Call Centers of Public Administrations: Citizens Demand Good Customer Service

Public administrations are making progress in improving the quality of the experiences they provide to citizens. This improvement is due to an investment by them, both in technology and in personnel.

However, there is still a lot of work to be done, since it is necessary to hire more trained agents who know how to solve user queries, thus offering a better customer experience (CX) and increasing their satisfaction.

According to Accenture, today’s society is less tolerant of poor customer service and if they don’t meet their expectations, they take action, either with formal complaints or through social media like Twitter.

Part of what drives this intolerance for poor service is that modern consumers know what is possible and what is not. Conditioned by their own experiences with private sector companies, they wonder why public sector entities cannot do the same.

And it is that companies have set the bar very high. This is why, according to Salesforce, today’s users have high standards of customer service, such as:

• 83% of customers expect to interact with an agent immediately when contacting a business, an increase of five points from 2021.
• 96% of consumers expect companies to make it easy to switch channels without having to repeat information.
• 66% of users expect companies to understand their needs and expectations.

Although expectations are high, they are not beyond the reach of the public sector. Call centers of public administrations can comply with them by implementing CX improvement solutions.

3 Ways to Modernize CX in Public Administrations

Adopting more customer-oriented metrics is one way to improve CX, but it’s not enough. In this digital age, technology plays a vital role in delivering satisfying customer service experiences. Let’s look at three technology solutions that can modernize public sector CX.

1) Implement a Contact Center Platform in the Cloud

When call center software is in the cloud, call center workers only need to access it through a browser. This means that the provider:

• Provides and manages the hardware.
• Keeps the software updated with the latest version.
• Takes care of the database.
• Is responsible for data security.
• Reduces IT overhead.

The nature of cloud software also provides several important capabilities:

• Easy to integrate.
• Highly secure.
• Supports a hybrid workforce model.
• Offers the option to add new channels and capabilities.
• Reduce costs.
• Availability 24/7/365.

2) Provide Omnichannel Experiences

Many public administrations offer both voice and digital support. Providing multiple ways to communicate is synonymous with convenience and allows users to select the channel of their choice to resolve their query.

But when these multiple channels are not available and integrated into one platform, it creates frustrating friction. Consumers often begin an interaction with the customer service center on one channel and then end it on another. For example, they may send an email and then call a couple of days later if they haven’t heard back.

If the contact center doesn’t have omnichannel capabilities, the agent won’t have access to the email the customer sent, requiring the customer to repeat the information they already provided. This is a huge frustration for users and, in the public sector, it happens far too often.

The best contact center software can deliver optimal experiences through capabilities like smart routing, smart workforce management (WFM) tools, and a unified agent desktop.

3) Optimize Self-Service Options

Most people try to resolve their queries on their own before contacting customer support. In fact, a Harvard Business Review article indicates that 81% of all customers try to solve their problem on their own before contacting an agent.

Well-designed digital self-service satisfies users and can help governments absorb peak call volumes. For example, there are tools that can answer frequently asked questions and perform rule-based tasks, such as scheduling appointments and providing back-office status in multiple languages.

3 Tools that Help Improve Digital Self-Service

1) Administrative Knowledge Management Platform

A well-designed back office knowledge management platform delivers fast, relevant answers to users at multiple points in their customer journey, including the back office website and chatbot or other self-service channel.

Agents also have access to instant responses that help deliver more effective service. This will ensure that consumers receive consistent and accurate information at every touch point and on every channel.

2) Conversational IVR

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to allow customers to use words to indicate which department they want to address when they call. This provides a better experience than tapping numbers on a phone keypad. Conversational IVRs can help make routing more precise.

3) Virtual Agents

Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered virtual agents are bots that can be implemented in websites, apps, messaging systems, and IVRs. They can facilitate all of the types of management we’ve mentioned above, as well as provide proactive customer service. For example, organizations can place them in sections of the website where users may need additional help. Additionally, virtual agents can predict follow-up questions and provide answers before customers ask for them.