Managing the services offered by a city of any size can be a daunting task. As the number of agencies and departments expands to meet the needs of a growing population, and as new technologies are introduced, that task doesn’t get any easier. Today we commonly see agencies that specialize in:
Public safety
Parks & recreation
Public Works
Education
Libraries
Utilities
And so on….
When a resident makes contact with one of these agencies for support, it’s vital that the response from the agency is initiated in a quick and professional manner by a person or entity that can offer the right solution or answer. Our team at Cask has come to realize (as have many city leaders, already) that the level and type of support offered by different agencies varies widely—especially when it comes to the underlying processes and technology that support those who provide assistance to their constituents. In most instances, this is to the detriment to both the agency itself and the constituents they serve.
For example, the Parks & Recreation department’s support team may offer residents a phone number to call, an email address to write and a website offering answers to many common questions. At the same time, a different agency that serves the same residents may offer just an email address with no promises to respond in a timely manner or alternate method for those residents to get answers to common questions.
Our team at Cask has established a proven method to address these issues head on by employing a methodology known as Organizational Change Management. In essence, we work with our clients to establish a core baseline of goals and objectives that align to a common set of support principals, such as:
All agencies will offer multiple modalities of support whether that be via self-service, on the phone, online chat, social media, email, or even in-person.
All agencies should utilize a constituent support platform, such as ServiceNow, in order to properly create, track and resolve issues in a timely manner
All agencies should establish a core set of service level targets that are, of course, realistic for the agency to meet; but also transparent to those they serve. Everyone should be provided a transparent view of what levels of service to expect.
