Yesterday, after months without regular in-person counter service, the Thurston County Clerk’s Office reopened its doors on a limited basis.

I am genuinely glad to see people able to walk through those doors again.

But as I said at last night’s Thurston Chronicle candidate forum, part-time access is not enough — and simply unlocking the doors is only the beginning.

Throughout this campaign, I have been giving people my personal phone number. And they have been calling.

I’ve heard from people struggling to navigate online filing. People who don’t know which form they need or where to submit it. People who have emailed questions, received an answer they didn’t understand, written back, and still couldn’t get the help they needed.

And recently, an attorney shared correspondence with me after a member of his office asked the Clerk’s Office for help downloading documents through the court portal.

The response included:

“This is a YOU – YOUR PC issue, not a portal issue.”

The attorney who forwarded the exchange told me he found the tone rude and was frustrated that a legitimate question about accessing court documents was handled that way.

This may sound like a small thing.

It isn’t.

People contact the Clerk’s Office because they need help navigating our court system. Sometimes they are attorneys or legal professionals. Sometimes they are representing themselves. Sometimes they are trying to file a protection order, work through a divorce or parenting plan, settle an estate, or deal with another legal issue during one of the most stressful periods of their lives.

They deserve clear information. They deserve patience. And they deserve to be treated with respect.

And right now, even figuring out when and how you can receive in-person help can be confusing.

As of this morning, the Clerk’s own website gives different answers depending on which page you visit. The Contact Us page says the Clerk’s Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Another page says public terminals, the Self-Help Center and blank court documents are available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but that “in-person services are unavailable until further notice.” Yet another page still says the in-person customer service counters are closed and that only certain services are available by appointment.

Meanwhile, the office has begun offering part-time counter service.

If I’m a regular community member looking at those pages, how am I supposed to know when I can walk in, where I should go, or what kind of help will actually be available when I arrive?

That is an access issue, too.

Technology should make government easier to access, not become another barrier. Online services are an important part of a modern Clerk’s Office, and they can make the system much more convenient for many people. But online service cannot replace human service — particularly when the technology isn't working for someone or they simply don't understand what to do next.

The Clerk’s own website says staff can provide people with general information about court rules, procedures and practices, court-approved forms, deadlines, schedules and case status. Clear communication and responsive customer service matter if people are going to successfully access those services.

As I said at the forum last night, sometimes good customer service is as simple as recognizing that if an email exchange is going back and forth without solving the problem, pick up the phone.

For me, that raises questions about management, training and expectations.

If elected County Clerk, I will set a clear expectation for the office: people who come to us for help will be treated professionally, compassionately and respectfully.

I will also listen before assuming I have all the answers.

I plan to talk with Clerk’s Office employees about what is working and what isn't. I will seek feedback from attorneys, court users, community organizations and people representing themselves. I want to know where people are getting stuck, where staff are overwhelmed, and where procedures, technology and communication can be improved.

That kind of assessment has been part of my work throughout more than 30 years of public service and more than 20 years in leadership.

The Clerk’s Office is also facing very real budget challenges. Those cannot be ignored. But I do not believe that closing the doors to the public should be our answer to those challenges.

My priorities are straightforward: restore full-time public access, strengthen customer service, support and train staff, improve the systems people rely on, and make information about those services clear and easy to find.

Opening the doors is progress.

Now we need to make sure people know the doors are open — and that they get the help they need when they walk through them.