http://xml.fido.gov/stratml/drybridge/LCSR.xmlLeadership in Customer Service Report: Creating Shared Responsibility for Better OutcomesAccentureACN_8c6b83b2-f04c-11e3-8014-d5ba2fe8d89aWe are one of the world’s leading organizations providing management consulting, technology and outsourcing services, with approximately 289,000 employees; offices and operations in more than 200 cities in 56 countries; and net revenues of $28.6 billion for fiscal 2013.Accenture StrategyOur four growth platforms -- Accenture Strategy, Accenture Digital, Accenture Technology, Accenture Operations -- are the innovation engines through which we build world-class skills and capabilities; develop knowledge capital; and create, acquire and manage key assets central to the development of integrated services and solutions for our clients.Accenture DigitalAccenture TechnologyAccenture OperationsProviding better social outcomes in a cost effective manner_1629aca1-56ba-4462-b645-d994f46ea7a1To help government agencies use customer service as a lever for achieving high performance and delivering greater public service value._7b75ef8c-2d17-4ff6-9c63-97558add0776Citizen-CentricityOrganizations that achieve high performance through customer service are citizen-centric; that is, they organize their services and information around their citizens’ needs and circumstances.Multi-Channel DeliveryOrganizations that achieve high performance through customer service use a variety of channels to provide information and services to people and strive for seamless coordination between these channels.Multi-Level Integrated ServicesOrganizations that achieve high performance through customer service work together at the local, regional and national levels to provide integrated services.OutreachOrganizations that achieve high performance through customer service actively reach out to their customers; working to ensure that people are well informed about the services they offer so that customers can use their services easily, and understand what is expected of them in return.Service DifferentiationDifferentiate service offerings, based on customer insight and segmentation, to meet people’s specific needs and improve equality of outcomes._f6af8655-ebfb-4ff2-b2c5-56a326452e581Better service starts with better understanding. Governments must strive to become better informed about what the people they serve want and need, and put in place services and service delivery mechanisms that are responsive, connected and aligned to those wants and needs. Whereas in private industries, companies conduct value-based segmentation, governments need to understand their “customers” by undertaking detailed, needs-based, customer segmentation studies, recognizing that these needs will vary across different customer segments and, indeed, individual customers. Then, they must respond by targeting services—and therefore resources—appropriately, ensuring that those who have the greatest need receive the most help and those who are most able to help themselves have the opportunities and means to do so. These actions will enable governments to tackle the difficult balance between the desirability of offering people choices and personalized services and the necessity of achieving more equal and universal social outcomes cost-effectively.Performance Feedback and ComplaintsIncorporate learning from performance feedback and complaints processes into management decision making and build in improvements to the planning and delivery of services._f1c4275f-35b0-44f9-a21d-81f2471ca57c1.1The provision of performance information should be complemented by the creation of “feedback loops” from citizens back to the government. Incorporate citizens' feedback into decision making and government policies, and adjust programs and services accordingly, to improve future results. Monitor and analyze data from complaints and use this information to identify and address systemic problems and improve services. Performance management then becomes a continuous learning cycle of measurement, reporting, assessment, planning, decision making and implementation.Citizen EngagementActively engage citizens, service users and other stakeholders in defining outcomes and designing services._808553ed-fde9-4116-a68b-1eee693805122Engage. Listen. Respond. People want a greater say on issues that matter to them. They want a chance to put their ideas and opinions forward and to know that their government is listening and responding. They want to play a part in deciding, or at least influencing, government priorities and help plan and design services that meet their specific needs and preferences. Governments must respond to these demands by actively engaging citizens, customers and other stakeholders to better understand their wants and needs. This is critical if governments truly intend to provide an excellent customer experience and build services that are customer-centric and outcomes-focused. Governments must also explore new means of reaching out to educate and inform citizens of their rights and obligations, as well as encourage them to participate in decision making. Only with these fundamentals in place can they begin to build a more positive trust-based relationship, through which people’s real needs are met. Although many governments have been slow off the mark, we have also found evidence that some governments are responding and finding new ways—with their citizens, community groups, businesses and other stakeholders—to deliberate upon and jointly develop policies and services to address pressing social, economic and community issues as well as promote greater levels of public participation.Public DataExplore possibilities for enhancing the use of existing publicly available data to help customers make better choices about their use of services._72588773-2d0a-4e56-af00-030282de341e2.1Governments should make good use of new technologies, such as Web 2.0, to provide innovative ways of making information more relevant and accessible to citizens. By harnessing the “power of the crowd,” governments can find innovative solutions to pressing social issues and improve people’s ability to contribute to their community.Customer Relationship ManagementImplement customer relationship management systems to improve the transparency of the service delivery process. _93cece11-6bde-40e9-8730-2c7d46eded892.2This includes enabling people to track the status of their service requests and find out whether their service needs are being adequately met.Cross-Cutting EffortsUse the experience and resources available across government, non-profits, community groups, private businesses and individual citizens to achieve complex, cross-cutting outcomes._e99a46b5-530d-46f6-a7ae-8f49a730ec4c3Harness all available resources. Government organizations that are leaders in customer service are taking a “joined-up” approach and connecting people to a network of service providers to address their whole-life needs and improve outcomes. This approach requires good coordination, collaboration and the integration of policies, program design and service delivery—not just across government departments, but also across different sectors and types of organization. The needs of the people themselves—rather than those of policy makers and public managers—will then drive government activities. Such a connected approach, however, demands a great deal, including a willingness to search for innovative solutions to people’s problems, and to trust that collaboration will pay off. While many early collaborative efforts focused on creating common infrastructures, sharing data and providing a range of services through a single provider, more recently we have started to see examples of deeper collaboration. High-performance governments are finding ways to work together to develop joint visions and strategic plans that reflect shared goals in addressing national and local priorities. They are trying to establish joint accountability and governance frameworks, integrate their processes, procedures and information systems, manage budgets and assets in pursuit of common goals and deploy their staff more effectively across a range of services. Non-profits and community groups are more often taking the lead in addressing local social problems, and communities and citizens, with government support, are deciding their own local priorities and the best way to tackle the issues before them._8c6b83b3-f04c-11e3-8014-d5ba2fe8d89aTransparency and AccessibilityFocus on improving transparency, accessibility of information and the means for people to address government directly, so that customers can hold governments accountable for the quality of services delivered._0052bf03-8a59-4445-93ec-7f2549023a8f4Be transparent. Be accountable. Ask for and act on feedback. If they are to build trust and encourage co-production, governments need to become more transparent and accountable. They need to inform people about their policies, programs and services actively and regularly. Doing so—as some forward-thinking government organizations that have allowed citizens extensive access to information and systems are discovering—actually enhances the economic and social value of this information. It enhances the value by helping citizens make better decisions and choices, and enabling them to search for services that match their specific interests and needs. Furthermore, governments are being pressed to provide greater visibility and give customers more control of the customer-service process; for example, by allowing service requests to be tracked online. People also want the government to report more regularly performance data on outcomes—the actual results that show how quality of life is improving—so that they can compare their public services with those in other areas and see how the quality of services is changing over time. 04 Involving citizens in establishing, implementing and evaluating measures of performance can only help to foster a broader awareness and sense of ownership among citizens, and a willingness to act as co-producers. The flip side of involving citizens in this way, of course, is that governments have to make it possible for people to voice their concerns and complaints. It is the ability to effectively identify and resolve issues—when they arise—that has the most significant impact on customers’ perception of services and trust in government. Easily accessible and transparent ways for citizens to raise and follow up on complaints are therefore vital, and governments must also demonstrate that they are ready to learn from these complaints and identify and resolve systemic issues. Our research has uncovered some excellent examples of governments doing this well, but has also revealed that there is widespread complacency and a lack of focus on this crucial aspect of customer service.Outcome InformationOrganize performance information around desired outcomes that reflect customer or community concerns, not around departmental or agency structures. _bb4aad94-9dac-4ba0-9df7-88bb2aa1fdc34.1People are less concerned with operational metrics (such as inputs, processes or outputs) than they are with knowing how well the government is actually meeting the needs of the community and improving their quality of life. Outcomes, however, are affected by different agencies and it is important to reflect this in accounting for results. Governments must take a holistic approach to measurement, by looking beyond departmental boundaries. To generate ideas on appropriate indicators and to help collect data, governments should consider cultivating collaborations with other stakeholders (or instance, citizen groups and nonprofits). It is also important to balance the use of internal performance management data with input from citizens via surveys and focus groups to provide an “outside in” and “inside out” view of performance.Accountability InformationDetermine what types of accountability information to share with the public and the best vehicle for disseminating the information._356cb653-1274-4d09-a78c-e050814094984.2Design reports in a “customer-friendly” way—using plain language that people understand. The reports should include quantitative and qualitative information, highlighting accomplishments and examples of improvements in the results achieved. They should also provide comparable benchmarks, such as what is being achieved in other places, and enable people to compare performance over time. Explore ways to make the information more easily accessible, for example, through Web-based reporting, to keep citizens informed on a timely basis.Complaints ProceduresEnsure the visibility, transparency, accessibility and responsiveness of complaints procedures._90d00dbe-b901-499b-b779-bd21fcc6c6304.3This means making the process as simple and convenient as possible, and consistent between organizations. Consider providing a single point of information on complaints processes, or even a single point of access. Strive to resolve complaints in a timely and effective manner, ensuring complaints get resolved at the lowest possible level of the “ladder of redress.”2010-02-08http://www.accenture.com/NR/rdonlyres/14E4340B-4D2B-4147-9291-8FA94D8218E7/0/LCS08Report012109.pdfOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net