Digital government services have taken center stage over the past four years, whether it is filling out census data and registering to vote, filing taxes, or signing up for COVID-19 vaccines digital engagement is growing and will continue to do so.
Forget What You Thought You Knew
It may feel counterintuitive given recent technological advances, but customer expectations have not significantly changed in the past few decades with respect to digital engagement. Citizens want easy access to the information they need to complete the tasks at hand. Simple. What has changed is how citizens are accessing information, crossing many channels, and multiple devices.
Rather than seeing each of these interactions as a separate experience, customers view all interactions with an organization as part of one larger user experience. For this reason, organizations must create a cohesive ecosystem of business channels and touchpoints where each provides its own unique benefits, and also complements and seamlessly connects to the experience as a whole in order to develop and maintain a customer experience relationship.
The CX Barriers
Success in digital services modernization is possible, but getting CX right is not easy. Delays can be a result of analysis paralysis, a lack of CX leadership, or an absence of agile culture.
Transformational service changes will realistically touch many departments. Understanding who will lead, and who will support and champion the process, are key to success. For example, some federal and state agencies are following the lead of big consumer brands by hiring Chief Experience Officers (CXOs) to oversee and champion the process agency-wide.
There are a number of ways you can support your government client to move to CX implementation more efficiently, even if they aren’t one of those agencies taking an enterprise-wide approach.
How? By focusing on these core areas:
- Research and testing
- Adopting an agile approach
- Defining the role of CX and its leader
- Creating a Voice of the Customer program
- Exploring and implementing transformation design in CX
- Emphasizing collaboration between CX and UX teams
A recent white paper explores embracing lessons from successful companies who have known since the early days of the Internet that focusing on CX to creative inclusive, intuitive online experiences has a positive impact on the bottom line. The paper explores what we can learn from those government agencies and projects that do put people first to improve digital experiences, how to implement CX approaches in a variety of government settings, and what the future of CX in government holds.
About Forum One
Forum One amplifies the impact of mission-driven organizations through transformational digital solutions. The digital consultancy works with nonprofits, associations, foundations, think tanks, cultural institutions, and government agencies all over the world to understand their challenges and implement forward-looking, effective solutions that have an impact.
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