Customer experience is becoming more important everywhere, including in the public sector. Consumers and citizens alike are increasingly reliant on fast, efficient, and personable service from every organisation they interact with, commercial or otherwise.
In the past, governments have frequently lagged behind other organisations in their approach to CX. Studies show most public-sector entities underperform regarding customer satisfaction, regardless of where you are in the world.
However, innovations in the CX landscape are presenting new opportunities for governments to regain the trust and respect of their citizens. With CCaaS solutions, CRM technology, service desks, and a host of other tools, the public sector can finally deliver the service people are looking for.
The Potential for CX in Public Sector
There’s an old-fashioned idea in the public sector that governments and similar groups don’t have to work as hard to delight citizens because they’re not competing with other brands. Government groups aren’t fighting against other brands for a share of their target market, but they still need to deliver a consistent level of exceptional service.
Public sector agencies need to invest in CX to earn the trust of their citizens, minimise the risk of unrest, and keep employee morale high.
According to McKinsey, public sector customers are nine times more likely to trust a government agency if satisfied with their service. What’s more, dissatisfied customers are twice as likely to contact agency hotlines, placing additional strain on budgets and resources.
By investing in CX solutions, agencies can:
- Increase employee morale: McKinsey’s research found that two years into a CX transformation initiative, government agencies experienced a 50% increase in organisational health, reporting better employee engagement and satisfaction. CX solutions can give public sector professionals the extra support they need to thrive in their roles.
- Improve user experience: CX solutions provide government agencies with the tools to deliver meaningful, personalised, and efficient service to customers. This leads to higher levels of citizen trust and better overall support of government and public sector groups from the wider community.
- Ensure continuity: Innovative CX solutions like CCaaS tools allow government groups to mobilise staff, access additional (remote) talent when demand is high, and keep teams connected. This allows for a more continuous level of support, even during unpredictable events like a global pandemic.
- Collect meaningful insights: Useful CX tools, from CRM systems to CCaaS systems, provide public sector groups with useful insights into their communities and their teams. This ensures agencies can make intelligent decisions about the future of their operations and how to serve citizens based on facts. The same insights can also reveal opportunities for public sector groups to boost efficiencies and reduce costs throughout the ecosystem. Trends Driving CX in the Public Sector
We live in a world where trust in public sector organisations is diminishing all the time. Particularly in areas like the UK and US, public sector agencies need to act fast if they want to reduce the risks associated with dissatisfied communities.
Fortunately, the same CX solutions emerging to support commercial companies can also assist public sector organisations in achieving their goals. Many public sector groups have already begun experimenting with new channels for communicating with citizens since the pandemic.
Now is the perfect time to take advantage of the momentum of the last few years to explore some other emerging trends, such as:
- Omnichannel service: Public sector customers want the same simple and flexible communication experience when interacting with a company or a government group. Keeping citizens informed via SMS messaging, online chat, and conversations via video can allow for a more engaging discussion between public sector groups and the people they serve. With CCaaS, it’s easy to scale these channels instantly.
- Automation: Public sector groups are often under significant pressure to act fast and operate in complex circumstances. Intelligent automation can help to minimise this issue. With automation, it’s possible to collect information, complete repetitive tasks, and deliver exceptional service to customers with minimal input from human beings. This allows human agents to focus on the tasks that matter most.
- Flexible working: The public sector is a highly dynamic environment where demand for service can accelerate instantly. With CX tools, public sector entities can create a network of remote-working professionals ready to jump in and offer support alongside virtual assistants and full-time employees in no time. This allows for a more rapid response according to changing citizen needs.
- Artificial intelligence: AI is becoming a crucial part of the CX environment in virtually every ecosystem, including the public sector. With AI tools, public sector groups can do more than automate repetitive tasks. They can also analyse information about an audience instantly or detect sentiment in a conversation. AI systems can even help make predictions for when teams might need extra support handling queries.
- Hyper personalisation: One of the best ways for public sector groups to regain the trust of their users is with the right approach to personalisation. Today’s citizens want to be treated as individuals, with respect for their specific needs and preferences. The right CX solutions can help leaders segment customers and provide a more personalised level of service.
The Challenges to Overcome in the Public Sector
Communities interacting with the public sector environment today have been shaken significantly by the events of the last few years. Many communities don’t know who to trust, and they’re naturally wary of the public groups they’re supposed to rely on. To repair these relationships, public sector groups must make sure they’re delivering excellent experiences without compromising security and privacy.
The biggest challenge for public sector groups will likely be determining what information they can collect from empowering better CX and how they can protect that data from rising fraud and cybercrime threats. Accessing the right level of protection from each tool will be essential.
