Building CX on the Front Lines

Government workers who interact directly with the public give customers their first impression of not only that transaction, but the agency as a whole. To make that impression a good one, frontline workers must have the right support. And it comes in ways that aren’t always obvious.

Training

Ensure that employees at all levels have a common baseline definition of CX, and then break out what that means for their job. Once they understand the concept of CX, make sure they know how to put it into action. For instance, provide boilerplate language that enables workers to give consistent information.

Improving Employees’ Experience

Research shows that happy workers provide better customer service. Consider this: Within two years of making CX a top priority, the Veterans Affairs Department in 2020 saw veteran trust in VA health care hit more than 90% for the first time. Specifically, VA used 5.7 million real-time responses from 66 customer feedback surveys to guide improvements such as a new electronic health record system.

Recognition

If you see something, say something. Recognizing examples of solid CX reinforces the positive behavior for the employees doing it and incentivizes others. This can be in the form of a monetary gift, but it doesn’t have to be — “a simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way,” according to Digital.gov’s CX toolkit.

Feedback

Use data to provide objective feedback by measuring CX performance against standards based on GS level. And remember: Feedback works best in a loop. Open the door for employees to express their opinions, too — and not only once a year as part of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS).

Diversification

When customers reach out to your agency and connect with someone who reflects how they see themselves, that boosts their experience. For instance, if a customer’s first language is Spanish, they’ll find their interaction smoother if they can converse with someone who’s also fluent. What’s more, a diverse workforce brings diverse ideas to the workplace, which connects to improving employees’ experience.

Making Jobs Easier

Chatbots are one relatively easy-to-implement technology that can make a big difference for employees and customers. The 2021 EO on CX calls out chat as a way for customers to get information they need themselves. This lets employees focus on complicated customer requests rather than just repeatedly sharing, say, the agency’s hours of operation.

This article appears in “Improving Customer Experience: A Nuts-and-Bolts Guide.” For a worksheet on fostering a culture of CX and to read more tactics for your CX strategy, download it here: