Prioritizing Customer Experience in Local Government with Sabrina Abdulla, Sugar Land, TX

Ben Kittelson (0:13)

Hey, y'all, coming to you from Jacksonville, Florida. This is GovLove, a podcast about local government, brought to you by Engaging Local Government Leaders. I'm Ben Kittelson, manager at Raffetelis and GovLove co-host. We've got a great episode for you today. We're going to be heading down to Sugarland, Texas and talking all about customer experience. But first, the best way to support GovLove is to become an ELGL member. ELGL engages the brightest minds in local government, and we are a national volunteer run membership based nonprofit organization. Check us out and learn more about our $50 annual membership fee at elgl.org.

Now, let me introduce today's guest.

Sabrina Abdulla is the director of customer experience for the city of Sugarland, Texas. A position she's been in since December of 2023 She's a 2026 ELGL local government influencer, part of the top 100 Previously, she's held a number of roles for the city of Sugarland, including as 311 contact center, customer service manager, innovation strategist, and as animal shelter supervisor. She was also a library assistant and AmeriCorps VISTA early on in her career. With that, Sabrina, welcome to GovLove. Thank you so much for joining us.

Sabrina Abdulla (1:19)

Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Ben Kittelson (1:22)

Yeah. So as you may know from checking out some old episodes of GovLove, that we like to do a lightning round with our guests to get to know them a little better and let you warm up. So my first question for you, what was the first album that you bought?

Sabrina Abdulla (1:36)

Okay. I have to say, I saw this question and I thought hopefully this doesn't define me. But my dad had really cool vinyl. And so me going and buying this CD was my first only my purchase. It was Beastie Boys Anthology.

But that was, I think, in retaliation to all of the cool music. He had everything. He had Bob Marley and Beach Boys and all the classic rock bands and Pink Floyd. And so for me, I was like, I'm going to get Beastie Boys. And then I think the second one was rancid, something that he didn't have.

Ben Kittelson (2:10)

A little rebellion. Yeah.

Sabrina Abdulla (2:12)

Yeah. My own little rebellion to my dad who had rebellious music taste.

Ben Kittelson (2:16)

Yeah. Yeah. No, I can relate to that.

I think it was a burn. I don't think I bought it. But of like the Eminem show. And my parents found out about it. It was like a big deal in our household. But it was a little rebellion compared to all this music that they had.

Sabrina Abdulla (2:34)

I mean, it was a good choice. It was an anthology. So it was like, I think three or four CDs or something like that. But yeah, hopefully you don't judge me for that one.

Ben Kittelson (2:44)

I like it.

All right. Next, I have a question for you. What book are you currently reading?

Sabrina Abdulla (2:50)

So I'm a pretty big reader and I'm currently, always currently reading two or three. And my thing is like, I'm an empath. So if I read something that's like really heartbreaking or moving, I have to take breaks because it really affects me.

So like I'm reading Parable of the Sower. But then like I read a couple chapters and I'm devastated. And then so and then I'll read them right now. Also reading The Great Alone, which is a Kristen Hanna book. It's my second or third Kristen Hanna book. And that one's more about kind of surviving in Alaska with her parents and her dad's going through severe PTSD and she's young, but both quite depressing books.

Ben Kittelson (3:29)

Yeah, for some reason.

Sabrina Abdulla (3:31)

This is what I'm enjoying in my free time.

Ben Kittelson (3:35)

Oh, I love Parable of the Sower. Oh, you do? Okay.

Sabrina Abdulla (3:38)

I'm like three quarters of the way through and I keep having to take breaks.

Ben Kittelson (3:42)

Yes.

Sabrina Abdulla (3:43)

This is so depressing.

Ben Kittelson (3:44)

Yeah. Well, and it's like a future dystopia that seems so realistic. It's just a couple degrees different from reality. Yes.

Sabrina Abdulla (3:53)

She's really like she's living what it feels like could be our reality if we don't take care of our cities, you know, like, yeah, it's a little alarming. Yeah.

Ben Kittelson (4:07)

Listeners should check it out, but it is a heavy.

Sabrina Abdulla (4:09)

It's heavy. And then for some reason, my like, let me take a break is also like a young girl being kind of abandoned by her father in the wilderness. Like, you got to have a lighter.