Creating a great customer experience (CX) isn’t about a single initiative or one-off improvement. It requires a consistent, intentional approach that shapes how employees interact with customers every day. During a recent GovLoop CX Community of Practice session, Anthony Armstrong, P.E., CFM, Director of Planning and Development Services, City of College Station, Texas, shared insights from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA)’s Five-Star Customer Service Playbook.
Read on for highlights from the webinar on how to create a stronger, more consistent CX framework. You can also watch the recording in its entirety below.
Set Clear Service Standards
One of the biggest mistakes organizations make is assuming everyone understands what good customer service looks like. Armstrong emphasized the importance of documenting expectations, communication styles, and escalation processes. Defining tone, language, and service standards helps employees understand how they should interact with residents and customers, creating a more consistent experience across the organization.
His advice was simple: if something feels like “common sense,” write it down anyway. What’s obvious to leadership may not be obvious to every employee.
Make Information Easy to Find
Great customer service depends on employees having access to the right information, including resources such as FAQs, policies, procedures, and internal directories that help staff quickly find answers and direct customers to the right department. This is especially important as organizations grow. Instead of bouncing customers between teams, employees should be able to confidently connect them with the right people and resources the first time.
Invest in Training and Development
Customer service skills shouldn’t be assumed. They should be taught. Armstrong noted that most onboarding programs focus on policies, systems, and compliance requirements, but often overlook how employees should communicate with customers. Training should include customer interactions, communication expectations, and opportunities for professional development.
He also highlighted the value of in-person learning and networking. While online training has its place, face-to-face interactions often provide stronger relationship-building and learning opportunities that can improve service delivery.
Listen, Measure, and Improve
Building better CX isn’t a one-time project. It requires ongoing feedback from both customers and employees through surveys, focus groups, and other engagement methods. This helps organizations identify pain points, measure performance, and make meaningful improvements over time. Additionally, agencies shouldn’t wait for feedback to come to them. Leaders should proactively ask for it and make it easy for customers and staff to share their experiences.
The Bottom Line
Better customer experiences don’t happen by accident. They are built through clear expectations, accessible information, employee development, and continuous feedback. For agencies looking to strengthen CX, a good place to start is by documenting what great service looks like, equipping employees with the resources they need, investing in training, and creating opportunities to learn from customer feedback. Small changes in each of these areas can add up to a more consistent, effective, and customer-focused organization.
Looking for more ways to enhance your agency’s CX? Register and join us next month on Monday, Nov. 2 from 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT for our next CX CoP virtual discussion, Making the Case for CX: How to Gain Buy-In From Colleagues and Stakeholders.
Photo Credit: Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels