The past decade has brought dramatic improvement in the technology and systems available to contact center managers providing multi-channel service and support to US citizens. Even with these gains, the primary driver of citizen satisfaction with contact centers continues to be the interaction with a professional representative. Technology must work to enhance the rep’s ability to carry out the agency mission, not replace that 1:1 interaction citizens demand.

CFI Group’s Government Contact Center Satisfaction Index 2017 shows that satisfaction with the experience for those contacting government agencies has held steady at moderate levels over the past ten years, as has the view of government transparency.

As government executives invest in new technology designed to enhance the customer support experience for citizens, the imperative is to simultaneously emphasize hiring, developing, and retaining professional contact center staff.

We see the need for two points of emphasis for government executives to improve the citizen experience with contact centers.

Collect customer perception data in addition to operational metrics

Balance technology with representatives to deliver optimal results

The pieces of the puzzle for contact center excellence are all there: sophisticated systems, dedicated contact center professionals, and e-government resources dedicated to supporting contact center development. An agency that can leverage these components while providing live rep excellence can deliver an excellent contact center experience that is so critical to fulfilling its mission.

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