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Customer Experience Solutions

Bridging the Gap Between Commercial and Government Customer Experience

WHITE PAPER

Everyone is talking about it. Customer Experience. It’s the latest buzzword that companies and

organizations are chasing – but, truthfully, it is so much more. What does Customer Experience (CX) really mean? In its most simple form, CX is how a customer perceives their interactions with an organization. Beyond customer service and customer satisfaction, CX is how a customer views all interactions across all channels over time – not just during a single engagement with one person or channel (i.e. talking to a customer service agent to understand a recent bank transaction). CX looks at the entire customer journey to identify how interactions are related and where there are dependencies – considering the collective, various interactions across the customer’s relationship with the organization to truly understand the customer’s needs, wants and expectations. It’s no longer good enough to have “uneven” experiences across channels. For example, if an interaction with an agent provides a personalized experience and delivers what is needed easily, quickly and effectively, but the website falls short and can’t provide a similar experience, then overall CX will suffer.

It is important to note that CX is not just for the commercial sector. We are in the era of the Empowered Consumer, where citizens have new and different expectations. The Empowered Consumer is more connected across several devices and savvier in how and where they find information. Their expectations are higher in today’s age with experiences provided by CX leaders such as Amazon.com, USAA and Southwest. Ready or not, these expectations are being brought into the public sector space.

Citizens expect a seamless “easy-to-do business with” experience that is: Convenient: I can interact with an organization when it suits me and via the channel of my choice, Effortless: I can easily find and access the information I need, Valuable: My problem or request was solved quickly, within the first contact and/or new information was provided that was helpful, Consistent: I always receive high quality service no matter which channel I use – the web or the phone – even when I’m passed from one channel to another, and Personalized: I expect you to know who I am, why I am contacting you and my relationship with you.

Based on these expectations and citizens’ experiences with the commercial sector, there is a demand for government to make customer-focused changes, to include creating CX mandates tying budget increases and decreases to CX performance, and building CX initiatives into service delivery strategies. Granted, unlike commercial organizations, there are obstacles the public sector may encounter, such as bureaucracy, regulations, heightened security, outdated technology and less funding. Citizens, however, still expect to be able to connect to government in the same way they engage with private sector organizations. Bridging this CX gap is a matter of learning from the private sector and tailoring best practices that make sense for both the agency and the citizen.

Optimizing CX

To address CX at all levels, there must be a paradigm shift – a shift in perception from agency-focused to citizen-focused. The public sector must make decisions based on an outside-in view, putting the customers’ needs, wants and expectations first instead of strictly making decisions based on agency directives or instincts. Holistically addressing CX also involves navigating the “CX Web,” understanding how other external agencies, vendors and third parties are interconnected and affect the customer experience. Agencies have the opportunity to identify cost savings and address problems by understanding the “CX Web” dependencies and breakdowns. It is important for agencies to recognize that citizens are largely unconcerned with regulations, policies or silos that create obstacles – they are concerned, however, with their experience and the outcome. Three Applications of CX in Government As government agencies begin driving CX initiatives, there are three ways to apply it in an engagement strategy: 1. Become a trusted advisor: How does the government provide value- added, personalized services to its citizens? In an effort to provide a better experience – where citizens feel they are getting the value for their taxes – agencies need to build trust and partner with the citizen to better understand citizen’s needs and expectations. Whether it’s paying taxes or understanding their healthcare plan, each transaction should help improve the quality of a citizen’s life. This also includes offering richer, digital experiences to ensure citizens have the tools necessary to engage how and when they prefer. 2. Apply CX internally: Many government agencies provide shared services to other agencies, in addition to delivering services to the public. How do agencies optimize the customer experience to become “easy-to do-business with,” ensure their internal agency customers do not find workarounds and feel like they are getting value for their money? Even with mandates and policy in place, if customers can’t find what they need, they will find it elsewhere.

3. Improve the end-user experience: CIOs are taking a page from their business counterparts and starting to adopt CX practices to help improve the internal end-user experience. With rising technology costs, low adoption rates and outdated systems, they are looking to CX to understand technology users’ pain points, needs, wants and expectations – just like you would an external customer. It’s about addressing technology needs that help employees do their job more effectively and with minimal friction, not just purchasing popular technology or COTS products and developing them in a vacuum.

The Benefits of CX

When CX is implemented and associated programs are well executed, it can provide federal agencies with a number of benefits both internally and publically.

Customer satisfaction: Agencies that understand CX are able to deliver more personal, seamless and consistent experiences across all channels. By enabling citizens to achieve what was intended, improve their quality of life and build trust, customer satisfaction is increased. Operational costs: Breaking down silos and streamlining processes can eliminate redundancies and duplication of efforts, delivering reduced service operating costs. For example, developing self-service in-line with what citizens want while providing value (rather than solely relying on agents) reduces costs; automates lower-level, paper-based tasks; and allows personnel to spend time delivering more personalized or innovative solutions. Word-of-mouth: As a customers’ perception is their experience, it will shape public opinion – and with social media at their fingertips, the possibilities are endless. Through positive experiences and trust, agencies can significantly influence their public persona and citizens will start to feel that their taxes are being well spent. Employee engagement: Providing the tools, technology and information employees need to help their customer will make their job easier and allow personnel to be more strategic, productive and focused on creative problem-solving, resulting in increased employee satisfaction.

About General Dynamics Information TechnologyAs a trusted systems integrator for more than 50 years, General Dynamics Information Technology provides information technology (IT), systems engineering, professional services and simulation and training to customers in the defense, federal civilian government, health, homeland security, intelligence, state and local government and commercial sectors. Headquartered in Fairfax, Va., with major offices worldwide, the company delivers IT enterprise solutions, manages large-scale, mission-critical IT programs and provides mission support services. General Dynamics Information Technology is one of two business units that comprises the General Dynamics Information Systems and Technology business group.

3/31/17 General Dynamics Information Technology is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer – Minorities/Females/ Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. ©2017 General Dynamics Information Technology. All rights reserved.

Five Steps to Implementing a Successful CX Program

Embrace Customer Insights

Through various forms of data, understand your customers’ needs, wants and expectations.Leveraging tools like surveys, focus groups, voice and text analytics, and social sentiment can define the voice of your customer, driving strong CX improvements.

It’s not enough to collect this information, you also need to gauge how well you’re doing – CX plans should be actionable and measurable to allow for adjustments based on how well an agency is doing.

Develop a Clear Strategy and Vision

Based on citizen guidance, determine what future experience you want to deliver and ensure it is in-line with what customers want and employees can deliver.

Align Technology and Processes

To avoid disjointed CX, use insights to make agile changes to both technology and processes for continuous improvement. As both are intertwined, it’s important to understand the dependencies and shape changes when making CX improvements.

Operationalize CX at the Right Level

To truly be successful, CX must be a strategic initiative, not a flavor of the month directive.

Create an organizational structure that is empowered and has sufficient, dedicated resources to help shepherd CX throughout the agency.

Transform Culture for Organizational Change

One of the most important ingredients in making CX sustainable for the long haul is focusing the same energy on employees as the customer.Make CX part of your DNA by looking at how you engage your employees in their efforts to embrace CX – hire for and develop skills as well as provide rewards, training and the necessary tools for your people to be successful.

With the balance of power shifting from organizations to customers – due to citizens becoming more demanding, having better access to information and the ability to spread perceptions via social media – agencies must continue making strides to embrace CX and close the divide. Citizens come to expect fast and easy service using multiple devices with access anywhere, anytime. Based on private sector experiences, there is a need for agencies to start bringing the citizen’s voice to the decision-making table. The consequences, in addition to customers finding workarounds, is the potential for unwanted media attention and scrutiny that will negatively influence budgets, and ultimately, agency missions.