Month: November 2014
3 Key Drivers Behind Improving Excellence in Government Public Service
Private and public sectors are terms that are thrown around loosely no matter what end of the spectrum you or your business falls under. In government, it’s not unusual to hear people say, “Well if we were in the private sector…” In many instances the two seem like they are different worlds, but ultimately they are both used to describe parts of the economy, and what services each sector provides. Where the private sector part of the economy is concerned with private enterprises, the public sector is concerned with government services.
In customer service, it is imperative to know the difference between private and public sectors, because it helps define your customers’ needs. Though the terms are important, it’s not uncommon to see people use them incorrectly. But both the private sector and the public sector have distinct characteristic that distinguish them from each other.
The private sector is privately owned
The primary differences between the private and public sectors are who they employ and who they work for. The private sector is usually made up of privately owned organizations, like corporations. However, the private sector is not limited to big corporations and can include local business, credit unions, non-profit partnerships, and charities.
The public sector serves the public
The public sector mostly operates through organizations owned by the government, and as a result, public sector workers are paid by the government. These organizations can include: holding political office, the U.S Postal Service, and federal, state, or municipal governments. The public sector provides services that directly influence their governing province and/or country.
Private provides tangible products, while the public sector often outputs “anti-products.”
Ron Ross of The American Spectator put it nicely when he said, “The private sector’s products all around us — food, shelter, clothing, automobiles, home appliances, entertainment, for example. The public sector’s products include defense, the justice system, roads and highways, public schools, income redistribution (welfare), laws, and regulations…” It’s easy to recognize the private sector because of its products, yet it’s important not to overlook the significant services that the public sector provides.
We see that the private sector and public sector have their clear distinctions, yet they often find themselves in communication with each other. Customer service methods are a great way to share a dialoged between the two. Part of my job as the Chief Customer Service Officer is understanding that there are different approaches when it comes to customer service in both sectors. A customer is a customer regardless of the product, yet in the public sector, when your customer is the public, it is a little bit different. As a customer of Wal-Mart, if you are dissatisfied with the service you have experienced, you can go shop at Target. Most of the time, with public services, you can’t shop around. In the public sector we have long-term customers and our challenge is to provide them with the best customer service that we can.
Providing citizens with great customer service often means borrowing strategies from the private sector. Using social media as customer service tool, for example, is something that many successful businesses have done. We have implemented a similar strategy at the City of Philadelphia, but one that directly connects citizens with city services. Understanding what is being referenced, and being familiar with the distinctions, between private and public sectors, ultimately helps the public sector better meet citizens’ needs.
To learn about more differences between the private and public sector, check out Jan Mares’ “25 Differences Between Private Sector and Government Managers.”
Photo by Jacrot Christophe
Call for Customer Service Speakers!
Mark your calendars! Philly311 will be hosting a customer service focused speaking series and would like YOU to participate in it.
Event: The 311 Customer Service Winter Series. The series will feature and be hosted by the City of Philadelphia’s Chief Customer Service officer, Rosetta Carrington Lue. The series spans over a six week period and will include panel discussions and key speakers.
Who: The 311 Customer Service Winter Series is looking for speakers who have a background in customer service, customer experience, or speakers who have participated in the creation or implementation of customer relationship systems.
Date: February 11, 2015 – March 18, 2015
Location: Philadelphia, PA (TBA)
Topics: The series will focus on customer service, customer experience, and how technology is altering internal and external customer relations.
If you fit the above description, and would like to contribute to the series, please contact Amanda Wagner.
Stay tuned-in for more updates!
Event Contact:
Amanda V. Wagner: amanda.v.wagner@phila.gov
Eliminating the Black Binders and Building Communities
Before the Neighborhood Liaison program I would attend community meeting after community meeting where I would run into the same types of members. Members who were frustrated, who’d been long established fixtures in their neighborhoods, and were seeking answers and change from the City. More than a few times I was presented with big black binders full of personal reports and general community issues. Sitting down, listening to citizen’s frustrations, and flipping through these binders, we became frustrated. Behind every concerned was a community member who was ready to transform their neighborhood into a better place, and we needed to make that a possibility.
At some point everyone in customer service experiences a situation when they have to ask themselves, “what can we do to better the service we are providing?” Sometimes the answer is not as hands-on as we would like it to be. I always think of the Maimonides quote, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed a man for a lifetime.” In this particular scenario the answer was to create a platform for change and provide those who wanted to create that change with the tools to do so. This is how the Neighborhood Liaison Program came to fruition.
The program was created to eliminate the middle man, and have stand-out community leaders bring their neighbors’ concerns straight to Philly311. In short, a Neighborhood Liaison is someone who records items discussed during community meetings and contacts Philly 311 for action and answers. Today we have a system in play that:`
- Provides assurance that an issue was addressed and action is being taken!
- Makes it easy for citizens to use Philly311.
- Centralizes all concerns, and issues of the community, by creating an account for any neighborhood to get action taken
- Provides access to status of issues or concerns at any time by checking the status of the issue through the Philly311 website or contacting or by contacting a local Neighborhood Liaison
- Builds the community by getting people involved
I’m happy to report that I have not been faced with a black binder since we launched the Neighborhood Liaison Program in 2010. The program is self-sustainable in many ways that other government services are not. After training, community members are equipped with the necessary tools to create the change they desire. I like to think that the amount of growth we have seen in the program is indicative of the its success. Last year alone the program doubled from 600 participants to over 1,200. People will fight for positive transformation and it is our job to fight along with them.
Photo by: jkfid’s
#Crisis: How Government Uses Social Media in Emergencies
Hurricane Sandy’s path of destruction affected 24 states, and cost the U.S a total of $65 billion in damages. Nicknamed “Superstorm Sandy,” the hurricane quickly became the most cataclysmic hurricane of 2012. In Philadelphia, public transportation was shut down, Philadelphia International airport suspended flights, and all major highways were closed during the hurricane.
Catastrophes like Hurricane Sandy pose a unique challenge for 311 centers. Every day we at Philly 311 have a duty to provide citizens with factual information and critical answers about City services, but when the City is facing a crisis, the importance of that information is magnified. Citizens look to the City for guidance, and we provide it. One of the most efficient ways to do this is through our social media channels. Here are a few tips I’ve learned through the experience.
Prepare Ahead of Time
Like the hurricane itself, the best way to handle an emergency is to prepare for it ahead of time. During Hurricane Sandy this meant, using our resources and collecting data before the panic, and staying up to date on the storm’s progress.
Have a Practice in Place
In order to be affective during a crisis you have to have a strategy in place. Social media strategies are not born over night, and they certainly are not created on-the-fly during emergencies. Strategies take time and practice to develop. Know your company or departments goals, identity, objectives, and customers before jumping into an all around high-risk situation.
Keep Your Message Consistent
When people are panicked there tends to be a lot of miscommunication and inaccurate information circulating. As a source of data and a connection to City services, we can’t risk pumping out false information. False information during times of crisis can lead to people getting hurt. Refrain from reposting information from unknown sources.
Stay Calm
It is easy to get overwhelmed during a crisis, especially when you have an influx of people contacting you and reporting the same issues. However panicking doesn’t help anyone. Find effective ways to save time, don’t let customers get lost in the shuffle, and treat everyone with care and consideration. Customer service should not get lost during these moments, it should shine!
Our social media platforms were crucial in handling Hurricane Sandy and helped extended the City’s reach. During the storm our followers nearly doubled, demonstrating how citizens were collecting information, and connecting with the City of Philadelphia. People use the internet to connect with social media not to search for information. We provide people with a single, real time, and responsive platform to receive the information that they needed most in order to guarantee their safety.
Photo by: MattysFlicks
6 Cities and a County Share 311 Data, Best Practices
Local government officials team up to develop standards and a data repository for 311 centers.
Source: www.govtech.com
Honored to represent the City of Philadelphia on this national leadership council. Looking forward to shaking up the industry.
See on Scoop.it – Customer Experience Excellence Best Practices
Innovative Customer Service Leadership Strategies 