Bringing in Constituent Perspectives

A core principle of good customer experience (CX) is knowing your audience and what you want from it. Are you interested in how people experienced a government service, for instance, or do you want more general input on public perceptions of an agency? Effective CX also recognizes that “constituents” are not always people — they can be businesses, nonprofits and other entities an agency’s mission affects — and that English isn’t always their primary language.

There are several concrete ways to gather useful feedback.

Surveys

Done correctly, surveys can be highly effective. In lieu of lengthy forms, develop surveys with a handful of questions and room for optional comments. Target appropriate demographics — for example, if you want feedback on baggage handling, survey only people who recently traveled by air. And consider developing a centralized online portal where all agency surveys can live.

Surveys should be brief and target the right audiences. But writing the questions can be tricky. Here are some pointers.

• Ask direct questions.
• Avoid two-part questions.
• Guard against bias and leading language.
• Tailor the wording to your audience.
• Use response scales when possible (rather than yes/no or true/false).
• Avoid complicated answer grids.
• Ask simple questions first, then more challenging ones.

Sentiment Analytics

The internet is a messy repository of emotional venting and in-the-moment rants — and that makes it a useful tool for agencies wanting to know what constituents really think. Using artificial intelligence, sentiment analytics scours social media posts and other public resources for text that conveys real-time complaints, and then objectively transmits that data to relevant agencies for remediation.

Public Deliberations

Whether through in-person or online meetings or other deliberative forums, the public should have a way to learn about and weigh in on a project as it develops, and know that their feedback matters. This kind of public participation is a process, not a single event or simple survey, and it requires planning, transparency and ensuring involvement from the full range of impacted people and entities.

Agencies can benefit greatly from public participation programs, which can build much-needed trust in government. How can you solicit public feedback in such a sustained way? Make sure your agency has:

• A clear purpose for involving the public and goals for using its input
• Well-defined rules for engaging constituents and making decisions
• Actual opportunities for the public to make a difference
• Managers and staff committed to the process
• Inclusive, effective representation from the full range of stakeholders

Usability Testing

Before launching a new tool or form, test its usability. That is, watch how people representing targeted demographics interact with the new product. The Homeland Security Department (DHS) recommends four ways to gather this type of feedback, from a very simple approach — testing it in-office with a few colleagues — to more expansive 30- to 90-minute tests with the product’s intended audience.

Most likely, your available resources, time constraints and learning objectives will determine the testing approach you take. Today, what option is best for you?

• In the office: quick feedback from colleagues. You’re just starting your project, and this is an easy way to get a second opinion.
• Out of the office: talk to users in the field. Your drafts or prototypes are almost done, so you go into the field to watch people use them.
• In the conference room: thorough, structured testing with users. Your materials are in solid, revised shape, and now you run structured, pre-scheduled tests with users.
• Remotely, by video: expanded user testing. You want to observe and record the tests. That’s especially helpful for test-driving websites and digital applications.

Metrics

Numbers can tell an important story, so monitor website traffic and other online behaviors. Five metrics in particular may be helpful: transaction completion times, page load times, “rage” clicks (when someone clicks a button often while waiting for a page to load), abandonment rate data and conversion rates (how often users finish a transaction or query).

 Is your agency checking these critical CX metrics?

• Transaction completion time: How long it takes for someone to finish an order, application, etc. Page load time: When the wait is longer, the frustration is greater
• Rage clicks: Clicking a button repeatedly while waiting for a page to load or unfreeze Abandonment rate and data: How often people abandon their transaction, and at what stage they abandon it
• Conversion rate: How often people complete their agency transactions or queries

This article appears in “Improving Customer Experience: A Nuts-and-Bolts Guide.” For more insights on how to improve constituent trust when providing services, download it here:

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