How does external communication through customer service improve the reputation of the organization?

What is a reputation? It’s basically a preconceived expectation of behaviors based on previous direct experience and indirect assumptions. What is the reputation of your favorite restaurant, how about your doctor, or the last place you decided never to go back to?

Every person you come into contact with every day is forming an impression of you, and by extension, your organization. It’s up to you to make the decision whether you want to be trusted by others and held in high esteem, or be seen as a mindless cog in the wheels of government. The way you interact with others turns into your reputation, and it’s something worth investing in.
Let’s face it; unfortunately most people expect to have problems when they work with government agencies. They expect to have trouble finding the answers to questions, wait forever for answers, and work with people who don’t seem to care about them.

Customers who walk into your office or call you on the phone expecting this treatment are going to be defensive, stand-offish, angry and be more difficult for you to assist. Their attitude towards your organization and government in general could make providing assistance an uphill battle from the start.

In the absence of real information, people will make up what they believe to be true to fill the void.

Our customers actually want the same things we want when we are customers, and keeping the lines of communication open and proactive is a great way to establish trust and build a more positive relationship with external customers.