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 Thumbnail for INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE DISASTER RELIEF PROGRAMS 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. Thumbnail for USAID PARTNER SERVICES 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. Thumbnail for SOCIAL SECURITY WEBSITE REDESIGN 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. Thumbnail for PASSPORT SERVICES 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. Thumbnail for RETIREMENT SERVICES FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES 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. 2021 Thumbnail for Outpatient Health Care Services for Veterans Outpatient Health Care Services for Veterans Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs Thumbnail for Citizenship and Immigration Applicant Services Citizenship and Immigration Applicant Services U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security Thumbnail for Outdoor Recreation Reservations for Federal Lands Outdoor Recreation Reservations for Federal Lands Recreation.gov, a Multi-Agency Initiative Thumbnail for Passport Services Passport Services Bureau of Consular Affairs, Department of State Thumbnail for Trademark Registration and Maintenance Trademark Registration and Maintenance U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce Thumbnail for Customs Airport Security and Screening Service Customs Airport Security and Screening Service Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security Thumbnail for Airport Security Screening and Passenger Support Services Airport Security Screening and Passenger Support Services Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security Thumbnail for Retirement Services for Federal Employees Retirement Services for Federal Employees Office of Personnel Management Thumbnail for Medicare Customer Support Services Medicare Customer Support Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services Thumbnail for Individual Assistance Disaster Relief Programs Individual Assistance Disaster Relief Programs Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security Thumbnail for Federal Student Aid Services Federal Student Aid Services Office of Federal Student Aid, Department of Education Thumbnail for Farm Loan and Conservation Services Farm Loan and Conservation Services Farm Production and Conservation Mission Area, Department of Agriculture Thumbnail for Individual Taxpayer Services Individual Taxpayer Services Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury Thumbnail for Social Security Retirement Services Social Security Retirement Services Social Security Administration Thumbnail for Veterans Education and Training Benefits Veterans Education and Training Benefits Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs 2020 Thumbnail for Veterans Outpatient Health Care Services Veterans Outpatient Health Care Services Veterans Health Administration Thumbnail for Individual Taxpayer Services Individual Taxpayer Services Internal Revenue Service Thumbnail for Citizenship and Immigration Applicant Services Citizenship and Immigration Applicant Services U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Thumbnail for Airport Security Screening and Passenger Support Services Airport Security Screening and Passenger Support Services Transportation Security Administration Thumbnail for Customs and Border Protection Customs and Border Protection Department of Homeland Security Thumbnail for Outdoor Recreation Reservations Outdoor Recreation Reservations Recreation.gov, a Multi-Agency Initiative Thumbnail for Passport Services Passport Services State Department Thumbnail for Federal Student Aid Services Federal Student Aid Services Office of Federal Student Aid, Department of Education Thumbnail for Veterans Education and Benefit Services Veterans Education and Benefit Services Veterans Benefits Administration Thumbnail for Medicare Customer Support Services Medicare Customer Support Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services Thumbnail for Farm Loan and Conservation Services Farm Loan and Conservation Services United States Secretary of Agriculture 2019 Thumbnail for Passport Services Passport Services State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs Thumbnail for Outpatient Health Care Services for Veterans Outpatient Health Care Services for Veterans Department of Veterans Affairs Thumbnail for Medicare Customer Support Services Medicare Customer Support Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services Thumbnail for Individual Taxpayer Services Individual Taxpayer Services Internal Revenue Service Thumbnail for Federal Student Aid Application Services Federal Student Aid Application Services Office of Federal Student Aid Thumbnail for Citizenship and Immigration Applicant Services Citizenship and Immigration Applicant Services U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Thumbnail for Airport Security Screening and Passenger Support Services Airport Security Screening and Passenger Support Services Transportation Security Administration Thumbnail for Customs Security and Screening Services Customs Security and Screening Services Department of Homeland Security Resources Thumbnail for The Good Government Connection: Linking the Employee and Customer Experiences The Good Government Connection: Linking the Employee and Customer Experiences Linking the Federal Employee and Customer Experiences 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. Read more Thumbnail for Leading with Experience 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 Thumbnail for Serving Citizens: Strategies for Customer-Centered Government in the Digital Age 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 Thumbnail for The Most Important Customer: Improving the Citizen Experience with Government 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 Thumbnail for Beyond the Basics: Leading Practices for Improving Customer Experience in Government 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 Thumbnail for Arfa Alam Arfa Alam Senior Manager Thumbnail for Elizabeth Byers Elizabeth Byers Manager Thumbnail for Nadzeya Shutava Nadzeya Shutava Manager Thumbnail for Sahil Singh Sahil Singh Manager, Customer Experience On the Blog Thumbnail for Improving customer engagement through federal AI Improving customer engagement through federal AI September 30, 2024 Thumbnail for Aligning the customer experience, the employee experience and the digital experience for a better government Aligning the customer experience, the employee experience and the digital experience for a better government September 19, 2024 Thumbnail for Insights from the Customer Experience Organization Design Roundtable Series Insights from the Customer Experience Organization Design Roundtable Series September 03, 2024 Thumbnail for Designing for the people: A framework for developing effective federal services Designing for the people: A framework for developing effective federal services July 24, 2024 Thumbnail for Leadership and innovation in the customer experience: Lessons from our new roundtable Leadership and innovation in the customer experience: Lessons from our new roundtable July 01, 2024 View more blogs In the News Statement on the passing of founding Partnership board member Joel Fleishman September 30, 2024 Partnership Executive Vice President James-Christian Blockwood Appointed as New President and CEO of the National Academy of Public Administration September 30, 2024 Partnership for Public Service announces 2024 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal winners September 09, 2024 The Partnership for Public Service welcomes four new senior leaders September 05, 2024 Partnership for Public Service statement on the start of GSA’s presidential transition planning support August 27, 2024
