Understand Your Customer
Once you understand your customers, you can build a relationship with them, and "wow" them with awesome service.
Identify Your Customer
- Who is your customer? What do they need from you?
- You likely serve many different audience groups - do you know who they are?
- Audience Analysis
- Use the Quick and Easy Customer Profile (PDF, 49.46 KB, 2 pages, December 2007) to find out about your customers
What Do They Care About?
- Find out what matters most to your customers
- Don't waste time/resources on things they don't care about
- Which of your products/services are most in-demand?
- How do people want to interact - online/self-service, in-person, telephone, or...?
- Once you know what's important, you can focus on delivering what people want, in the way they want it
- Performance Metrics can help you determine your customer's top tasks
- Review phone logs and customer emails to find patterns
- Ask front desk/call center staff what questions people are asking
Listen
- Implement a Voice of the Customer (VoC) program to gather feedback
- The customer "voice" should influence organizational decisions
- Management support is critical to turn feedback into action
Educate
- Help your customers understand you offer, and what you don't
- If your agency's mission dovetails with other agencies:
- Clearly explain your agency's mission on your website
- Create a thorough "About Us" page
- Provide links to related info from other agencies
- Direct customers to USA.gov for an overview of government services
Next Steps
- Aggregate and analyze customer feedback data from across your organization
- Help customers help themselves, so they can find answers when it's convenient for them
- Learn how to Deliver an Exceptional Experience
Content Lead:
Alycia Piazza
Page Reviewed/Updated: February 19, 2013
