After its election in 1995, the new Government introduced its Customer Commitment Program. The aim was to establish the ACT public service as a model of public administration that puts the customer first.
The first step was to ascertain exactly what services people saw as important, and then to deliver these in a manner that matched the quality and price residents desired.
Through parallel financial reforms, managers and staff were able to determine exactly what they produced and how much it cost. Performance measurements also ensured customers were getting the quality services that they wanted.
Moving to a total focus on the customer required a number of changes. These included setting up business units to create a provider/purchaser split, and having customer service measurements as part of employment contracts and performance agreements for all managers.
The Customer Commitment Program has the following key elements.
€ Customer research
€ Setting standards through Customer Service Statements
€ Changing the way business is done to a ‘whole customer’ approach
€ Customer service training
€ Customer service awards.
Extensive customer research asked people about the services they thought the Government should deliver, what these should look like and how they should be delivered. Respondents were not so concerned about the quality of Canberra’s buses, but rather the routes and times that they ran were crucial.
They highlighted insufficient communication, long queues and waiting times, delays in processes and inconsistent servicing as areas needing immediate attention.
Under the Customer Service Standards, there is a guarantee of fully trained, customer friendly staff; a customer focused public contact area; a comprehensive and prompt complaints handling system; customer value performance measures and targets; and a culture of continuous improvement.
Customer Service Awards are made twice a year. This is a joint initiative of the ACT Government and the ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Open to teams or individuals, Government, private and not for profit sector organisations can enter. These awards aim to promote excellence in service provision across the ACT.
All nominations must be made by customers. From 20 nominations three years ago, over 170 were received for the most recent Awards.
The ACT public service is totally committed to driving its business through meeting the customer’s needs, rather than concentrating on processes. This means reducing red tape and providing streamlined outcomes that match people’s expectations.
