"Our Take" - The Citizen Experience

(Past Editions by: Date, Title, Topic)

 
About "Our Take" 
"Our Take" is a collection of daily vignettes covering a wide range of CRM topics. It's an attempt to add our own spin to the world of CRM. We will use the column to share our perspectives, opinions, epiphanies, web nuggets, or quite frankly anything that moves us. Get ready to expect the unexpected. And, don't be shy about sharing your thoughts.
 
 
6/25/07 - The Citizen Experience
We receive intellectual property from a variety of sources in the form of white papers, articles, research reports, or other works of thought. Most come with an agenda or message that furthers the interests of the sending organization. That is fine as long as it is fair. Over the weekend, I have the opportunity to review a work of research from Accenture regarding their annual look at customer service in the public sector.
 
For many, simply using the words 'customer service' and 'government' in the same sentence can wrinkle a few eyebrows. We have talked about the customer experience often in this column, so I thought I would extend the discussion to the citizen experience and share a few findings from the report as well as my perspectives. Ah, where to begin . . . For today, I'll leave you with the thoughts from the inside cover of the report:
 
"The work ahead is not easy. Nor will it have the immediate and visceral appeal of the high-profile work governments have done on their front-end service structures in the recent past . . . Citizens impatiently await the results." These thoughts make me wonder how massive government initiatives focused on improving the citizen experience can actually happen within the time horizon of many elected officials with short terms in office. More on this tomorrow.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
6/26/07 - The Citizen Experience - Step One
Continuing our discussion about the citizen experience as addressed by a global study from Accenture, I want to share step one of the nine steps to building valuable customer service. My desire to focus on step one is two-fold. First, long journeys start with a single step so the first one is important. Second, it may be different than what you thought it should be.
 
According to the folks at Accenture, step one is "refine your customer segment groups." This step falls underneath an umbrella of steps labeled "citizen-centric vision." I realize that starting with a vision is standard stuff, but the importance of a clear understanding of customer segment groups can not be understated.
 
I understand the citizen experience often comes down to a one-to-one experience, but defining and refining groups can become the basis for differentiating the needs and priorities of most citizens in a manageable way that could never be done on a one-to-one way. We are talking about citizens but there is absolutely no reason why this first step doesn't apply to the business world. Do you agree?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
6/27/07 - The Citizen Experience - Going Far Enough
"Basic segmentation schemes and satisfaction surveys do not go far enough." Those words come from the Accenture report on customer service for the public sector that we have been reviewing the last few days. The words are an extension of the suggested first step - refine your customer segment groups.
 
The word "refine" is so important and should not be discounted. Most organizations, public or private, can say they have past or on-going segmentation and survey efforts. But the ability to "check the box" is not good enough. Considering the high demands on many organizations, there is sometimes a tendency for efforts to be more rudimentary than required to make a difference.
 
Consider the following: surveying and segmentation is a delicate blend of science and art. The blend of complexity and simplicity can be elusive especially when you attempt to meet the diverse needs of a diverse group of customers or citizens. My message is this: if the segmentation effort doesn't feel like heavy lifting, you probably aren't picking up the full load. There are no shortcuts. There is no fast and easy way. If there were, everyone would have already done it. But the reward is worth the effort.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)