Throughout the COVID-19 recovery and response efforts, engagement with public sector communications has been high. But how can agencies turn this critical surge in demand into a broader digital transformation effort?
“Find quick wins to remove even small barriers for your constituents, then start to build momentum and a foundation for a long-term transformation strategy,” said Angy Peterson, Vice President of Granicus Experience Group (GXG). This team of analysts, communicators, strategists and tech experts focuses on helping governments build better citizen experiences. GXG is part of the services arm of Granicus, which provides a unified civic engagement platform for government.
“With customer experience (CX) initiatives front and center in the wake of the pandemic, Granicus has seen several governments move away from department-focused communications and toward intent-based experiences, allowing the constituent to focus on their pressing or priority tasks,” Peterson said.
She added that successful digital transformation efforts require a measurable, scalable and secure digital foundation, but they’re about more than just the right technology. “Developing a constituent-centered, data-driven strategy alongside an agile, iterative organizational culture is also key,” Peterson said.
She offered these tips for identifying quick wins on your CX journey:
1. First, understand your constituents’ needs and expectations, then build your communications strategy
Thanks to Amazon, Facebook, Google and Netflix, people expect digital experiences and services to be personalized and optimized. “I expect sites to understand my possible or relevant interests based on what I’ve clicked on before or information I’ve already provided,” Peterson said. “When they anticipate and meet those expectations, or, more importantly, help me achieve my goal — big or small, whether I’m buying groceries online or choosing a short-term rental for a post-COVID vacation — I come back for more.”
Government organizations can do this, too, building value-based relationships that deliver on constituents’ wants or needs or expectations. The key: Deliver services and communications that meet people’s needs and your goals, and you’ll also reduce risk, build trust and even boost employee morale.
2. Make it a priority to understand your constituents’ current pain points
Map the end-to-end experience for accomplishing whatever that critical goal or action is. That means reviewing each online and offline touchpoint and interaction to identify gaps and opportunities.
3. Brainstorm whether communications or content could help clarify a process
“We’ve found that people often need more education around a process — what steps to take, what happens next, anticipated turnaround times and more,” Peterson said. That understanding and information can alleviate call center volume and potential criticism on social media.
“Granicus’ civic-engagement technology enables a high-performing customer experience with technology and services designed to transform your website, email and SMS outreach, and digital forms and services into a scalable, measurable and secure digital foundation,” she said.
Whether you’re serving an applicant, taxpayer or veteran, Granicus’ mission is to empower you to build better customer experiences. “The time is now to maximize the public’s engagement with a transformed customer experience,” Peterson said.
This article is an excerpt from GovLoop’s recent guide, “Your Guide to Improving Customer Experience Through Inclusion, Engagement & Gain.” Download the full guide here.
