Creating a Culture of Customer Service - “And Would You Like Catsup for Your Fries?”
Last week, a friend told me about a presentation she’d just done for some local elected officials, on making government websites customer-friendly. She said the session had gone really well – they got it. But this is what caught my attention. She said some of these government officials had never thought about their websites in terms of customer service. They used them as tools for program delivery. Kind of here it is. One-way. No engagement. Not like the drive-up window at McDonalds, where we not only hear, “How can I serve you,” but also, “And would you like catsup for your fries?”
Are these officials anomalies among government leaders? Nope – I don’t think so. Nor do I think they’re bad because they hadn’t thought about their websites from their customers' point of view. The culture in government traditionally has been, we know best. Not, how can we serve you? If we want government to deliver great customer service, we’re going to have to create a real culture change.
Some of you may think this is an impossible task – right? Government is too big. Too entrenched. Well, you know what? Change already is afoot: social media. Look how many agencies are jumping on the social media bandwagon. True, some of them are doing it because it’s cool and honestly don’t have a business case (yet). But there are some who really do get it…who really are using it to listen to and serve customers better. And they’re out there pushing. They’re risk-takers. They believe in the basic premise of social media - trust the crowd to get it right.
Changing government culture to value the customer – to trust the customer to get it right - is a huge challenge. It’s finding more and better ways to listen to customers and watch how they behave and adjusting our services accordingly. It’s re-thinking how, when, and where we deliver government services and integrating delivery channels so service is consistent. It's humanizing our service delivery. It’s training employees at all levels to honor and respect our customers and rewarding employees who go that extra mile to give customers the very best experience possible. It’s showing customers we know and care about them by answering their questions before they even ask. “Would you like catsup for your fries?”
So, what next? Well, at the risk of being redundant, we need a Customer Service Summit to map out a government-wide (note I said “government-wide” – not “agency-by- agency” or “silo-by-silo” - because our customers see us as a whole) strategy. But you don’t have to wait for a Summit to start causing change.
To my government web manager friends… With great respect and affection, may I suggest you start by changing your motto from “better websites – better government” to “better websites – better service?” Serving customers better is the goal. I know that’s what you believe…saying it will help others catch the spirit.
To every single government employee... Put up a picture of your mom or your brother or your friend or someone in a magazine, with this caption under it: “I am your customer – can you help me?” Every day, in all you do, imagine that your customers are sitting right there with you. If your customers were in this meeting, what would they say? If your customers were helping you write that memo or complete that assignment, what would they ask?
Pledge to never say, “No, I can’t help you.” Or, “I don’t know.” Or to make customers feel stupid or wrong. Be a role model of customer service for your colleagues. Share what you learn about, and from, your customers. When you get that email or answer a phone call from a customer, take another minute to make sure you’ve really told them everything they need to know just as clearly and concisely as possible. Point out next steps or alternatives. Anticipate their questions. Leave them thinking, “Wow! My government knows what I want even without my asking. I'm really getting my money's worth when I pay my taxes.”
“And would you like catsup for your fries?”
Related Posts
Does Your Website Show Your Commitment to Customer Service, Government Executive?
Does Your Website Say “We Care?”
Evolving From Managing Websites to Managing Customer Service
Are these officials anomalies among government leaders? Nope – I don’t think so. Nor do I think they’re bad because they hadn’t thought about their websites from their customers' point of view. The culture in government traditionally has been, we know best. Not, how can we serve you? If we want government to deliver great customer service, we’re going to have to create a real culture change.
Some of you may think this is an impossible task – right? Government is too big. Too entrenched. Well, you know what? Change already is afoot: social media. Look how many agencies are jumping on the social media bandwagon. True, some of them are doing it because it’s cool and honestly don’t have a business case (yet). But there are some who really do get it…who really are using it to listen to and serve customers better. And they’re out there pushing. They’re risk-takers. They believe in the basic premise of social media - trust the crowd to get it right.
Changing government culture to value the customer – to trust the customer to get it right - is a huge challenge. It’s finding more and better ways to listen to customers and watch how they behave and adjusting our services accordingly. It’s re-thinking how, when, and where we deliver government services and integrating delivery channels so service is consistent. It's humanizing our service delivery. It’s training employees at all levels to honor and respect our customers and rewarding employees who go that extra mile to give customers the very best experience possible. It’s showing customers we know and care about them by answering their questions before they even ask. “Would you like catsup for your fries?”
So, what next? Well, at the risk of being redundant, we need a Customer Service Summit to map out a government-wide (note I said “government-wide” – not “agency-by- agency” or “silo-by-silo” - because our customers see us as a whole) strategy. But you don’t have to wait for a Summit to start causing change.
To my government web manager friends… With great respect and affection, may I suggest you start by changing your motto from “better websites – better government” to “better websites – better service?” Serving customers better is the goal. I know that’s what you believe…saying it will help others catch the spirit.
To every single government employee... Put up a picture of your mom or your brother or your friend or someone in a magazine, with this caption under it: “I am your customer – can you help me?” Every day, in all you do, imagine that your customers are sitting right there with you. If your customers were in this meeting, what would they say? If your customers were helping you write that memo or complete that assignment, what would they ask?
Pledge to never say, “No, I can’t help you.” Or, “I don’t know.” Or to make customers feel stupid or wrong. Be a role model of customer service for your colleagues. Share what you learn about, and from, your customers. When you get that email or answer a phone call from a customer, take another minute to make sure you’ve really told them everything they need to know just as clearly and concisely as possible. Point out next steps or alternatives. Anticipate their questions. Leave them thinking, “Wow! My government knows what I want even without my asking. I'm really getting my money's worth when I pay my taxes.”
“And would you like catsup for your fries?”
Related Posts
Does Your Website Show Your Commitment to Customer Service, Government Executive?
Does Your Website Say “We Care?”
Evolving From Managing Websites to Managing Customer Service
Comment
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Comment by Terri Jones on June 30, 2010 at 12:27pm -
I think that it is valuable to consider how the user might approach any technology you are choosing to use. I especially liked this.. "It’s finding more and better ways to listen to customers and watch how they behave and adjusting our services accordingly." It might be that government doesn't get it right the first time, but the willingness to listen and adjust is perhaps the most important lesson.
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Comment by Mick Phythian on June 29, 2010 at 5:39pm -
Sh**e, didn't we have this debate enough back in the neo-liberal NPM days? Look at the fall-out from that! OK we should improve our approach to citizens but by treating them as 'customers' devalues their democratic role. I could go on all night. Lets focus on them and value them as our wage-payers and the electorate and all the things they are! Customers they ain't!
I'll shut up now!
Mick http://greatemancipator.com
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Comment by Eric Miller on June 29, 2010 at 12:13pm -
Just for debate, I'll be a bit of a contrarian. I'd differentiate between improving professionalism and improving customer service.
Improving professionalism benefits everyone. More gets done, it's a more productive environment, and citizens can come away from the experience with a positive impression of government and public servants. Improved professionalism can take a lot of forms -- a polished and useful web presence, a well-run public communications campaign, or a smooth and productive interaction with government employees. It also respects the skills and contributions of the government employees as partners in the enterprise.
Customer service, by contrast, subtly shifts the balance of power to the citizen in ways that can be counterproductive. The truth is that the customer isn't always right; if you're just dealing with an order of fries, that's one thing, but more serious stakes are involved with many government activities.
And putting a shiny 'customer service' face on incompetence is the worst of all possible worlds, because it initially promises something the agency can't deliver. And that results in even more of an angry letdown for the citizen/customer.
So I think it's important to strike a balance. Embrace the more positive and proactive role with internal and external contacts as popularized by the 'customer service' concept, but maintain the integrity of the agency and staff by improving processes and professionalism.
Disclaimer: I'm maybe a little more blunt with my perspective on citizen interactions because I'm not a government employee. Our firm consults with agencies to build their sites, so we often need to take the role of the cold-eyed, dispassionate realist when it comes to customer engagement. Having seen some agencies unable to sustain heightened levels of interaction or customer engagement or service promised by their positioning, I'm a little conservative on these things nowadays...
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Comment by Stephen Peteritas on June 29, 2010 at 10:05am -
@Alycia I like that slogan, kind of like a more polished Git Er Done. That could definitely be a spin off discussion, what are some amazing government slogans?
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Comment by Sunny Hester on June 29, 2010 at 9:44am -
Thanks Candi for raising this issue for our virtual discussion. Customer Service is a core competency here at HHS and one that I think we often take for granted, especially when we forget to remember that we are customers to each other. Our Deputy Assistant Secretary of Human Resources, Denise Wells, recently created a couple of posters that have two slogans that I’d like to share since they’re so pertinent to this discussion:
1. “Quality Counts: It’s not an HR transaction, it’s a life. It’s not a file; it’s a Family Member. Please handle with care.”
2. “Some of our major life decisions depend on the HR advice you give us. Please help us make the best decision for our families, by providing us accurate information. We’re counting on you to get it right. Thank you, HHS Employees and Potential Applicants”.
While your initial discussion dealt with our “face to the public” our websites, once they get to the “right place” and a person picks up the phone, we all play a part in making it a positive experience.
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Comment by Alycia Piazza on June 29, 2010 at 9:21am -
The state of Georgia has done some GREAT things in the way of institutionalizing customer service - internal AND external. Their slogan "I'm on it" has been fondly adopted by my team after hearing Joe Doyle - Director of the Govenor's Office of Customer Service speak at our 2010 Web and New Media Conferece. See the livestreamed recording of the event on ustream.
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Comment by Carol Davison on June 29, 2010 at 9:13am
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I am happy to report that our HR Director had us put a link at the footer of our emails where customers can make suggestions. She also had us list our phone and fax, all of which make it easy for customers to respond to us and contact us. I can't believe in this day and age that people don't include contact information in their footers. I also submitted improvements to our website so I can serve my customers 24-7. As a performance and development weenie, I distribute course evaluations to all students, and ask particularly insightful ones to stay after class to help me improve the class right then. Who DOESN'T want to have the satisfaction of serving one's customers well and doing a good job?
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Comment by Scott M. Patton on June 26, 2010 at 9:28am -
I've found that government websites in general have improved dramatically from a customer service perspective over the recent past (except for the prominence of elected officials being #1 from a design perspective). But I've also found that the functionality of websites for colleagues/ professionals have decreased - I find it increasingly difficult to be able to find contact information for the budget manager who can have a five minute discussion about a budget process nuance that piqued my interest. Guess you can't have it both ways.
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Comment by Dannielle Blumenthal on June 25, 2010 at 12:04pm -
Right on Candi and everyone else!!!
Here are a couple of thoughts on what is getting in the way and how we can fix it.
THE PROBLEMS
1. Psychology - fear of change, fear of being subject to criticism and metrics, fear of losing power and control
2. Culture - "we have always done things this way," "they (the public) will have to adjust," "not my problem," etc.
3. Politics - someone has a stake in the way things currently are; for the seismic change that is coming to really take root, someone in power has to lose that power and someone else has to gain it
4. Economics - customer service takes investment and that money has to come from somewhere; also admitting that you have to be more customer service oriented means possibly losing your livelihood, if you don't succeed
5. Biology - people are hardwired for survival and will fight to protect their turf
THE SOLUTION
Change in my view is going to have to come about as a result of some overwhelming force that leads to a tipping point. For example:
1. Major crisis
2. Public outcry
3. Some sort of scandal about the cost of lack of customer service
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Comment by Michele Costanza on June 25, 2010 at 10:43am
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Usability.gov is a great resource with examples of how government agencies have made their websites more user friendly and customer driven. There is a lessons learned page with before and after shots.
Has anyone used it?
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