by Landon Cook, on May 19, 2020 4:45:00 PM
Delighting a customer is the highest attainable goal for Customer Experience (CX) professionals, and with the impressive loyalty and growth it generates (article by Toma Kulbytė), it is no surprise to see so many industry leaders investing in CX initiatives at unparalleled levels. Yet most government organizations are lagging behind in these programs, and it is no wonder why! The very purpose of customer delight (driving loyalty through immersive, expectation-exceeding experiences) often only marginally applies to government. Even beyond this, many people may neither desire nor value the government services they receive, and their experience can often be restricted by the impression of imposing, bureaucratic requirements. Due to the public sector industry being administrative rather than competitive, the unique nature of government combined with these preconceived notions from their customer base (which includes you, I, and every other constituent) defies the traditional, commercial principles of delivering delight.
Clearly, this concept requires some tweaking to apply effectively in the government sector. Government strives to satisfy the people; however, without applicable and relevant criteria, agencies will remain unable to achieve delight (or even design a true CX program). With this in mind, we have redefined the fundamentals of customer delight into 3 elements for government – each aligned to the constituent’s perspective.
- Speed: once all internal regulations are met, processing timeframes should be further reduced as much as possible to make the experience nearly invisible to the customer. This not only contributes to the customer’s delight – this also culturally shifts your organization to where the people, instead of just “the rules,” are placed at the highest value level. Adhering to speedy CX metrics over institutional requirements is key to delivering delight.
- Simplicity: “the process” must not feel like “a process” for the customer. Administrative tasks must be automated and digitally routed to prevent confusion (both internally and externally) at all touchpoints. Don’t force people to comply with complicated and antiquated requirements – especially for those with limited communication and transportation options. Simplicity is an invisible delighter.
- Sensibility: customers are more likely to comply when they understand the reason for a request. Well-designed workflows that both make sense to a customer and consider their capabilities and needs feel like an understandable experience instead of a cumbersome process. If you cannot explain the task without using industry-specific terms, acronyms, or clarifying side-conversations, the rest of the world probably won’t get it either. That’s a surefire signal that your workflow may need a dose of sensibility.
Consumer experience has become the currency of corporations, and constituents are increasingly expecting the same level of consideration from their government. Prioritizing these three fundamentals to benefit the citizen not only achieves greater service delivery and mission success: it also lays the groundwork for transformation and cultural revolution within government (here’s a link to a terrific case study!). Building a better government today dawns a greater tomorrow for all of us.
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Accelare is focused on speed, simplicity, and sensibility, and we bring ready-to-implement solutions to state, local, and federal governments. Our tools not only includes multi-channel, digital work: we also bring our experienced, award-winning team to assist and accompany you on this journey. Learn more about the Accelare team today!