Seeking Customer Feedback – Why, How,

and Do It

Scott Primeau

@scottprimeau

We are a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”-Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg AddressNovember 16, 1863

Why are we here? Who do we serve?

The people—our customers

The decline of customer service

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

The Chosen Customers

The “more equal” people

The loudest people

Your suggestions will be ignored in the order they were received.

What about the rest?

There’s a better way

Listen

Why?

Colorado has spent $325 million on failed technology projects in recent years, according to the Pew Center on the States.

Pew Center on the States. (2008, February 1). Government performance project: Colorado: Grading the states 2008. Retrieved July 8, 2010, from http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/PEW_WebGuides_CO.pdf

Better decision-making

Save money

Highly satisfied citizens are 80% more likely to use the website as a primary resource (as opposed to other, more costly channels, such as mail, phone, or in-person).

ForeSee Results. (2010, April 27). American customer satisfaction index: E-government satisfaction index. Freed.

Getting Started

Tenets of customer service

1.Easily find relevant, accurate, and up-to-date information;2.Understand information the first time they read it;3.Complete common tasks efficiently;4.Get the same answer whether they use the web, phone, e-mail, live chat, read a brochure, or visit in person; 5.Provide feedback and ideas and hear what the government will do with them; and 6.Access critical information if they have a disability or aren’t proficient in English.

Federal Web Managers Council. (2008, November). Putting citizens first: Transforming online government. Retrieved October 11, 2010,from http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/documents/Federal_Web_Managers_WhitePaper.pdf

More simply, what do customers want?

Fast

How?

Comment Card

Survey

Questionnaire

Focus Group

Forum

Poll

Ideation

Phone

E-mailE-mail

How?

Survey

In 2007, the U.S. General Services Administration found customer satisfaction surveys to be the most commonly used method of measuring customer satisfaction among U.S. government agencies.

General Services Administration. (2007, June 15). Government-wide assessment of citizen service activities. Retrieved July 19, 2010, from http://www.usaservices.gov/aboutus/USAS_GWASurvey_FinalReport_15Jun07.pdf

New York Secretary of State, http://www.dos.state.ny.us/

Other Examples

Saskatchewan Information Services Corporation, http://www.isc.ca/Pages/default.aspx

Resources

It doesn’t take an army.

Just a few dedicated team members

Customers Agency

Feedback

Responses

Communication

Use the feedback.

Share the feedback.

What’s innovative about customer feedback?

Nothing

According to a Colorado Statewide Internet Portal Authority (SIPA) survey of city governments in Colorado:

• 53% of the respondents currently have citizen surveys or polls available on the cities’ websites.

Also, a SIPA survey of Colorado county governments indicated: • 63% of respondents currently have citizen surveys and polls available on the counties’ websites.

E-government survey – Colorado cities. (2009). Retrieved May 18, 2010, fromhttp://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/SIPA-v2/SIPA2/1249666471482 E-government survey – Colorado counties. (2009). Retrieved May 18, 2010, fromhttp://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/SIPA-v2/SIPA2/1249666471482

It’s time to get started!

Your customers will be happier!

You’ll be happier!