Customer Service

The ‘future is at risk’ for government’s biggest civilian payroll provider, study finds

The National Finance Center — a part of the Agriculture Department — provides payroll services for over 170 agencies, but a lot of them aren’t happy with the services they’re getting.

The White House promotes success stories in the government’s customer experience push

Filling out forms to recertify for disability insurance is “more frightening than cancer,” one beneficiary said. The Social Security Administration is trying to make it easier.

Inside DHS’ quest to streamline customer experience and ease public burden

The Department of Homeland Security’s CIO detailed how his agency saved the public 20 million hours accessing agency services in a move that signals a major culture change.

Is government culture stifling customer experience innovation?

Risk aversion among government managers is blocking needed improvements to key programs, according to a recent white paper.

The IRS Will Test a Government-Run Free File System in 2024

The move could presage the large-scale deployment of free, government-furnished online tax prep services.

The IRS Answered 2.4M More Taxpayer Phone Calls During 2023 Filing Season

Inflation Reduction Act funding paid dividends for the IRS during the 2023 tax filing season.

Customer Service, Life Experiences and Technology

Nextgov's Aaron Boyd joins the podcast to discuss his series on CX in government.

Does The Government Care About Customer Experience? The Answer May Surprise You.

If done right, a customer experience strategy could help rebuild trust in the federal government.

Login.gov Has a Long Road Ahead of It

FCW's Natalie Alms joins the podcast to discuss the government's SSO option.

Americans Are Interested in Digital Government Services

Deloitte’s Michele Causey joins the podcast to discuss a new survey about online government.

Paying Your Taxes Is Complicated. Here's Why.

OpenSecrets' Anna Massoglia joins the podcast to discuss the influence of tax preparation industry lobbying money on the ways Americans interact with the IRS.

Planned Login-dot-gov Deployment at IRS is Postponed

The decision comes after concerns about implementing the sign-on service during tax season.

IRS Taxpayer Advocate Says Congress Shortchanged IT Modernization Efforts

Lawmakers didn’t allocate the $80 billion provided to the IRS in the right way, claims National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins, adding that IT modernization and taxpayer services aren’t getting the money they need.

3 Customer Experience Tips for Feds from Feds

Two professional customer experience experts offered advice for other practitioners across the federal ranks this month.

Safety Net Benefit Access is Uneven

The authors of a new Urban Institute report join the podcast to discuss administrative burdens in public assistance programs

The State of Government-Speak in 2022: A Slight Dip in Agency Writing Grades, But Within That ‘A Far More Positive Story’ 

A nonprofit issued its annual report card on 21 executive branch agencies’ writing quality and organizational compliance with a 2010 law to combat jargon.  

Improved Data Sharing Between SSA and USDA Could Streamline Benefits Delivery

Online application pilots are on the horizon with a new data-sharing update between the Social Security Administration and Agriculture Department.