Tag Archives: Government Customer Experience and Engagement Summit

Improving Optimization in Customer Experience

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Government agencies serve a wide variety of people, which can make customer service difficult as employees must meet a multitude of needs and expectations. However, by implementing proper optimization techniques, both federal and state and local government organizations can serve their diverse community. Through utilizing technology, improving internal support and segmenting existing services, every agency can improve their customer experience.

Maneuvering Technology for Customer Experience

It is important to utilize the growth of technology usage to upskill and rescale the workforce across the government. With the increase of digital device usage, the government must work to serve constituents whenever and wherever they are. This requires mobile friendly services and solutions that enable secure sharing, meaning agencies will need to alter their existing software. However, customer service priorities are generally set by the administration, driven top down across government agencies. Thus, cybersecurity executive orders drive how customer experience is implemented. Due to this structure, agencies must utilize the existing structures to make services more accessible, but still secure enough to meet the mandated zero trust and cybersecurity principles. Data should remain both protected and encrypted, implemented in a way so that customers are not struggling to use the technological services provided.

One aspect of modern technology is change management: the systematic approach of utilizing technology to advance people’s goals. Technology continues to outpace the average person’s ability to adapt to it, especially those of the older generation. And so, agencies need to explain what changes they are making, why and how they will benefit customers and their community. With this ease of knowledge, no customer will be left behind.

Internal Support

Carahsoft CX Summit Series Blog Embedded Image 2022Customer service can be optimized by maneuvering resources to aid the public. This work begins internally with the satisfaction of employees. It is vital to create a positive work environment. In the modern age, work should enable remote usage, especially during public crises like a pandemic. All vendor partnerships should be secure enough to allow this. Agencies must remain flexible for the future and streamline services to facilitate a smooth workflow that enables more information.

Employees desire time efficiency and tasks that add value to the industry. Agencies should enable work to be performed effectively and efficiently to maximize outcomes and allow data analysis to determine how that industry can be more impactful. By allowing employees to be engaged in the results of their work, agencies encourage employees to be passionate about company outcomes, which encourages staff members to put more effort into achieving positive results. Work should be less manual intensive and more analysis performance. It is more fulfilling and helpful for employees to be able to utilize data to enhance services for the community.

Equitable Aid

Positive customer experience allows the government to continue serving the public. After engaging with government services, customers should feel satisfied. It is helpful to let them know that their feedback was received, as well as how long service will take, why it will take that amount of time and what the service will look like. This way, customers can feel reassured that their problems are being handled. With a strong strategic vision and commitment to change, employees will continue meeting needs.

Companies should ensure constituents have access to services. Regardless of language, income level, disability, race, etc., customers should receive aid. Government services may need to service people from varied backgrounds or situations, and policies must take their circumstances into account. Solutions must be both optimized and equitable and should not only meet the needs of the majority, but minorities as well. Agencies should consider ableism, racism, ageism, language differences, class differences and other diverse factors to serve the entire population because some groups may need more services than others.

To provide for varied customers, the government audience should be segmented. Segmentation can be used to accommodate those that opt into aid, or to differ between those who need technology and those who needs in person services. This may manifest as attentiveness to language access services, or as accessibility features to ensure that the entire community can participate in processes. In turn, these services can aid data collection. By providing forums for customers to help each other out, and by allowing feedback through various means, solutions can be accessible on every type of device for every type of person.

For a Better Union

Ultimately, customers want to be apart of their community. If the government can aid them in fulfilling their livelihood, then people will be able to pursue life and happiness. By optimizing customer experience with government services, agencies can facilitate that growth for the community.

 

View the Government Customer Experience and Engagement Summit sessions to learn more about optimizing improve customer experience.

Fostering Trust in Government Agencies Through Customer Experience

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Trust is the basis of every customer service endeavor which drives interaction between customers and agencies. As such, it is vital for government agencies to establish reliable service to properly meet customers’ needs. If employees can create an engaging customer experience, taxpayers will come back to the agencies for services that they can trust. With this pattern, the government can become the most authoritative information source for citizens.

One way to enhance trust is to improve customer service. Politeness fosters trust in customers, which can lead to smoother interactions. Having a quick turn-around time helps ensure the customers’ needs are being met. Government services should stimulate the free market by offering customers choices so that they can find a tailored solution. The timely, efficient service of private companies should be emulated in the public sector and has become a tax-payer expectation. In mirroring this service model, the public sector can build trust in their services.

Utilizing Government Initiatives

Another important way to build trust with customers is to meet them at their comfort zone. This differs amongst people. Generally, however, taxpayers want to easily gain the information and resources they need in the usual method and timeframe that they are accustomed to. Government services can be provided on a variety of platforms, such as websites, apps, social media, by phone and in person. This way, agencies can reach the greatest number of people possible in real time. Agencies must keep up with modernization to maintain trust between the public and the government.

Carahsoft CX Summit Series Blog Embedded Image 2022When interacting with taxpayers, agencies need to help remove the complexity from technology. If customers do not know how to navigate government websites and online services, then the aid will be futile. Customers should not be expected to understand agency charts or data just to receive benefits. As such, the public sector must prioritize strong customer service to improve customer experience.

Federal government initiatives, such as the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), provide support for technological efforts by financially prioritizing customer experience improvement. About $100 million of the funds will go towards improving CX for civilian end users that interact with U.S. government digital services.[1]Agencies should harness such government initiatives to improve upon services. This funding can be used to cut waiting times, eradicate duplicative administration paperwork and streamline access to government services, making the processes more favorable for customers.

Trust in Government

While providing customer support is important, creating effective solutions is equally vital for customer trust. Regardless of how emphatic an interaction is, if it results in an undesirable solution, then the public will lose trust in government agencies.[2] Trust must begin with adequate service, and so customer service must offer effective solutions to taxpayer problems.

Finding the right solution for each customer can be difficult. However, with continuous and effective communication, taxpayer’s needs can be fulfilled. Agencies can provide proper aid to help this process. Documents should be processed quickly and available on a multitude of platforms to reach the widest audience possible. Pensions and benefits must be properly paid out to their respective parties including veteran benefits, insurance or health care.

Customers need to be met on their own terms. For example, customer questionnaires should be straightforward and offered in the customers’ native languages. This eliminates any confusion or frustration on the customer’s part. When agencies use comparative analysis and satisfaction scores, they ensure the services are being provided in the desired manner. After gaps in service are found, the agencies must strategize to improve their training and deliverables. Agencies should use channel shifting such as email alerts to notify customers about updates, or when their document was properly submitted. They should also utilize reminders to alert taxpayers to finish documents. Agencies should not wait for customers to come to them to repeatedly address concerns. Employees must be proactive and engaging with their responses. Ultimately, no amount of communication is too much. Agencies should work to foster a trusting bond with customers.

The Importance of Fostering Trust

Through deploying proactive and diverse customer service, properly implementing technology and creating effective solutions, public sector agencies can provide a desirable customer experience that is both effective and efficient. With these adjustments, taxpayer’s trust in government will increase, allowing agencies to fulfill their duty to the people.

 

View the Government Customer Experience and Engagement Summit sessions to learn more about building trust to improve customer experience.

 

[1] “Tech Modernization Fund Launches Fresh $100 Million for CX Projects,” Nextgov, https://www.nextgov.com/it-modernization/2022/06/tech-modernization-fund-launches-fresh-100-million-cx-projects/368273/

[2] “Experts Call for More Chief Customer Officers in Government,” FCW, https://fcw.com/digital-government/2022/06/experts-call-more-chief-customer-officers-government/368563/

Delivering Customer Service in the Federal Sphere

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Customer Experience (CX) is vital to the government’s duty to serve the public. While each federal agency is unique, all must find a strategy that works for them in administrating customer service. The most helpful approach for the federal government is to make customer service accessible, friendly and beneficial across diverse agencies.

Customer Service is a Vital Part of Agencies

For customers, the main deciding factor in how they interact with an agency is their trust in it. To properly serve customers, agencies must improve the experience of taxpayers. Agency services should be straightforward, simple and quickly processable for customers. This will encourage customers to interact with agencies and to trust them with their information. Originally, the most accessible medium for government aid was physical papers. Many agencies still rely on this method. However, as the technological space changes, agencies must make government services accessible on a variety of different platforms, including computers and mobile devices. This way, government agencies can reach the greatest number of taxpayers possible.

Building Trust between Customers and Staff

Because of the diversity of the taxpayer base, customer service cannot be approached in a single, straightforward way. Instead, agencies must dedicate time to training personnel to create a multi-faceted approach. For example, delivering quality solutions allows agencies to focus on problem-solving to integrate customer feedback into their business strategies. They should enhance user experience so that customers can trust in the government.

Carahsoft CX Summit Series Blog Embedded Image 2022It is also important to take an internal approach. Quality customer service is equal parts providing the best personnel service and procuring proper solutions. Government services tend to be ad hoc and optimized, with a steady workflow that is processed swiftly and smartly. Typically, having a unique solution for each scenario is unrealistic in the government sphere, as it tends to lose work efficiency. On the other hand, having a standardized process tends to leave some customers without a desired solution. When outcomes feel suboptimal for customers, customer service strategies should come into play. Staff should be trained to handle a diverse customer base in an appropriate and varied manner. If staff handle grievances in an emphatic manner, that will build trust between the agency and the taxpayer, providing the most optimal service.

Delivering on Customer Service Promises

It is important to implement real efforts in improving customer experience. Government agencies can ensure valuable customer service by providing accountability in CX through an office or official that specializes in CX accountability. The federal government and select federal agencies that handle customer experience, such as high impact service providers, should have chief CX officers to provide accountability in service delivery initiatives across the fed landscape and agency level.[1] That way, agencies must continue to emphasize CX in federal government initiatives.

The federal government must commit to CX. The presidential administration agenda has validated these efforts by prioritizing user experience improvement. To jumpstart this effort, the federal government has allocated $100 million of the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) toward improving CX for civilian end users that interact with U.S. government digital services. Some of these funds will go to cutting waiting time, eradicating duplicative administration paperwork, and streamlining access to government services.[2] The administration hopes to improve delivery, which, according to the Federal Chief Information Officer and TMF Board Chair Clare Martorana, has previously not kept pace with the needs and expectations of the public. Efforts to improve this include deploying secure technology that will reduce costs for agencies, eliminating burdens on workforce, and meeting the public’s expectations.

Moving Forward

Customer service is a vital way to build trust between an agency and customer. In the federal government, genuine initiatives to improve CX must be addressed. This can be as simple as training personnel on handling customers, or as encompassing as creating a CX office. And as the world changes, the best approach to delivering CX will include tangible solutions, modernization and emphatic customer service.

 

View the Government Customer Experience and Engagement Summit sessions to learn more about delivering on customer experience promises amongst federal agencies.

 

[1] “Experts Call for More Chief Customer Officers in Government,” FCW, https://fcw.com/digital-government/2022/06/experts-call-more-chief-customer-officers-government/368563/

[2] “Tech Modernization Fund Launches Fresh $100 Million for CX Projects,” Nextgov, https://www.nextgov.com/it-modernization/2022/06/tech-modernization-fund-launches-fresh-100-million-cx-projects/368273/

The Refocus on Customer Experience

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The federal government provides a wide array of vital utilities for the public. Because of the importance of government utilities and their role in serving the public, federal agencies must place an emphasis on customer service. Customer Experience (CX) is an essential measurement of feedback for federal agencies and their fulfillment of that role. While an ever-changing political and technological environment creates continuous challenges to serving the public, with proper usage of resources, agencies can maintain and enhance their customer service.

Customer Service as a Positive Experience

Amidst the political tumult and rising inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic, customer experience scores remained consistent in the federal sphere. Across all other industry verticals, the modern challenges led to poor customer experience scores.[1] In a recent survey of 221 brands across 13 industries, CX scores dipped 19% across all brands. However, the federal average remained statistically identical with a positive rating of 62.3%, a feat that Forrester Vice President and Research Director Rick Parrish consider positive amongst the changing national landscape.[2] Modern technology has been an excellent tool for gathering data on customer experience in all fields. Websites like www.va.gov/trust, www.usa.gov, and login.gov, measure CX by gauging customers’ levels of trust in the government, as well as the effectiveness of federal services. This basic strategy can be implemented at any level of government, or within any industry. By enacting these types of services, and properly interpreting user feedback, federal, state, and local agencies can better their services to fulfill public needs.

Agencies should conduct improvement efforts in a way that fits their unique needs. For some, this may be stationing volunteers to greet customers and conduct experience surveys. For others, it may be through online or mail feedback surveys. Agencies should make use of websites like www.va.gov/trust that aim to measure CX. Regardless of the method, it is important to gauge the level of confidence in federal services and to make improvements based on identified weak areas. By considering each organization’s unique workflow and data response, agencies can keep up with customer desires and demands. Generally, however, customers require a human-centered approach, where they can be met on their own level of comfort. By altering services to fulfill demands, agencies can perform at this level of trust with ease and effectiveness.

The Federal Push for Enhanced Customer Service

Carahsoft CX Summit Series Blog Embedded Image 2022The federal government has passed several initiatives that aim to improve customer experience, validating agency efforts to improve their CX scores. One example is the President’s Management Agenda (PMA), a multi-staged, administration-wide effort that focuses on improving customer experience within federal agencies. PMA strategies include hiring a diverse and qualified workforce base and delivering excellent and secure services. Both strategies support optimizing customer care to improve their experience. Another initiative is the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), a government action plan that seeks to enhance customer experience through cybersecurity. The TMF funding will strengthen data security, zero trust architecture, Secure Access Service Edge, Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response technologies. These will enhance website safety, allowing more utilities to be provided to the public online. This will speed line and simplify government services for busy customers that are on the go. By accelerating security improvements, the TMF elevates government services and websites to better support the public.

State & Local Customer Experience

One vital part of maintaining pace with CX needs is surveying customers to discover which areas require altering. Ultimately, if government services are not meeting customer needs, then the federal government is not fulfilling its duty to the public. For example, a Phoenix, Arizona VA Medical Center Office of Inspector General report revealed that veterans were not satisfied with the center’s services, as many were unable to access the care they needed in a timely manner. As a result of the survey, attention was brought to the fact that the system needed to be improved. This case study demonstrates the importance of ensuring that agencies have positive CX scores, as their functionality will otherwise be limited. By elevating CX measures and focusing on performance efforts, Phoenix Medical Center was eventually able to bring customer confidence scores up from 55% to 78%. Agencies can better serve the public and fulfill their role by making the customer experience a co-equal measure of their effectiveness.

Realignment Toward Improved Customer Service

Through surveys and government initiatives, federal agencies must restructure their business model to emphasize customer experience. By receiving and implementing feedback, agencies can enhance their services to better serve the public and fulfill their promise to be by and for the American people.

 

View the Government Customer Experience and Engagement Summit sessions to learn more about interpreting customer data and implementing modern technology to enhance agency customer service.

 

[1] “The US Customer Experience Index Rankings, 2022,” Forrester, https://www.forrester.com/report/the-us-customer-experience-index-rankings-2022/RES177585?ref_search=0_1655322144917&elqTrackId=4AB1B28A548DD78AFCDA2CA0180F4BAC&elqTrack=false&elq=e573db790b754d6fbfd75cc359c0add6&elqaid=134324&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=20620

[2] “Report: Government Customer Experience Scores Held Steady Despite Declines in Most Industries,” Next Gov, https://www.nextgov.com/technology-news/2022/07/report-government-customer-experience-scores-held-steady-despite-declines-most-industries/368888/

Modernizing Your Agency to Improve Customer Experience

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What is Customer Experience within the Government?

In 2022, the Federal Computer Week (FCW) and Carahsoft joined to create the Government Customer Experience and Engagement Summit. This compilation of government-focused sessions included twelve keynotes, panels, and presentations that discussed data, personalization, executive orders, technology, and acquisition within the lens of improving customer service in the federal sphere. Customer experience is a vital part of federal services, as the government exists to serve the people. As a result, it is the job of federal, state and local agencies to continually strive for enhanced customer service. Customer experience can be examined from two primary points of views. First, from a broader perspective, where the government must work to provide customers with accessible and fulfilling facilities. Second, from an internal perspective, where the government must ensure that its staff are properly equipped to efficiently aid customers. Ultimately, improved customer experience can be fulfilled when technology is used in agencies to adapt them to a modern realm.

Technology Paving the Way in Stellar Customer Experience

In a world where technology is integrated with nearly every facet of life, the government must accurately and efficiently utilize technology to improve technological access to services. One important initiative is maximizing mobile services. Since a large portion of the government audience accesses features through mobile devices. This audience segment can include younger customers or those who are on-the-go. However, as culture shifts towards an increased usage of technology with instantaneous access, the public’s desire to navigate government services on mobile devices will increase. Platforms with both mobile and desktop accessibility and security features are prime examples of tools that federal, state, and local can utilize to help customers gain quick access to information. Services that bridge the digital divide between hardware not only unite a wide range of customers but can easily bring government providers and customers together. Other helpful services include government websites like Login.gov. This website aims to provide information on government services in a readily accessible way. Login.gov is on track to be used by the IRS for broader authentication, making it a secure hub for all users.

Carahsoft CX Summit Series Blog Embedded Image 2022A second important initiative is the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), a government action plan intended to provide funding to accelerate technology projects in federal agencies, which has a resource pool of millions of dollars. The TMF will support specific investments and projects benefitting multiple agencies, address shared problems and increase education on technological prowess. However, even if an agency is not accepted by the TMF for additional funding, employees within the TMF and General Services Administration still hope to help agencies gather resources and learning connections with other government agencies. Ultimately, its goal is to support every agency in gaining resources and connections to improve their technology and better serve government customers.

Modernizing Customer Service

Customer service methods and services must be adapted to solve modern world challenges. Within federal, state and local governments, if a service is not helpful for its intended user group, the customer experience will remain suboptimal. Therefore, it is imperative that employees implement projects with competence that understand their customers’ needs and gain consumer trust.

To improve customer experience, agencies must ensure they are working with customers with an emphatic and diverse lens, so that every individual’s goal is met. Part of this goal includes focusing on a broader, more simple solution. Since it is inefficient for the government to aid every single customer individually, agencies must focus on providing a unilateral, standardized solution that adequately addresses the variety of diverse scenarios.

When modernizing the process in this way, agencies have several questions to considered to optimize the work process both digitally and in-person:

  • What problem needs to be solved?
    • Which tool(s) best fits that need?
    • What structure works best?
    • What acquisition style works best?
  • What steps can we take to improve workflow?
  • How can we deliver solutions in the swiftest way possible?
  • How can agencies broaden their solutions to aid more of the general public?

Utilizing a straightforward portfolio with government employees will help organize efforts online and in the office. In creating an efficient modernization process, the internal workforce will provide more optimal tools for the customer base. After considering the diverse customer base and modern environment, this strategy will greatly improve customer experience.

Customer Experience in the Modern World

Ultimately, federal agencies must figure out how to meet the needs of government customers to deliver the best possible experience for them. To do this, agencies must take into account the wide and varied needs of their consumer base. Between a diverse customer base, encompassing technology, and a modern workforce, federal, state and local governments can maneuver their services to provide an exceptional customer experience.

 

View the Government Customer Experience and Engagement Summit sessions to learn more about interpreting customer data and implementing modern technology to enhance agency customer service.