I just finished judging the web entries for the 2011 Clearmark Plain Language Awards. Much better entries this year. Some real models for government agencies to use as they implement the Plain Writing Act. One of the benefits of the Clearmark Awards – in addition to the chance for some great recognition – is thatRead… Read more »
OK – you’re back from the Government Web and New Media Conference, and you’re sky high thinking about mobile apps and Facebook pages and “Meetups.” Gotta have all those channels. But where to start? That’s easy. Start with your customers. What do they want and need? How do they want to get it? Yeah, yeah,Read… Read more »
This week – March 17-18 – is the annual Government Web and New Media Conference in Washington DC. This conference, which is sponsored by the Federal Web Managers Council and the General Services Administration, is THE event for web communicators at all levels of government. In addition to having great “how-to” sessions, you’ll hear inspirationalRead… Read more »
I’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating. Many years ago, my good friend Phyllis Preston (currently at the Federal Aviation Administration) introduced me to her father, Ed Preston. I knew Ed had worked for the federal government for many years; so as I shook his hand, I asked, “Ed…where did you work?” HeRead… Read more »
Hope you didn’t miss this. In his State of the Union speech, President Obama talked about reorganizing government to consolidate programs/services. “There are 12 different agencies that deal with exports. There are at least five different agencies that deal with housing policy. Then there’s my favorite example: The Interior Department is in charge of salmonRead… Read more »
I never had a favorite national pizza chain until recently, when Dominos Pizza rolled out one of the best customer service campaigns I’ve seen. Have you seen the commercial where Dominos CEO, Patrick Doyle, displays a photo that was posted on Domino’s showusyourpizza.com website showing pizza toppings horribly stuck to the top of the box?Read… Read more »
I haven’t talked about leadership for awhile. So let me beat that drum a bit. Web managers/editors/innovators (I’m still searching for the right moniker) have always been – and must always be – leaders to be successful. We have no delegated authority over all the people we need to get the job done. So weRead… Read more »
At long last, the customer service bandwagon seems to be rolling in government. The latest evidence: GSA just quietly unveiled a fabulous new website: HowTo.gov. It puts requirements, best practices, training, and tips for all forms of customer service delivery (web, call centers, publications, social media) under one customer service umbrella. Bravo! Finally, we canRead… Read more »
Consistency is one of the building blocks of great customer service. Look at McDonalds. No matter where in the world you are, if you walk into a McDonalds, you know how it will look and what you’ll find and how it all works. You can complete your task quickly because you know exactly what toRead… Read more »
Ah, a new calendar year! A fresh start! Time to look at the year ahead and figure out how we can make the best of it. So, what goals would I set as a government communicator? Three things jump to the top of my list. Develop and implement a governmentwide customer service strategy Most ofRead… Read more »