Customer Experience Helping our government earn the trust of its customers by meeting their needs and expectations. The public deserves user-friendly services from the federal government, whether it’s veterans who need health care, taxpayers who seek assistance from the IRS or college students who apply for financial aid. Yet, the public consistently rates federal agencies far behind other sectors and industries, while viewing the private sector as more capable of adapting quickly to changing customer needs. This disparity leads to a lack of trust in government. To bolster how agencies interact with customers, we share knowledge and leading practices through research, events, papers and reports; advocate for removing policy and legislative barriers; convene people who oversee the customer experience at their organizations; and hold agencies accountable by publishing annual insights on their interactions with the public. Learn more about our impact Designing a Government for the People Collaborative Approaches to Federal Customer Experience December 2022 The Biden administration’s customer experience policy strives for more equitable and efficient services for all and reflects what a government designed for the people should be. Putting this vision into practice requires making it easier for agencies to address the root causes of customer experience challenges. The Biden administration should invest in a change management strategy that empowers not only customer experience, but financial, legal, human resources, data, and technology teams, to act in the customer’s interest and targets the root causes of customer experience challenges. The next phase of improving the federal customer experience should involve building a customer-centric mindset and accountability across every government function. In our fourth annual Government for the People report, the Partnership for Public Service and Accenture Federal Services focus on agencies’ readiness to “systematically [identify] and [resolve] the root causes of customer experience challenges” and outline the key ingredients that enable agencies to design and deliver from a customer’s perspective. READ THE REPORT Customer Experience Profiles Our research examines customers’ experiences with more than a dozen federal services that have a high volume of direct contact with the public. We also consider the role of equity in these critical services and examine how to enable a customer-centered lens that improves trust. 2022 INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAMS Each year, thousands of customers who have experienced a disaster rely on services provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help them recover from the impact. FEMA’s Individual Assistance programs provide financial aid and services such as counseling support directly to disaster survivors. Read the profile USAID PARTNER SERVICES The U.S. Agency for International Development works in over 100 countries, delivering assistance to reduce poverty, improve health and strengthen democratic governance, among other support. To achieve its mission, USAID awards grants and contracts to partner organizations which then implement programs to address development challenges. Read the profile SOCIAL SECURITY WEBSITE REDESIGN Virtually everyone in America interacts with the Social Security Administration at some point in their lives, from receiving a Social Security number at birth to relying on SSA’s retirement services for financial security after they have stopped working. SSA provides services over the phone, at field offices across the country, and through its website. Read the profile PASSPORT SERVICES The Bureau of Consular Affairs at the State Department issues millions of passports every year to people who want to travel to countries around the world. In fiscal 2021, the bureau issued more than 15 million of these vital documents. Read the profile RETIREMENT SERVICES FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES The Office of Personnel Management administers the Civil Service Retirement System and Federal Employees Retirement System—which provide benefits to retired public servants. Many federal employees and retirees, and their families, rely on the annuities and other benefits they are entitled to for financial security. Read the profile 2021 Outpatient Health Care Services for Veterans Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs Read the profile Citizenship and Immigration Applicant Services U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security Read the profile Outdoor Recreation Reservations for Federal Lands Recreation.gov, a Multi-Agency Initiative Read the profile Passport Services Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of State Read the profile Trademark Registration and Maintenance U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce Read the profile Customs Airport Security and Screening Service Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security Read the profile Airport Security Screening and Passenger Support Services Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security Read the profile Retirement Services for Federal Employees Office of Personnel Management Read the profile Medicare Customer Support Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services Read the profile Individual Assistance Disaster Relief Programs Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security Read the profile Federal Student Aid Services Office of Federal Student Aid, Department of Education Read the profile Farm Loan and Conservation Services Farm Production and Conservation Mission Area, Department of Agriculture Read the profile Individual Taxpayer Services Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury Read the profile Social Security Retirement Services Social Security Administration Read the profile Veterans Education and Training Benefits Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs Read the profile 2020 Veterans Outpatient Health Care Services Veterans Health Administration Read the profile Individual Taxpayer Services Internal Revenue Service Read the profile Citizenship and Immigration Applicant Services U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Read the profile Airport Security Screening and Passenger Support Services Transportation Security Administration Read the profile Customs and Border Protection Department of Homeland Security Read the profile Outdoor Recreation Reservations Recreation.gov, a Multi-Agency Initiative Read the profile Passport Services State Department Read the profile Federal Student Aid Services Office of Federal Student Aid, Department of Education Read the profile Veterans Education and Benefit Services Veterans Benefits Administration Read the profile Medicare Customer Support Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services Read the profile Farm Loan and Conservation Services United States Secretary of Agriculture Read the profile 2019 Passport Services State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs Read the profile Outpatient Health Care Services for Veterans Department of Veterans Affairs Read the profile Medicare Customer Support Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services Read the profile Individual Taxpayer Services Internal Revenue Service Read the profile Federal Student Aid Application Services Office of Federal Student Aid Read the profile Citizenship and Immigration Applicant Services U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Read the profile Airport Security Screening and Passenger Support Services Transportation Security Administration Read the profile Customs Security and Screening Services Department of Homeland Security Read the profile Resources The Good Government Connection: Linking the Employee and Customer Experiences Linking the Federal Employee and Customer Experiences Federal employee experience and customer experience are intertwined, and the connection between the two is particularly important now with agencies implementing historic investments in communities around the country through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act. This report highlights six strategies for how supervisors, midlevel managers, members of the Senior Executive Service and political appointees can improve the experience of their teams in ways that can lead to better experiences for federal customers. It also identifies four challenges to connecting the employee experience to the customer experience and offers recommendations for overcoming them. Read more Leading with Experience A Framework for Customer-Focused Leadership in Government Good leadership enables our government to more effectively respond to public needs. The Partnership for Public Service and Maximus Federal address how individual leaders can improve the federal customer experience and recommend government-wide actions agencies can take to create a culture of customer-focused leadership. Read more Serving Citizens: Strategies for Customer-Centered Government in the Digital Age In this report the Partnership for Public Service and Accenture highlight lessons learned from federal initiatives that have simplified and streamlined the process of interacting with the government by implementing a customer-centered approach to digital services. Download The Most Important Customer: Improving the Citizen Experience with Government Benefits of improving the customer experience go well beyond satisfied customers. Learn how in the Partnership for Public Service and Accenture Federal Service’s new issue brief. Download Beyond the Basics: Leading Practices for Improving Customer Experience in Government This white paper highlights three proven private-sector strategies that government can adopt to improve citizen services, and explores common challenges federal agencies experience when implementing these practices. Download See All Our Experts Elizabeth Byers Associate Manager About Amber Chaudhry Senior Manager, Customer Experience About Sarah Hughes Senior Manager About Nadzeya Shutava Manager About On the Blog October 03, 2023 Celebrating equity in federal customer experience initiatives August 09, 2023 Empowering front-line staff with trauma-informed care at the Department of Housing and Urban Development August 02, 2023 That’s a bright idea: Engaging employees and customers at the Department of Labor July 31, 2023 Connecting the dots between the customer experience and trust in government July 17, 2023 Redesigning the customer experience at the Social Security Administration View More In the News November 16, 2023 Partnership for Public Service calls for reforming the broken appropriations process in wake of latest shutdown threat November 13, 2023 The looming government shutdown is an abdication of congressional responsibility October 16, 2023 Partnership for Public Service announces 2023 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal winners and star-studded gala to celebrate outstanding civil servants September 30, 2023 Partnership for Public Service calls for action to fully fund the government September 25, 2023 Media Advisory: Partnership for Public Service Summit To Explore Trust In Government View More
