Archive

Achieve customer satisfaction with federal services equal to or better than the business service sector, as measured by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

NPR is striving to make customer service in the public sector at least equal to that of the private sector. Among the initiatives that are helping to transform how agencies deliver customer service are:

• Having agency leaders use balanced performance measures to drive their daily work.
  It is important for agencies to balance customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and business results. NPR will continue encourage the spread of the use of performance measures rooted in agencies’ Results Act performance plans.

• Fostering a workforce driven to deliver world-class service.
  Employee satisfaction is a proven factor behind increasing customer satisfaction. NPR will continue working with agencies on improving employee job satisfaction by acting on a range of initiatives stemming from the results of the 1998 and 1999 employee surveys. (www.employeesurvey.gov )

• Delivering key customer service transactions electronically in agencies with the greatest interaction with the public.
  The ACSI survey showed that those government services that were delivered electronically received greater customer satisfaction scores. As a result, NPR is working with High Impact Agencies to expand a range of electronic services that will benefit more Americans.

• Conducting and expanding the use of American Customer Satisfaction Survey (ACSI). The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is the first cross-agency measure of customer satisfaction with federal services. ACSI provides a means for benchmarking federal agencies against private sector industries and companies. This index uses a survey and modeling methodology that is essentially the same for the public and private sectors. However, there is a difference in the outcomes for each. For companies, the measured outcome is customer loyalty that ties to profitability. For government agencies, it is the trust of its users and the public it serves.

• Build communities of practice around common challenges to good service: customer feedback, plain language, regulatory partnerships, and "hassle-free" communities.
  Vice President Gore launched the "Hassle Free Communities" initiative to help communities reconnect with government at all levels. This initiative seeks to bring together federal, state, and local resources to improve customer service and make government services more accessible.