?

What do is done or can be done to create a positive memorable experience

for each customer?

What makes this office run efficiently?

The year is 2005 and you have awakened from a long sleep. You realize

everything is as you wish. Tell me, what is different about this office

and how has it improved County Government?

How was this accomplished?

Questionnaire #2

These are the questions that I asked to the people who worked in the office.

Tell me a story about the best experience you’ve had in this position. What happened to make it so positive?

What qualities do you bring to this position that brings life to the office?

What do you do to create a positive memorable experience for each customer?

What works best about the way the position is currently structured? What makes this office run efficiently?

What would an ideal training program for this position look like?

The year is 2005 and you have awakened from a long sleep. You realize everything is as you with. Tell me, what is different about this office and how has it improved County Government? How was this accomplished?

APPENDIX

B

Readiness Evaluation

This evaluation will help determine how well the training manual is working. The supervisor should use this as a way of determining if the trainee is ready to work the real estate documents alone or if they require more training and guidance.

1. The trainee could perform the following tasks in a satisfactory manner:

a. Receiving book completion?

b. Completing the document for recording?

c. All computer entries?

d. Tract indexes were correct?

e. All copies were made and in the correct boxes for distribution?

f. The document was rechecked and found to be accurate?

g. The document left the office in an efficient manner?

2. The trainee feels comfortable completing all the tasks listed above?

3. The supervisor feels comfortable with the trainee’s ability to complete all the tasks listed above?

4. The trainee would like more training in which of the following areas:

a. Receiving book completion.

b. Preparing the document for recording.

c. Entering information on the computer.

d. Tract indexes and real estate descriptions.

e. Distribution of documents to correct parties.

5. The supervisor feels the need for more training in which of the following areas:

a. Receiving book completion.

b. Preparing the document for recording.

c. Computer entries.

d. Tract indexes and real estate descriptions.

e. Proper distribution of documents and copies.

f. The trainee is competent in all these areas.

6. Comments of the trainee:

7. Comments of the Supervisor:

How did we do?

We are striving for excellent customer service.

Please take a minute to tell us how we are doing.

Circle your response to the following questions:

1. Friendliness of staff.

Excellent Good Could use improvement

2. Efficiency of service.

Excellent Good Could use improvement

3. Problem resolution.

Excellent Good Could use improvement

4. Knowledge and helpfulness of staff.

Excellent Good Could use improvement

5. What could we have done better?

References

Cooperrider, D. L. (2000). Positive image, positive action: The affirmative basis of organizing. In Cooperrider, D. L., Peter F. Sorenson Jr., Diana Whitney & Therese F. Yaeger. (2000). Appreciative Inquiry: Rethinking Human Organization Theory of Change. (pp. 29-53). Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing.

Cooperrider, D. L. & Whitney, D. (2000). A positive revolution in change: Appreciative Inquiry. In D. L. Cooperrider, Peter F. Sorenson Jr., Diana Whitney & Therese F. Yaeger. (Eds.) Appreciative Inquiry: Rethinking Human Organization Theory of Change. (pp. 3-27). Champaign, IL: Stipes Publishing.

Harwood, Bruce. (1986). Real Estate Principles. (Fourth Edition). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Norum, K.E. (2000). Appreciative instructional Design: A New Model for a New Millennium. Unpublished manuscript, University of South Dakota.

The State of South Dakota. (1993). Volume 3A. South Dakota Codified Laws. (1993 Revision). Pp. 142-153. VA: Charlottesville: Michie Law Publishers.

The State of South Dakota. (1997). Volume 13A. South Dakota Codified Laws (1997 Revision). Pp 156-159 & 363-364.VA: Charlottesville: Michie Law Publishers.

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