Government offices often seek to raise customer satisfaction, but because they still rely on the same old systems that have failed the citizenry up to this point, they don't experience much improvement. You hear the grumbles from the people in your community, they complain about government-run businesses of all stripes. It brings down morale, nevertheless, as a government employee, you possess significant authority and capability to effect change within your sphere of responsibility. Consider making a single update that will positively affect every aspect of the workflow in your office, not to mention your standing in the community.
That sounds too good to be true, but it surely is. Technology is a powerful thing, the institution of queue management software has the power to take your customer satisfaction rating through the roof. The QLESS solution takes your agency into the virtual realm, you may think that a shared calendar is enough to keep your employees in check in terms of their productivity and time management, but if you rely on little more than a traditional number system for serving citizens, then you're woefully behind the times.
Cloud control is the key to fine-tuning your efficiency all across the board. QLESS software allows you to schedule appointments and stay up-to-date with citizens, their personal information, and the details of their visit. More than that, you can finally communicate with community members in a way that works for them. Reaching out to citizens will never be easier than it is with queue software.
Regardless of the tasks at your government office, managing your day virtually is more convenient and efficient than traditional options. It works for the Public Works Administration, the Planning Commission, and even the Board of Alderman, any government-related office that serves the public can and should take advantage of the solution offered by QLESS. The tax-paying public doesn't have unreasonable expectations by any means, but they can be hard to fulfill without a bit of organizational assistance.
Take the Office High-Tech
On the surface, upgrading to a more high-tech office might seem like a trite way to raise customer satisfaction, but it's proven to work. In fact, you should consider Googling the local government offices in your area, check out how many of them are already utilizing some type of queue management system. Once you do that, peek at their reviews. The odds are excellent that they began to trend upward following the introducing of queue software.
You also have to consider the demographics of your up-and-coming citizenry, as new and younger people join the community, it pays to think about their needs and the way they do business. Gen X, millennials, and the young adult members of Generation Z don't prefer paper mail and phone calls, send them a text or an email, and they're happy, they won't listen to your voicemails, anyway. Better still, allow them to pick out an appointment online, don't force them to call you, either. They strongly dislike expending their time unnecessarily, that's the main issue with government offices, as it stands: all that wasted time.
Stop Making Your Citizens Wait
Most of the time that gets wasted in government agencies involves wait times, far too many departments continue to use some version of the numbers system which comes down to first come, first served. That's not efficient, it's not fair, and everyone strongly dislike it; for instance, if you start there, improvements are easy to make.
Introducing a queue system eliminates the wait because QLESS software creates a virtual line in the cloud, citizens have no reason to come to the office until they're scheduled. For example, if a person goes online or opens up the QLESS app and books an appointment for Thursday at 11:00 AM, she or he doesn't have to come to the agency until a few minutes before, just to get parked and settled, of course.
It's true that things don't always go according to plan, there might not be an agent available precisely at 11 o'clock; in that case, employees can use the system to relay that message to the appointment holder before she or he arrives. The citizen now has more time to run errands or relax before arriving at the office.
Call, Text, and Email in a Flash
Back to the business of getting in touch with community members and the importance of considering neighborhood demographics, you can raise customer satisfaction by offering an array of communication options. Using the QLESS system, you can make voice calls to citizens who prefer that method, but you can also send out text messages or emails, citizens who use the service always have the option of noting their preference, as well.
One of the benefits of QLESS is that it can be accessed in a variety of ways. People can visit the website for your office and create an appointment from there; however, they can also download the app and search for your office. A third option involves visiting an onsite QLESS kiosk, either way, once they utilize the system, you can notify them via the method they choose to let them know that things are behind schedule or that their reservation is quickly approaching.
Let Them Come to You
To get in touch with a government employee as it stands, a citizen expects to sit on hold for an unreasonable length of time, and that only occurs after going through an endless menu. They can stop into the office to ask a question, as well, but in a place that doesn't take advantage of queue management, they anticipate a seemingly endless wait just to receive information. Neither of those options is very palatable, it's not hard to sympathize with taxpaying members of the community who aren't satisfied with the service they receive from their local government.
In contrast, citizens can reach out to you through the QLESS system, instead of giving up their place in the virtual queue because they're running late, they can get in touch so that you can shift their appointment to accommodate them. They can also reach out to reschedule their reservation or to ask a question; in both cases, that saves the need to call or visit for an inquiry.
Give The People What They Need
Citizens often have questions about the documents they need to bring and any other necessary paperwork, but without queue software, there's no easy way to ask those questions. Even worse, members of the community frequently have to come in to find out what they need, which means they waste time on a visit that doesn't accomplish their goals in the slightest. Using QLESS, they can discover everything they need beforehand, if they need a form that they can only get at the office, then they can visit and print it out themselves from the QLESS kiosk. The kiosks are also helpful because they can answer common questions about required documents.
Not only does this simple implementation raise customer satisfaction, but it also boosts employee productivity, frequently asked questions are called that for a reason. Employees shouldn't have to spend their days hunting down forms and sending away their citizens, community members are happy to be responsible for their own documentation as long as they know what they need ahead of time. Giving them several avenues to find out what they have to bring will benefit everyone.
Anticipate the Needs of the Community
QLESS offers government employees a means to track their citizens which does not mean you are in a Big Brother scenario; instead, you can study the analytics of how people interact with your office. Pay attention to details such as the frequency of their visits, popular times, and any critiques or suggestions, people may still skip their appointments in spite of receiving reminders and having the ability to reschedule. The software can help you to discover why that occurs. You can use the system to tweak your customer service policies and day-to-day workflow, if you notice that people who need to renew licenses, registrations, or other permits only show up the day before or the day of, you may be able to reassess your reminder policy, for example.
You can raise customer satisfaction in as little as a few weeks when you implement a queue management system. The streamlined process will go a long way toward softening the community's attitude toward government offices, particularly once you're able to prove that it's a long-term change and that waiting is no longer the rule, but the rare exception. Updating your technology won't require you to make cuts across the board, either. QLESS offers a variety of affording pricing structures and payment plans, all you have to do is view a demonstration and get in touch with us to discuss your inquiries. The increase in employee engagement and morale, coupled with the improvement in citizen satisfaction are priceless any way you look at it. To learn how to transform your government office and boost operational efficiencies, read our whitepaper, The Digital Citizen.
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