Turning COVID-19 challenges into client service opportunities
General Code is demonstrating that maintaining the highest level of client care during the COVID-19 emergency means being proactive and implementing innovative strategies to keep clients up and running. As many of the local communities that depend on General Code for their municipal and zoning code needs have been offline in recent weeks, the company has stepped up to help ensure that clients and residents have access to their municipal laws.
A number of General Code clients that rely solely on a print version of their municipal code have been unable to access to their code books because of the closure of municipal offices. As a courtesy, General Code took the initiative to upload their code to its eCode360® online platform for free for three months. The move gave these municipalities, their residents and area business owners immediate access to local ordinances without putting themselves or municipal staff at risk.
We didn’t stop there. General Code felt that its thousands of current online code clients would benefit from an even better online user experience during these challenging times. With support from our software development team, these clients were automatically given free access to premium features on the eCode360 to help provide valuable information to their residents quickly. These advanced features have allowed eCode users to conduct deeper information searches across multiple codes, add notations to code sections, and post important public documents.
In support of our digital users, General Code has also launched a live, daily chat session hosted on its website. This new information channel offers additional client access to General Code experts who can help clients navigate the unique code challenges facing their municipalities because of the pandemic.
All three of these initiatives have been well received by clients and many have expressed their thanks for helping them meet some of their business challenges around Covid-19. General Code will continue to be proactive in delivering “extraordinary service” to clients for the duration of the pandemic — and every day.
About the Author
Lynn M. Martin is the chief operating officer for General Code, LLC, part of the International Code Council’s family of solutions. General Code is a nationally recognized municipal codifier with more than a half-century of experience in transforming how local governments and their citizens access, use and share municipal code information. Martin is responsible for overseeing the organization’s day-to-day operations, long-term strategic planning and synergy with the broader Code Council organization. She previously served as General Code’s vice president of finance for more than a decade and was promoted to chief operating officer in 2019. Martin is a leader with an extensive background in operations management, finance, IT and human resources. Her more than 30 years of experience include leadership roles as chief financial officer and executive vice president in the medical device and accounting industries where she led strategic planning processes and participated in teams to improve profitability, communications and efficiency. Martin holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Rochester (NY) and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Siena College. She is also a member of the Institute of Management Accountants.
