Perspectives: The Public Sector Blog

Posted on January 5th, 2012 by

How is it that two people can prepare a dish using the same recipe, yet somehow it’s always a little bit different? Take for example a chocolate-chip cookie. One is sweeter, one is gooier and one is chocolatier. I like to think the reason why is because we all have personal tastes and are accustomed to having our cookies made a certain way. It takes some finesse to make sure what you’re mixing is both edible and best suited to our individual tastes.

The recipe for exceptional customer service is no different. Although the ingredients are the same, it’s a matter of adjusting the combination to meet customer needs (or tastes in this case).

Posted on December 20th, 2011 by

In 2012, supporting the well-being of the men and women who defend our country is among the DoD’s highest priorities. This is a worthy goal when you consider that defending our nation is a 24/7 job for the more than 1.5 million active-duty military personnel serving overseas.

Posted on December 14th, 2011 by

2011 was a great year for improving customer service in the public sector. With federal government mandates like President Obama’s April 27 Executive Order, Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service, the Obama administration has made providing exceptional customer service a priority. This year, we celebrated advancements in customer experience with our Second Annual Public Sector Awards of Excellence program. The awards program is designed to honor public sector organizations that are using technology to improve employee and constituent engagement.

Posted on November 22nd, 2011 by

Listening to RightNow’s CEO, Greg Gianforte, discuss the customer experience vision for the future makes me wonder—is the public sector up for the challenge? Greg introduced a future where channels are invisible, consumers move fluidly between devices, agents are available from any location, and a memorable, personal customer experience is a must. So, how does the public sector translate this vision to create a memorable citizen experience?

Posted on October 12th, 2011 by

How is your agency doing as it prepares its Customer Service Plan in response to President Obama’s Customer Service Executive Order? As the October 27 deadline for submission is just weeks away, GovLoop and RightNow partnered to create the GovLoop Guide to Customer Service Excellence.

Posted on October 5th, 2011 by

We’ve all been there—sacrificing a day to wait in endless lines at the DMV just to renew a driver’s license or expired tags, or spending countless hours on the phone with an agency service representative trying to track down lost or misfiled paperwork. We’ve all been there. Now, both citizens and government alike are calling for improvements to customer service.

Posted on September 28th, 2011 by

My daughter is a college senior this fall at a well-known university. The years have flown by, and she has had a fantastic experience. As a member of the Women’s Lacrosse team and a student in the School of Nutrition, it has been one good experience after another. But one aspect of her college years has been a real pain for her, and for me—navigating the school’s web site.

Posted on September 23rd, 2011 by

The Yellow Pages are so 1990. When America wants something, we hit a search engine. But, if you’re the only game in town, there’s no need for SEO – or is there…? The second Uncle Sam at Your Service Study provides government with real citizen feedback from the checkout line. And, the timing’s good. It’s been five months since the Prez dropped Executive Order 13571, calling for agencies to streamline service delivery and improve customer service.