tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200886142024-03-15T03:57:47.245-07:00Candi On ContentThis blog is for government communicators and others who are passionate about improving the way government serves citizens. I managed a U.S. government website for 10 years. Now happily retired, I'm sharing some of my experiences and ideas. Agree or not, I hope my posts make you think about ways to make government customer service better.Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-14502387018230082762012-12-19T06:13:00.001-07:002012-12-19T06:18:03.198-07:00Plain Language Is Good Business<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>(This is a repost of my guest blog for New Zealand's </em><a href="http://writemarkblog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/plain-language-is-good-business.html"><em>WriteMark plain language advocates</em></a><em>)</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I worked on U.S. Government websites for 10 years; and I learned
there’s one principle that trumps all others:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>if you don’t communicate effectively, you can’t serve effectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If customers come to your website and cannot
understand what you offer and how to get it, they leave and never come
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They tell their friends what a
rotten website you have and, by extension, how bad you must be.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">How you communicate – the words you use and the ways you organize them
– brands your organization as much as that little logo you use or those razzle
dazzle graphics or those expensive ad campaigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s why getting the words right – making
them “plain” – is good business.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So how do you get the words right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You get to know your customers – how they think and how they talk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You train everyone in your organization how
to write right, and you reward staff members who improve your products.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You look for examples of good writing and
emulate them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You watch your customers
use what you’ve written, see where they stumble, and fix it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You find professionals to help you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You invest the time because it makes your
product better and your customers happy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There’s lots of help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The folks
at WriteMark in New Zealand and the Center for Plain Language in the U.S. offer
great resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now, WriteMark is
offering a “free sample” of their services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Just send them a document or web page, and they’ll give you a
mini-review.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That gives you a place to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Check out the winners of WriteMark’s Plain Writing Awards and the U.S.
Clearmark Awards, and use them as examples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Get your staff together to look at the winners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about what works and why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then see how you can apply those lessons to
your own products.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Businesses, non-profits, and governments all over the world are getting
on the plain language band wagon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because it just makes
sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When your customers can find and
use what they want, easily and effectively, they’re happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Happy customers come back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They tell their friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plain language is good business.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Links:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><a href="http://www.writemark.co.nz/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">WriteMark</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Center for Plain Language</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://www.plainenglishawards.org.nz/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">WriteMark award winners</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Clearmark award winners</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-32380085205025595872012-11-19T08:01:00.001-07:002012-11-19T08:01:19.798-07:00Groom Your Successors
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I’m often asked, “Do you know someone we could hire for our
web team?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, they want the full
package – someone skilled in plain writing, customer analysis, strategic
planning, usability, search engine optimization, design, social media, mobile
apps, marketing…oh, and can they code?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do these super beings exist?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes
– they are you!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what happens when
you move on?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will there be someone ready
to pick up the reins?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be if you
groom your successors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I know – you’re busy; and it takes time to train and nurture
up-and-comers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Digital Government University
is a huge help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But classroom training
is only part of the development process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Prospective digital leaders need more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They need routine access to role models so they can watch and learn and
ask questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need opportunities
to try new skills and challenges to cause them to think bigger.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So…a few tips:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Think about people in your agency who are potential digital leaders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they’re on your team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they’ve shown interest, but aren’t in a digital government job series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they’re people in unrelated jobs who show energy and passion and leadership potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe they’re Presidential Management Fellows or interns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make a list.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then seek them out.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Look for potential leaders at other agencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look at all levels of government - the more we intermingle among federal, state, and local, the better for citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pay attention to people who share ideas on Web Content Manager Forum conference calls or who volunteer for Sub-Councils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reach out to them, and draw them into your network.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Invite your prospects to meetings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let them see you in action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask them to take notes (give them a role), and then take time afterward to discuss what happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Work with your agency training officer to create opportunities for people who are not in digital government job series to gain those skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let them shadow you; or offer them short details to your team, if they can work it into their training plans.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Encourage promising leaders to find mentors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may not be able to mentor everyone with potential, but there are other mentors around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Look in your own agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask the Federal Web Managers Council.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Govloop sponsors a mentoring program – check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t forget retirees – there are a number of us who welcome the opportunity to coach emerging leaders.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Encourage reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Howto.gov has a great blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So does GovLoop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gerry McGovern has a free weekly newsletter,
and other digital experts offer similar writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you spot something good, let your
prospects know about it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sponsor brown bag lunches open to anyone – you
may be surprised who shows an interest in digital government issues. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Invite your prospects personally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When appropriate, let them do presentations
or lead discussions to get leadership experience.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Get them involved in the Government Web Content
Managers Forum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Encourage them to
volunteer for Sub-Council work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a
great way to get exposure and practical experience.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Suggest training options – DGU, conferences, GovLoop,
and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow up and talk with them
about what they learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A half hour
over lunch with you can extend their learning.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Encourage them regularly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A quick email saying, “Well done!” or “Great
question today” or “I’d like to talk to you more about that idea” can be great
motivation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One
day, you will move on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You owe it to
your customers, your agency, and your community to make sure there are
qualified digital leaders to carry on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It’s
the right thing to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sources:</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://howto.gov/">Howto.gov</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.govloop.com/">Govloop</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/">GerryMcGovern</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.howto.gov/communities/federal-web-managers-council">FederalWeb Managers Council</a></span></div>
Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-59251566513279078412012-11-05T07:47:00.000-07:002012-11-05T07:47:14.537-07:00“Plain Language” Is More Than Words
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Plain language is critical to great customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may think that “plain language” is all
about getting the words right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well,
words are a big part of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there’s
more to it than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Plain” means <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">information you can find, understand, and
use quickly and easily</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, in
addition to choosing the right words, how the information is organized and
presented is critical to making content “plain.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For the past 3 years, I’ve served as a website
judge for the <a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/">U.S. Clearmark Plain Language Awards</a> and <a href="http://www.plainenglishawards.org.nz/">New Zealand’s WritemarkPlain Writing Awards</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are the
factors we discuss when we assess nominations and websites:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Purpose</b>
– Is the purpose of the site clear on the home page so visitors know quickly
whether or not this site is for them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is
the purpose of each page you review clear, without relying on the reader having
visited other pages on the site?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based
on the pages you review, does the site stay focused on its purpose (doesn’t
stray into tangents, get off subject)?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Organization
– </b>Is content organized in categories that would make sense to typical
customers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is navigation obvious?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is navigation consistent from page to
page?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are the words used for navigation
clear and unambiguous so the readers know exactly what they will find?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are navigation categories organized in
logical sequences, helping the customer know where to begin and what to do
next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is content layered appropriately
so customers can find what they want quickly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Does content anticipate audience wants and needs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can customers find top tasks from the home
page?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Writing </b>–
Are sentences and paragraphs short and to the point?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they written conversationally, using
“you,” “we,” and “us” and avoiding impersonal third person narrative?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they use active verbs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they use words that the typical audience
will know and understand the first time they read them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Has the writing been edited to avoid
redundancy and extraneous information that isn’t essential to make the points?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the site avoid jargon?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the site spell out acronyms on every
page they appear?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are words spelled
correctly? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Design</b>
– Is the site designed to make skimming easy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Is the most important information placed where readers look first (the
“F”)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the site use headers and
sub-headers, bullets and numbers, color to highlight important information, and
other design devices to make skimming easy?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Are pages relatively short?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are
fonts consistent, and are they easy to see on a computer? Is there ample use of
white space?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Graphics
and links</b> – Do graphics add value to the site by adding or clarifying
important information – no gratuitous graphics?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Are graphics designed and placed to support the content and not distract
the reader (no “eye-stoppers”)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do links
add value to the content?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are links
labeled or described so readers know what they will find? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Accessibility</b>
– Does the site use best practices to help people who are visually impaired
(for example, dark fonts on light backgrounds, links describe target
content)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the site use best practices
to help people who are hearing impaired (videos and audio files have
captions)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the site use best
practices to make the site accessible to people with slow internet connections –
this is especially important for government websites that should be accessible
to all citizens (text alternative to large graphics, readers are warned about
download time when linking to graphic files, home page and top navigation pages
limit graphic load?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Performance
measures</b> – Has the organization done usability testing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the organization tracking measures to make
sure customers can find and use what they want as fast and effectively as
possible?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Overall
assessment</b> – Is this site easy to use?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would this site be a good example for others who want to make their
sites easier to understand and use?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, give it a shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Score your website using a scale of 1-5 (5 is practically perfect, 3 is
average, 1 has a lot of problems and needs an overhaul) on each factor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">How did you fare?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would you be a winner?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so,
watch for the announcements for the 2013 Clearmark Awards and 2013 Writemark
Awards <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and nominate your site. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not, get to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For great customer service<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, keep it plain</i>!</span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-32604807251970183662012-10-22T10:29:00.000-07:002012-10-22T10:29:32.874-07:00Transition is An Opportunity – Be Ready
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">No matter who wins the election in two weeks, change will
come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the President is re-elected, we’ll
see some new political appointees coming onboard and certainly new
initiatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Governor Romney is
elected, we’ll see wholesale changes in political personnel and plans; and transition
teams will move into agencies quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In either case, new political appointees and new goals will ramp up
throughout 2013.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
Transition brings change, and change can be a great
opportunity – if you’re prepared.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
Here we go – three tips for making the most out of transition:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Finish what you’ve started</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
Government communicators have made great strides in the past 4
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Digital Government Strategy
and Customer Service plans go a long way to recognizing the importance of a
customer-centered government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course,
that work will be unending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But now is
the time to dot the I’s and cross the t’s on those distinct initiatives that
are underway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get your digital
governance models finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roll out
those signature mobile apps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they aren’t perfect, you can improve them incrementally
over time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What you don’t want is to be
caught by the winds of change and lose the good work you’ve started.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Document what you’ve finished <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
Write it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make it real. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Document your successes, explaining why they
were successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk in terms that new
executives and special assistants will understand and value…how did this
project improve the way your agency serves citizens or performs more efficiently?
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get down in the weeds, but give
enough detail so that the problem(s) and solution(s) are clear and the benefits
convincing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You never know when new
appointees or transition teams will ask for your achievements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be ready to hand them a 2-pager that informs
and convinces.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Document what you want and need<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
One
of the smartest things the Federal Web Managers Council ever did was write a
</span><a href="http://www.howto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Federal_Web_Managers_WhitePaper.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">White Paper on improving online services</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> and having it ready for the Obama
transition team in November 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
paper was widely circulated and served as the genesis for both top level attention
and many of the exciting initiatives that followed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a great time to assess where you’ve
been in the past 4 years and where you want to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think long term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think big picture (again, in terms that will
grab the attention of top political executives and special assistants).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about obstacles and options to overcome
them, and say exactly what you need from top executives to make change happen
and what the outcomes should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In two weeks, no matter who wins, the federal government
will begin to change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It may be subtle
or it may be dramatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either way, be
prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think this through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Transition is a great opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Related Posts<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/02/successful-web-leaders-communicate.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Successful Leaders Communicate Successfully</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/07/make-time-to-lead.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Make Time to Lead</span></a><br />
Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-66644351181429004202012-10-01T11:08:00.000-07:002012-10-01T11:08:19.674-07:00It's Customer Service Week...What Have You Done for Your Customers Lately?
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is National Customer Service Week, and I hope you (yes,
you!) take a few minutes to think about what you’ve done to help your customers
lately.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you do a great job answering
that email? Super!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you suggest an
improvement to the website that made it easier for customers to find a top
task?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you go out of your way to direct that
phone caller to someone who could give her a real answer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spot on!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What’s that you say?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You really haven’t done anything for your customers lately?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, then..start now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are 3 things you
can do, this week, to celebrate our dedication to giving our customers the best
possible service.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Read and think</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>A lot of us have been thinking hard about
customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do some reading</span>, see
where you agree and disagree, and think about how you could apply some of these
ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are 5 of my blog pieces that
might spark some thoughts:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2012/02/ive-said-it-before-and-ill-say-it.html">5 Principles of Customer Service</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/06/creating-culture-of-customer-service.html">Creating A Culture of Customer Service</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/09/courage-to-do-what-we-know-we-need-to.html">Courage to Do What We Know We Need to Do</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/03/set-your-compass-on-service.html">Set Your Compass on Service</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/05/no-ones-gonna-make-you-do-right-thing.html">No One’s Gonna Make You Do the Right Thing<o:p></o:p></a></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
M</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">ore places to look:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wendi Brick is a real thought leader in
government customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out
her <a href="http://www.thecsaedge.com/documents/CSAEdge_CSWeek2012.pdf">latest newsletter</a> (and read her book:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Science of Service</i>).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/new-thinking">Gerry McGovern</a> is an international expert on
digital communications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has some
great posts (and while you’re there, sign up for his free weekly newsletter).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Howto.gov (the digital government compendium) has
a great <a href="http://www.howto.gov/customer-service">section on Customer Experience</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Check out the <a href="http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/join-govloop-as-we-celebrate-national-customer-service-week?xg_source=activity">customer service blogs and reports on GovLoop</a> – they’re really highlighting customer service this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Discuss.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Gather your team or some of your colleagues
and talk about what makes great customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then brainstorm ways you could improve service
at your agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or join an <a href="http://www.govloop.com/forum/topic/search?q=customer+service">online discussion on GovLoop</a> (<a href="http://www.govloop.com/group/customerserviceingovernment">Wendi has one there, too</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Be a
customer.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Go to a government website
(not your own!) and try to complete a task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>See how they’re doing it, and look for ideas you could replicate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have a bad experience, why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you doing similar things at your
agency?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you should fix them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s nothing like being a customer to
understand what customers want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You don’t have to be a manager to create change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every single person at every single agency
has opportunities – and responsibilities – to improve the way we serve our
customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, what about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What have you done for your customers lately?</span>
Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-19729804229095267912012-09-17T07:26:00.003-07:002012-09-17T07:26:59.466-07:00Trust Your Common Sense
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">How many times have you sat through a training session or read a study
and thought, “Well, duh – I already knew that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s just common sense?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many
times have you been assigned to do something that you know is doomed to failure
because it just doesn’t make sense…yet no one speaks up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too often, we ignore one of our greatest
assets – the ability to apply plain ol’ common sense to solving a problem or
implementing a new idea or averting a disaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that’s just a shame.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">About the middle of my federal career, I was in line for a promotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had one competitor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was with my boss in a top management
meeting; and when I leaned over to him to suggest that something just didn’t
make sense, he said, “speak up!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t because I didn’t trust my instincts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My competitor did - and he said exactly what I’d thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone lauded his brilliance because he’d
pointed out something that would have led to failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he got the promotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lesson learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When I was HUD’s web manager, my web team often got involved in
vigorous discussions about what we were doing and how we were doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But at some point, I’d stop them and ask, “OK
– what’s the right thing to do for the American people?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nine times out of ten, the answer was right
there; and we all knew it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just had
to use our common sense to get through the weeds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">These are very busy times, aren’t they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’ve got the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/egov/digital-government/digital-government.html">Digital Government Strategy</a> to implement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2011/m11-15.pdf">Plain Writing Act</a> to
implement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr538/text?utm_campaign=govtrack_email_update&utm_source=govtrack/email_update&utm_medium=email">Customer Service legislation</a> winding its way through Congress (it passed in the House last week
- woot!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And no matter who wins the election
in November, you’ll have new initiatives and probably some new leaders,
requiring even more actions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With so
many demands, you can’t help feeling overwhelmed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Call on your common sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sit
back, take a breath, look at the big picture, and ask yourself, “Which of these
tasks can make the most difference for my customers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which of these tasks can do the most for my
agency?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What can I do well,
realistically?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the best use of
my time and resources?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the right
thing to do?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of trying to do 20
things at once (and probably not doing any of them well), use your common sense
to pick 5 of the most important things; and do those well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then move on to others. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If something you’re being asked to do just
doesn’t make sense, point it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give alternatives
that would make sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Trust your common sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your customers will thank you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your agency will thank you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll feel better. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Common sense is instinct…enough of it is genius” – George Bernard Shaw
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Related Posts</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/09/courage-to-do-what-we-know-we-need-to.html">Courage to Do What We Know We Need to Do<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-22346026245661942772012-08-27T10:28:00.003-07:002012-08-27T18:08:28.407-07:00The Oppportunity to Exceed<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I’ve been quiet on the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/egov/digital-government/digital-government.html">Digital Government Strategy</a> because – well, OK, I’ll be honest…while I think there’s a whole lot of good in it, I also have some problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">First, it didn’t look anything like I expected it to look, after all the issues we discussed in the <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/ideafactory.do?id=4097&mode=top&discussionFilter=expired">National Dialog on Improving Government Websites</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While some of those issues were mentioned in the discussion, few made the action items (the closest are the 3 milestones under section 6).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is much more weighted toward technology than communications and customer service (and for the record, I believe customer service and being “customer-centric” is our reason for being…not the 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> of four guiding principles).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I also was surprised that it didn’t connect better with other administration initiatives, particularly the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2011/m11-24.pdf">OMB guidance on Streamlining Delivery and Improving Customer Service Executive Order</a> which required – among other things – designation of a customer service lead at each agency and a customer service task force.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The connection to digital government seems obvious, but the Strategy didn’t even mention including the customer service lead on the agency strategy teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, I’d love to see all OMB documents be models for plain writing – this one isn’t (I’m sure the folks with <a href="http://www.plainlanguage.gov/site/about.cfm">PLAIN</a> and the <a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/">Center for Plain Language</a> would be happy to help).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Still, the Strategy is a clear step forward for cross-government coordination and improvement; and that’s a very good thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And the people working on it are among the most passionate and creative in the federal government. I know they'll work hard to make right things happen. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The biggest positive in the Strategy, in my view, is the emphasis on having an effective governance structure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That has been a huge problem in web management from the very beginning, and I have written about it many times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I was really looking forward to seeing OMB’s guidance on digital governance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t disappoint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/digitalgov/digital-services-governance-recommendations">Guidance was issued</a> last week, and it’s both thoughtful and thorough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kudos to OMB and the Digital Services advisory group!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It even touched on that gap between other administration initiatives by suggesting that the open government, plain language, and customer service officials be part of the agency governance teams. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gives clear step-by-step directions, without being overly prescriptive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well done!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If agencies follow this guidance, I think government communications will improve vastly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least those that involve digital interfaces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But I wonder:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>why stop there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since you’re going through the process anyway, why not be more visionary, more bold?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not use this as an opportunity to <em><strong>exceed</strong></em> OMB’s expectations and create a governance structure that will ensure great communications – and better customer service – through <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> delivery channels, not just digital?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It’s not much of a stretch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Digital government already includes websites, social media, mobile apps, and open data.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plug in publications, telephones, correspondence, and personal contacts through walk-in traffic and meetings/professional conferences and you’ll have the whole shebang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The processes may be different, but the goals are the same. A single governance structure will let y</span>ou ensure consistency through all delivery channels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As important, the people who manage those delivery channels bring to the table more information about your customers – who they are, what they want, how they ask for it; and we all know that the number one ingredient for great customer service is knowing and understanding your customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">OMB and the Digital Services team have done a great job laying out a path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have many options, as you figure out how you will manage the delivery of customer services through technology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not exercise the option to exceed expectations - and make all communications and customer interactions more successful - by creating a governance structure that embraces all delivery channels? Wouldn't that be the right thing to do?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Exciting times! Can't wait to see what happens next.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Related Posts</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/11/governance-is-infrastructure-for-great.html">Governance Is Infrastructure for Great Customer Service</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Po1dwaaf3eUmbMz17ebtGNkOsBLi3b9eRkMi5qPcoX8/edit?pli=1">Governance Self-Assessment Worksheet</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2012/01/time-to-lasso-that-elephant.html">Time to Lasso That Elephant<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-16771157827733547132012-07-25T17:50:00.000-07:002012-07-25T17:50:01.732-07:00In Our Quest to Use Technology, Let’s Not Forget Human Beings<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The internet is an amazing advancement in our do-it-yourself world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all love being able to go to Amazon or Google or a government website and get it done ourselves, without human intervention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we go into a store, we don’t like that salesperson who asks, “Can I help you?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t want anyone to slow us down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But then we hit a snag – we can’t find what we want…we don’t see what we’re looking for…we have a problem that isn’t addressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do we want to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to talk to someone…we want a human being. Now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I’ve been thinking about this for a long time because it fits so well with my passion for great customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, yes – we want those websites that understand what we want – our top tasks – and help us get it done quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want government to develop those efficient apps so we can buy, sell, ask, find, apply, and query when and where we want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But please – don’t forget that, when we’re in trouble, we want a human being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of my friends sent me one of those mass email messages this week with this prophetic quote from Albert Einstein:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, that wise owl had it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can love new technology and the opportunities it gives us; but we always, always must retain our humanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">That brings me to the recent <a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/resources/plain-writing-laws/plain-language-report-card/">Report Card</a> issued by the <a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/">Center for Plain Language</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the very root of plain writing is communicating like a human being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to know how your audience thinks and talks, and you have to write to them so they understand what you’re saying, the first time they read it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s all about being human.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Center not only looked at whether federal agencies met the requirements of the Plain Writing Act of 2010…but – more important - they looked at whether agencies are implementing the spirit of the law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words – are government agencies really trying to communicate like human beings?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They looked at how agencies are measuring their re-written documents and websites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They looked at the actual documents and web pages and assessed whether or not they achieved their goals (and some didn’t!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They applied that human touch – are we writing to communicate clearly with those people who read our documents and websites?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As we strive for open government, transparency, addressing the needs of a mobile society who uses social media, please – let’s not forget that we are human beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Government is – at its essence - human beings serving human beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So let’s retain that personal touch, even as we expand the opportunities for do-it-yourself apps and social outreach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let’s make sure we have online help that lets people talk to people – in real time – to resolve problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s make sure that that our customers can get to a person when they dial those phone numbers and work their way through those decision trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And let’s make sure that this customer representative can answer our questions or send us on the right path – not just say, “Sorry, I can’t help you” or “We don’t do that.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s remember that people still walk into field offices and expect to talk to someone who can help them solve their problems (I visited a field office recently and saw that happen first hand).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Let’s maximize the use of online chats and make sure emails get a human response within 48 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s use Skype or similar technology to have face-to-face talks with customers who need us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s not use technology to distance ourselves from the people we serve, but – instead – use it to enable our customers to get that personal contact they want.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yes – people want to get it done fast and wherever they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But don’t forget that we also expect our government to be human…and to be ready to talk to us, one-on-one, when we need you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our quest to use technology, let’s not forget human beings.</span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-54267551178568822782012-06-29T10:06:00.001-07:002012-07-05T07:40:17.781-07:00Get Out Your Pitchforks and Clean Up That Content<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The recently-released federal <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/egov/digital-government/digital-government.html">Digital Government Strategy</a> lays out many promising initiatives that will, no doubt, improve the technology and infrastructure behind online services and, thus, enhance customer experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many talented people worked hard to develop this Strategy, and they will continue to work hard on its implementation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> But </span>we still don’t have a clear plan for cleaning up the mess that is the existing content of government websites…those pages and pages of words, many that are outdated, redundant, poorly written (and, thus, unusable) or just plain unnecessary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the haystack customers have to sort through to find what they really want.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It’s time to get out the pitchforks and do the dirty work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s what I would do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">1. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Establish archive sites</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Require every agency to establish archives.(agency name).gov as a separate website for obsolete, redundant, and little-used content that is still important for researchers, students, historians, and interested citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t need an archives site for every website – one<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(or just a few) for the agency should do the trick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Examples of content for archives sites are documentation about obsolete programs; speeches, press releases, reports, management plans, testimony, and other materials from past administrations; past budget materials; and other content required by the National Archives and Records Administration or agency records policies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set up the archives site so that customers can find it from the live site, but its content will not turn up in searches of the live site (and confuse customers).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brand every page on the archives site so customers know this content is no longer maintained and is available only for reference purposes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use <a href="http://archives.hud.gov/">archives.hud.gov</a> as a prototype.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Review statistics.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Require every agency to review the statistics for every page on every one of their websites, for the past 6 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Create 3 lists:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">List 1:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pages that are viewed an average of 100 times or more every month</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">List 2:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pages that are viewed an average of 11-99 times every month</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">List 3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pages that have been viewed an average of 10 times or less, every month<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> If you don’t have a statistics package that gives you views per page, get one now! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">3:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Review content on List 3 (because it should be the easiest).</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Task content owners (subject matter experts) to decide and act accordingly:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Still needed – work with web managers to update and rewrite to make more usable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Improve navigation and optimize for searches.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Not needed, but still useful as reference or to maintain transparency – move to the archives site.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Not needed at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remove it from the server.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be sure to meet NARA and agency records retention plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do the same things for List 2.<o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">5:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span>mprove pages on List 1</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is your top content – that which your customers want and use most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can this content be improved through plain writing, search optimization, or navigation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, do it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Establish the goal to reduce the amount of content on the active website by half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t analyze this stuff to death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If in doubt, move it to archives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You always can move it back if you made a mistake. Set deadlines and get it done. Make it a 6-month project, and declare victory at the end of the year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I know it’s not fun to clean up our messes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But those behemoth websites are still there, and millions of customers are still trying to use them every month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Having </span>all that content wastes time (both yours and your customers') and money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if we really care about our customers – if we want to make their experience positive and helpful – we’ve got to get out the pitchforks and clear out some of that hay to make it easy for them to find those great services we offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Related Post</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/08/clearing-clutter-success-story.html">Clearing the Clutter – A Success Story</a></span></div>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-86619676165365288682012-06-03T07:42:00.000-07:002012-06-03T07:42:15.767-07:003 Lessons from the Clearmark Plain Language Awards<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The <a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/clearmark2012/">2012 Clearmark Plain Language Awards</a> have been announced. As a 3-time judge for the government web and media entries, I have to tell you - this is a stellar group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The quality of entries in this awards program has improved by leaps and bounds, over the past 3 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>he winners give government agencies some wonderful models for plain writing. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As I judged this year’s entries, I noted three important lessons:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Calling something an “e-newsletter” does not mean you can ignore the rules for plain writing</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some agencies are publishing “e-newsletters” as summaries of current issues or news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re typically 1-pagers of 2-3 blurbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Remember this: </span>no matter what you’re publishing on the web, you have to make content scanable and easy for web readers to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No “walls of words.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use shorter paragraphs than you’d use in print publications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use bullets and sub-headers to break content into pieces that the web reader can see and understand quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strip out unnecessary lead-ins and wordiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter what you call it, if you publish it on the web, it needs to be easy to scan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Write and design informational videos as carefully as you would a website</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Video can be a very good way to convey information, but remember that web visitors are impatient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to get a point across in a video (just like in writing), get rid of anything that isn’t essential to communicating the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No need for those intros by agency heads (viewers see them as “commercials”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Break up long videos into shorter segments if you’re trying to cover several subjects or points. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Give viewers time to absorb one topic at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Edit, edit, edit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like written content, if you use too many words – especially if those words are jargon or unfamiliar to the intended audience – viewers lose interest and leave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And one more thing about web videos – make sure you really need them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, a picture can be worth a thousand words if it shows people how to do something or adds new information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But posting a video that simply replicates what you’ve already said on the page is not only redundant, it actually can make your audience mad at you for wasting their time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Like all web content, test your videos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t be satisfied if your audience tells you they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">like</i> your video.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did they understand it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can they use what they got from it?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Which brings me to the most important lesson…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Usability testing matters</b>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The winning entry in the government web/media category was the <a href="http://ephtracking.cdc.gov/showAirHealth.action">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Outdoor Air Quality site</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did so many things right, from words to format.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they got it right because they did extensive usability testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The CDC understands that you must test, rewrite, redesign, and retest continuously, to have a great website (including web video).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Clearmark Plain Language Awards showcase the best, and I hope you’ll take a few minutes to look through this year’s award winners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Encourage your agency web writers to look at them, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about what makes them good and how you might use those examples to make your own site better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real value in these awards is to stimulate others to improve.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Thank you to the <a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/">Center for Plain Language</a> for presenting the Clearmark Awards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And congratulations to the winners!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You did a great job.</span></div>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-31240356059958218122012-05-15T11:14:00.001-07:002012-05-15T11:18:29.365-07:00Conference Postponed? Find Other Ways to Collaborate<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Like many of you, I was so disappointed to learn that <a href="http://www.howto.gov/training/conferences">GSA’s Annual Government Web and New Media Conference</a> has been postponed, likely a victim of the management issues at GSA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I can understand GSA’s dilemma, it’s really a shame to shelve this meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>THIS</em> conference has always been well-run; and – more important – it serves as the one time a year that a large number of government web managers (particularly, but not exclusively, federal government web managers) get together in person to collaborate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Well, it is what it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope the conference will be rescheduled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in the meantime, don’t sit around and wait for GSA to create opportunities to collaborate - do it yourself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, here are a few ideas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">1. </span>Call some other web managers in your geographic area and set up a meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can choose agencies whose missions are related to yours or a variety of agencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can (should) include state and local government web managers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agenda ideas? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Invite speakers – there are savvy web experts everywhere or you can do it as a group webinar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Create a seminar series or brown bag lunches on specific topics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Share expertise and figure out ways to work together.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Do “show and tell,” allowing web managers to showcase things that are working well or things they have in the works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But don’t just talk at each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could you adopt common methods for organizing content or helping customers who get stuck on a task that crosses agencies?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more we do things alike, the easier it is for customers to use all our sites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could you work together to come up with better sequences of related content, so customers can move between agencies seamlessly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Do usability testing – pick two or three sites from your meeting group, come up with some typical (top task) problems, and use 3 members of your group as guinea pigs (<a href="http://www.sensible.com/">Steve Krug</a> says you can use just about anyone to test your site, and you’ll still get worthy results). Work together to fix the problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or watch a <a href="http://www.howto.gov/web-content/usability/first-fridays">First Fridays</a> session together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Learn how GSA does usability testing and then do some yourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Include managers of other delivery channels – call centers, correspondence units, publications, in-person customer support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Figure out how you can work together to make customer service seamless and effective, no matter how customers interact with the agencies.</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And folks – I’m not just talking about doing this in Washington DC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re in a regional city or a state capitol, it's likely there are several agencies working on multiple websites, within commuting distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2005, members of the Federal Web Managers Council hit the road, holding regional meetings in Denver and Chicago to go over federal web policies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The house was packed in both cities!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I know there is an audience out there – find them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Set up local or regional conference calls to supplement or follow-up on the <a href="http://www.howto.gov/communities/web-content-managers-forum/conference-call">Government Web Managers Forum calls</a>. Focus on opportunities for collaboration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can you work across agencies to share resources or conduct training or measure customer behavior when a task cuts across agency boundaries?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Use the <a href="http://www.howto.gov/communities/web-content-managers-forum">Government Web Managers Forum</a> listserv to kick around ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t just look for best practices – look for ways to collaborate together to solve problems and improve customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Think big.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Get involved in one of the <a href="http://www.howto.gov/communities/web-content">Sub-Councils of the Federal Web Managers Council</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Collaborate with your peers to come up with tools and resources everyone can use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Use Ning or GovLoop or LinkedIn or <em>Go to Meeting</em> or any number of technology tools to set up task groups around particular issues or initiatives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Be creative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And whatever you do, share the experiences and outcomes of your collaborations with your colleagues, through the Government Web Managers Forum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Success begets success, so let others know how you’re working together to improve customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Collaboration is so important. Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Customers judge all of us by their experience with any of us, so we need to work together to make sure all government websites (and other delivery channels) are as good as they can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GSA has done an outstanding job providing leadership and support for collaboration among the government web management community, and they’ll continue to fill that role.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you (yes, <strong><em>YOU</em></strong>) must step it up, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Show some spunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be a leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find ways you can cause collaboration that will improve government customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Remember: we serve best when we serve together.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Related Posts</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/08/lesson-from-katrina-it-takes-leap-of.html">A Lesson from Katrina – It Takes A Leap of Faith</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/01/consistency-customer-service-and.html">Consistency, Customer Service, and the Community</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2009/04/when-web-managers-gather-its-good-for.html">When Web Managers Gather, It’s Good for You and Me</a></span></div>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-35206315173835109762012-04-30T12:03:00.000-07:002012-04-30T12:03:44.658-07:00Customer Service Act Is Good News for Citizens and Employees<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Good news! <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.538:">The Federal Customer Service Enhancement Act</a>, H.R. 538 has passed out of a House committee and is moving forward. What?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve never heard of the Federal Customer Service Enhancement Act?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Oh, my. </span>Well, let me tell you about it because this law would be great news for public servants and citizens alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The Act would add support and permanence to President Obama's <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/04/27/executive-order-streamlining-service-delivery-and-improving-customer-ser">Executive Order on customer service.</a> What I like most is that it calls for agencies to credit and reward employees for great customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bingo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The Act</span> legitimizes “customer service” as an organizational value; and it recognizes that great customer service depends on government employees who know their customers, care about what they want and need, and go the extra mile to make sure they get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So let me back up and summarize the Customer Service Act for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It requires: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">T</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">he Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish performance measures and standards to make sure government is providing high-quality customer service;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Agency heads to measure customer satisfaction through "surveys, focus groups, or other appropriate methods” <em>(like usability testing, I hope!);</em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Agencies to report customer service data annually and OMB to issue a report;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Agency heads to designate a Customer Relations Representative; and</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Agencies to publish customer service contact information.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Great customer service includes providing </span>help to customers who get stuck, don’t understand, or just need extra support.</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And here's what shows that the drafters of this legislation “get it” about what it takes to create a culture of customer service. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It says:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Agency heads may pay cash awards to employees who demonstrate excellence in customer service; and </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Compliance with customer service standards developed under this Act shall, to the extent practicable, be an element of a performance appraisal system.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yay!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Employees who already go above and beyond the call of duty to serve their customers will get credit for it in their annual performance appraisals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And employees who need to do a bit more…well, they’ll know it because their bosses will document those expectations in their performance standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agencies can celebrate their successes in customer service by shining the light on employees who really do it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a win for government employees, and it’s a win for customers who depend on those employees to provide great service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This Act has a long way to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s off to a good start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It sends an important message:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>citizens want and deserve great customer service from their government, and government needs to value those employees who deliver.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Related Posts</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2012/02/ive-said-it-before-and-ill-say-it.html">I've Said It Before and I'll Say It Again...5 Principles ofCustomer Service</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/06/creating-culture-of-customer-service.html">Creating a Culture of Customer Service - “And Would You LikeCatsup for Your Fries?”</a></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-18458850102147972232012-04-16T11:49:00.000-07:002012-04-16T11:49:18.990-07:00Rightdoing at GSA<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Today, I want to throw some kudos to one of my favorite agencies, the General Services Administration (GSA).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GSA does great things for the federal government and the American people – including save taxpayer dollars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They provide services to federal agencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as important, they coordinate important management efforts across agencies, helping eliminate expensive duplication of effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do I know?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen it with my own eyes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Take web management in the federal government, for example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2004, at the request of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), GSA stepped into a leadership role to help implement the E-Gov Act of 2002.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bev Godwin and Sheila Campbell and others reached out across agencies to form working groups that researched and proposed web policies to OMB, to comply with the Act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that hugely successful effort came the <a href="http://www.howto.gov/communities/federal-web-managers-council">Federal Web Managers Council</a>, <a href="http://www.howto.gov/training">Digital Government University</a> (originally Web Manager University), and <a href="http://howto.gov/">HowTo.gov</a> (originally the Government Webmanagers’ Toolkit).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, agencies no longer have to reinvent the wheel, when it comes to web operations – they can use HowTo.gov to find requirements, best practices, resources, and examples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can go to DGU classes and learn from experts, with their peers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">GSA has continued to fill a void by coordinating the governmentwide mobile strategy and by spearheading new efforts to reduce waste and duplication in the number of government domains and websites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GSA’s <a href="http://www.howto.gov/web-content/usability/first-fridays">First Fridays program</a> gives government agencies an opportunity for FREE usability testing and hands on training so agencies can continue to test and improve their websites on their own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me – you can pay big bucks to hire contractors to do usability testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And that’s not all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The USA.gov team at GSA is working to consolidate web content from across agencies by topic – making it easier for customers to find and use the services they want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GSA is leading efforts to bridge service delivery channels (web, social media, call centers, publications), helping agencies make sure services and information are coordinated and seamless, no matter how customers look for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GSA is the hub of customer service improvements, across government. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of the biggest money wasters in government is duplication of effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have no idea. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more we can share strategies and policies and operating procedures and job descriptions and statements of work and knowledge and resources, the less it costs the taxpayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more we consolidate and eliminate duplication, the more efficient (and effective) government is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GSA provides coordination and leadership to make that happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve got a great bunch of people there, working hard, and making a difference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Well done, GSA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep up the good work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We notice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it matters.</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-47887064152280529782012-03-28T17:06:00.000-07:002012-03-28T17:06:42.129-07:00Web Management 101<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Forgive me for reminiscing a bit…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to believe that it was 17 years ago this month that I became HUD’s first web manager.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was handed a brand new communication tool (one that was totally under the radar of most executives) and pretty much told to figure it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the help of a bunch of visionaries at HUD and at other agencies, who - like me - were eager to be pioneers in serving online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We quickly figured out that this “web” thing would revolutionize the way government interacts with its customers; so we focused on citizens, used common sense, and took risks to do the right thing for the people we serve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a ride!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Early on, I was asked, “how do you manage a government website?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I started a list of “DOs.” I’ve tweaked this list many times, over the years, incorporating changing priorities, new technologies, and an increasingly sophisticated audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the basic principles have stayed pretty much the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s my, “web management 101.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen to your customers</b>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a reason this is number one – it’s the most important thing you do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Make time for it. </span>Identify your customers and listen to what they have to say so you understand their wants and needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get out of your office and talk to customers in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read webmanager email.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch and learn from usability testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go to public meetings and presentations - listen to what people are asking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Analyze your stats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read letters to the editor in newspapers and blogs and Facebook pages and Twitter postings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen for trends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen for ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listen for frustration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never lose touch with your customers, no matter how far you rise in your organization. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Talk like your customers talk</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you write or edit content or create videos or publish Tweets or Facebook updates, use words, phrases, and descriptions that your customers use and understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speak their language – don’t make them learn yours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make it easy for them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Focus on your customers’ top tasks</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Highlight and pay attention to the things THEY WANT TO DO AND KNOW.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Respect them. Help them do what they want to do, when they want to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eliminate all that other junk they don’t care about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It gets in their way.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Connect the dots</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work with other agencies (federal, state, and local) to consolidate and link your customers’ top tasks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Find out what other agencies have to offer on the topic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Merge, consolidate, eliminate duplication, link, create logical sequences, and anticipate next steps and questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t force your customers to figure it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Serve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Make it easy for your customers to find what they want</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, so many wonderful ways to do this now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wisely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Search engine optimization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Social media - Twitter is a terrific resource to let your customers know where to find what they want (and Twitter forces you to be concise!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make your services mobile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But circle back to number 3 – focus on top tasks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because you CAN make a mobile app doesn’t mean you should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure it’s something your customers want/need.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Measure and improve.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use data to find out what’s working and what isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fix what isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usability testing is the best way to do this, but also look at statistics (How many start the task? How many complete the task? Why do they fall out?) and customer satisfaction surveys and other measurement methods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spend more time analyzing data and improving your site than you do collecting data.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Improvement is the goal here – not data.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Organize around "customer service."</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you have everyone in the customer service food chain involved in producing your website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>key agency officials (including customer service officers and plain language officers), key program managers, key communicators (including web managers, new media managers, and public affairs officials), key technology experts,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>key contractors and/or contract managers, and key field officials (because those folks in the field offices are out there on the front lines of customer service).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Involve people in charge of all service delivery channels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Define roles, responsibilities, relationships, and rules; and make sure you review how it’s all working, regularly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Follow all the rules</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No excuses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GSA has a superb website called “<a href="http://www.howto.gov/">Howto.gov</a>” that has it all, for federal government websites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>State and local governments have their own rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those rules are there for a reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They protect your customers and make sure they get great service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Know the rules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Have a plan</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things change so fast in the world of customer service that it can make your head spin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t let yourself get into a reactive mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Know where you want to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fix problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adapt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And let everyone know (inside and out) where you’re going and what you’ve accomplished. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Celebrate successes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Update your plan frequently, so you can embrace change and not get caught by it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Help each other</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t remember anything else, remember this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the public judges all of us by their experience with any of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me – it’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re only as good as everyone else is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So stifle those competitive urges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use that energy to collaborate to make <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">government</i> the best. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work across your agency to make sure all service delivery channels operate seamlessly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Join the <a href="http://www.howto.gov/communities/web-content-managers-forum">government Web Managers Forum</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Share successes and lessons learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go to conferences (the <a href="http://www.howto.gov/training/conferences/web-and-new-media-2012">big annual conference is coming up</a> – have YOU registered?).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Share, learn, adopt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be a mentor to a new web manager or a promising wannabe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GovLoop is sponsoring a wonderful <a href="http://www.govloop.com/page/govloop-mentors-program">mentoring program</a> – volunteer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get to know your colleagues, and help them be successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We serve best when we serve together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Managing a government website isn’t rocket science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put customers first, use common sense, and show a little gumption to do right things; and you’re halfway there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take these 10 actions – over and over, better and better – and you’ll serve the public well.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-91356824127806422622012-03-05T11:44:00.000-07:002012-03-05T11:44:05.747-07:00What's In A Name? Clarity<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2012/nt-2012-02-27-Content-strategy.htm">Gerry McGovern’s recent blog post</a> about “content strategy” got me thinking about the importance of words and – specifically - names.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t know Gerry (and you should), he is an internationally known web content specialist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one of his major products is helping his customers understand that the words they use have everything to do with great customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the same thing my plain language colleagues espouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Word choice is critical to comprehension…understanding…clarity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The names we use to describe our work, our initiatives, even our websites, can make the difference in communication, support, and credibility.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, here are three examples where better names could make a big difference in our bosses’ and our customers’ understanding about what we do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Content strategy.</b>” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Being strategic </span>is absolutely the right thing to do, as you work to improve your communications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I think Gerry is right on this one – the term “content strategy” doesn’t resonate with executives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t make that executive think immediately, “Oh, that’s something I care about – these people can help me do what I want to do.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Getting content right is essential because that’s how we communicate with, and serve, our customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if we want to give that effort a name, why not call it what it is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>our “customer service strategy?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, at least, “communications strategy?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those names tell our bosses – and the public – what we're doing in terms they understand. It tells them we’re doing something they care about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When you have that 5-second window of opportunity - on the elevator or walking in the front door or standing in the cafeteria line with that agency executive – try it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch executives’ eyes when you say, “we’d like to talk about our customer service strategy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>hey’ll understand exactly where you’re going - and they’ll want to work with you to get there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.gov domain.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here’s a different spin on the importance of a name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the .Gov Reform goals is to get federal agency websites on the .gov (or .mil or .fed.us) domain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Why? Well, for one thing, </span>those domains have instant credibility.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>User testing has shown over and over that citizens/customers recognize the .gov and the .mil domains to be official, authoritative government websites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those domain names bring clarity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">he .gov domain name works for state or local government websites, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though .gov was reserved for the federal government initially, that changed in 2003. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So state and local governments:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://www.dotgov.gov/portal/web/dotgov/welcome">visit the GSA website to find out how to get your .gov domain.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This should be a no-brainer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your domain name can bring clarity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And trust.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Digital government.”</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been reluctant to bring this one up because so many of my colleagues use this term. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean no disrespect to you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, gosh, “digital government” bothers me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the record, I never liked the term “e-government” either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think we should organize or think about government by delivery channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I don’t think it conveys the message we want it to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mention “digital government” to executives, and I’m betting many of them think “technology” - not “customer service” or “customer experience” or “communications.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">W</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">hy isolate the internet (websites and social media) and cell phones from the other ways we deliver customer service?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When there’s growing acceptance of the need to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>deliver service across channels, seamlessly, why discuss or target or organize around only some of those service channels?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Name it “Customer Service” or "Customer Experience."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those are terms that bring clarity about what’s important to us and what we’re trying to achieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It says we’re putting customers first and keeping them at the center of our attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It helps us remember to deliver services all the ways our customers want, need, and use them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">OK – some of you are shaking your heads. “Oh, Candi – you’re making much ado out of nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are internal terms – we know what we mean.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still hear complaints all the time about bosses who don’t “get it” about what web teams are trying to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe it’s because they don’t understand the words we use to describe it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But here’s the other thing…and it’s equally important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to be open government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to be transparent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to engage citizens and involve them in their government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means we have to talk to them – and among ourselves, because they are listening – in words that mean something to them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Pardon me, Mr. Shakespeare, but there <em>IS</em> something in a name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comprehension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Communication.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Understanding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clarity.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Related Posts</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/10/web-improvement-plans-must-start-with.html">Web Improvement Plans Must Start With Commitment to Customer Service</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/06/web-managers-time-to-look-for-new-job.html">Web Managers: Time to Look for aNew Job</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/04/are-we-ready-to-provide-great-customer.html">Are We Ready to Provide Great Customer Service in Government?<o:p></o:p></a></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-58295476084679391462012-02-22T11:41:00.002-07:002012-02-23T03:04:04.625-07:00I've Said It Before and I'll Say It Again...5 Principles of Customer Service<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We get so busy in our work that we sometimes lose sight of those basic principles that are the foundation of great customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So every once in a while, it’s good to go back to those roots…to sit down and reflect and make sure you’re really using your time to do what’s important for your customers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I’ve gone over these many times in this blog, but here are 5 basic principles of customer service that always bear repeating.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">1. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Know your audience</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where you start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the first step, and you can’t skip it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who are you trying to serve?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who is your audience?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Don’t forget about those unanticipated customers – the ones who show up and without an invitation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember when my friend, Sam Gallagher, put up a website for his community association.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His intended audience was the people who live in the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His biggest audience turned out to be people who might want to move to the community or who want to know more about the community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a little tinkering, he was able to address the needs of both audiences, for the better of the community. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Audiences can shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Customers can change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Circle back to this question often. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">2. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Listen, respect, and follow. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know who you’re serving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, find out what they want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you do that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You listen to them – I mean <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really listen</i> to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Constantly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>You can/should do that in many ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch your stats, read your email, and do your usability testing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Use social media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve long believed the real value of social media isn’t pushing out information but listening to your audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hearing their questions and discussions, learning more about them… what worries them, what pleases them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remembering the words they use so you can communicate with them better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And you can’t just sit in your office (especially if your office is in Washington, DC).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you really want to know your customers, get out and talk to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go where they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was HUD’s web manager, we piggy-backed on conferences and meetings where the agency had a presence – events both for business partners and for citizens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We set up our computer, showed people what we had, and asked them what they wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t tell you how many times we got new ideas or corrected our misconceptions, by talking to our customers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But listening is only the first part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> R</span>espect what they tell you – especially when they tell you you’re doing it wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then fix it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Customer feedback isn’t an annoyance – it’s an opportunity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">3. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Give them what they want, when they want it, in ways that make sense to them</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>o serve well, you need to know how your customers behave and how they communicate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where and when do they want your service?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they look for your services online?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or do they prefer to use the phone?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or mail?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or do they use multiple delivery methods…maybe request a brochure, then do something online, then phone a call center for clarification, and then go into an office to complete the task?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to design – and refine – your services to help your customers find and use them just as easily as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means “easy” for them – not you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Use the words they use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And keep it direct and to the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> M</span>ake sure they understand what they’re supposed to do to complete the task and what they’re supposed to do with the results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> O</span>ffer them help if they get stuck. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you want satisfied customers, understand what they want to do and when they want to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And make sure your information and instructions are absolutely clear to them, so they can get it done and move on in their busy lives.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">4. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Measure what matters.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1995, when I became HUD’s web manager, it was a big deal to be able to tell the Secretary how many people came to our website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woo hoo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our audience increased by 150% in the past 6 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did that measure?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe how well we were marketing the site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More likely, it measured how well the computer companies and internet service providers were increasing their business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t tell us a darn thing about how well we were serving our customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">W</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">e soon figured out it’s not the quantity of the audience that matters – it’s the quality of their experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could they find what they wanted?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could they use what they found?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did we do what we were trying to do? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Measure what matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How long does it take customers to find your top tasks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How long does it take them to complete those tasks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they get the right answer/a successful outcome?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did they understand the words the first time they read them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did those improvements you made reduce the time it takes to complete the task and/or increase the success rate? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Don’t waste your time and money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throw out statistics and measures that don’t help you answer these questions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Measure what matters, and use the results to improve your services.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">5. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Be consistent</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consistency is the hallmark of great customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Customers need to get the same answers, no matter how or who they ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need to get the same respectful treatment, whether they use the web, the phone, or the mail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if you’re a web manager, you have to know what the call centers are doing, what the publications are saying, what social media is learning, and what correspondence units are hearing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to compare notes and figure out how you can work together to make the customer experience as easy and effective as possible, especially when customers use multiple channels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep your focus on the customer – and not on the delivery channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be consistent.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Do yourself – and your customers – a favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carve out time - once a month or once a quarter- to think about these 5 principles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s changed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s new?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is everything on that “to do” list of yours related to these goals?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could you be using your time better, to achieve what’s really important to customer service?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">These principles are your foundation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maintain your foundation, and you’ll have a solid customer service strategy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Related Posts<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/02/customer-service-mantra-listen-respect.html">Customer Service Mantra: Listen,Respect, Follow</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-does-your-website-stack-up.html">How Does Your Website Stack Up?</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/04/keep-it-plain.html">Keep It Plain</a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/09/courage-to-do-what-we-know-we-need-to.html">Courage to Do What We Know We Need to Do</a></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: small;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/09/metrics-that-matter.html">Metrics That Matter</a></span></span></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-92193577387622125862012-02-06T07:38:00.000-07:002012-02-06T07:38:47.541-07:00Submit a Video and Win A Place in Line for FREE Usability Testing<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What’s the very best thing you can do for your web customers?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Test the usability of your website</i></b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly – I can tell you from personal experience – there is no statistic or survey that will tell you as much about how good – or bad – your site is as watching people use it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Testing doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The folks at GSA have you covered.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The <em>First Fridays</em> program offers government agencies a half-day of professional usability testing – for FREE! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a morning of in-depth testing with real web customers, you’ll meet over lunch with the <em>First Fridays</em> team and identify quick-fix solutions to the top three problems. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only do you get your site tested by professionals, but also you learn how to your own testing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did I mention it’s FREE?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My friend, Nicole Burton, coordinates the <em>First Fridays</em> program; and it’s already been a huge success, helping many agencies spot the problems with – and come up with solutions for – their sites. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the program has been so successful that the line to get in on it is long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re already booked for much of 2012.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But wait – don’t despair!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have an opportunity to assure your spot in the 2012 <em>First Fridays</em> queue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GSA has issued a challenge – submit a short video telling GSA why your site needs to be tested this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your entry is chosen, you’ll be assured of a free usability test, <strong><em>this year</em></strong>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Head to the “<a href="http://websitetest.challenge.gov/">Win a Free Usability Test Video Contest</a>” site and find out how to participate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This Challenge is open to any government agency (federal, state, local) with a public-facing website or app.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A team of five usability judges (including my personal usability guru Steve Krug) will view the videos and entry forms and choose one winner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The public also will view the entries and will pick a winner. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both winners are will get the full <em>First Fridays</em> treatment, during 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All FREE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a great deal for you and a great deal for your customers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Be sure to read the <a href="http://www.howto.gov/web-content/usability/first-fridays">rules about <em>First Fridays</em></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve got to work with the GSA team and make sure the owner of your site/app is onboard with attending the session and committing to improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how hard is that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t we all want our sites/apps to be as effective as possible at delivering great customer service?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I recently did some usability testing with a group that was just sure its site was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their customers told them so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had the stats to show it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of the testing participants had used the site before and thought the site was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we gave those participants common problems to solve, using the site, every single one of them had a hard time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mouths dropped open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Watch people use your site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take advantage of the terrific <em>First Fridays</em> program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Submit a video for the <em>First Fridays</em> Challenge and assure your place in line (entries are due February 29).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll be glad you did…and so will your customers.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-59319534526163902302012-01-18T07:35:00.000-07:002012-01-18T07:35:29.754-07:00Clearmark Plain Language Awards Are Important to Customer Service<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I’ve said this hundreds of times:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>if we don’t communicate effectively, we don’t serve effectively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s as simple – and as difficult- as that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If customers can’t understand what you have to offer, can’t understand where to find it or what they’re supposed to do with it, then they can’t use your services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you’ve failed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Nominations for the annual </span><a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/award-nominations/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Clearmark and Wondermark Plain Language Awards</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> are being accepted now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They recognize the best-and worst-documents, legal writing, and websites (electronic media) in government, non-profits, and the private sector.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Entries are judged both on design and language, because both of those elements contribute to clarity.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So why are these awards so important to customer service?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because they give us – you- <a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/past-years/">wonderful examples to follow</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a look at last year’s </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Clearmark winners</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">, and you’ll see what plain writing should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And those </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wondermark winners</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> shine the light on what you don’t want to do.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There is a small fee for submitting Clearmark nominations - $75 for government entries and $100 for non-profit and private entries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you get something pretty terrific for that money, win or lose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll get a summary of the critiques of each of the</span><a href="http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/criteria/"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> judges</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> who review your entry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are some of the most experienced and widely recognized plain writing experts around the world (I say this with due modesty, since I’m among them); and you’ll get a thorough assessment of what’s good, and what could be better, from a panel of these authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m guessing some of you pay consultants a whole lot more than that to advise you on your documents or websites…this is a real bargain.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I encourage you to submit your best documents, legal writing, and/or websites (or other media) for Clearmark Awards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>Deadline is March 3, 2012</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if there’s a document or website that’s been driving you crazy, nominate it for a Wondermark Award (there is no fee for Wondermark awards, and you have the option to be anonymous).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As important, I encourage you to review past award winners and be on the lookout for this year’s winners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See what makes them worthy of acclaim (or shame).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> U</span>se that knowledge to improve your own writing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>If we don’t communicate effectively, we don’t serve effectively</em>.</span></div>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-83460664803534596582012-01-08T10:50:00.000-07:002012-01-08T10:50:18.655-07:00Time to Lasso That Elephant!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The .<a href="http://www.usa.gov/WebReform.shtml">Gov Task Force</a> has issued the <a href="http://www.usa.gov/webreform/state-of-the-web.pdf">State of the Federal Web report</a>, summarizing its surveys and the national brainstorming effort it sponsored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a terrific report, full of great data and even better analysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you care at all about how customer service in the federal government functions (or should function), this is a “must read.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Are there any surprises here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of us – both inside and outside government – have been yammering about the proliferation of government websites, the lack of consistency, bad writing, and the need for easy-to-use “top tasks,” for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good news is that now we have the data to support it and a Presidential initiative to fix it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, what’s the one absolutely compelling need that jumps out…the elephant in the room?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Governance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Governance across agencies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Governance across government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time to wrestle with those 5 “R’s” of governance, establish consistency, and really improve customer service through the web. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What are the 5 “R’s” of governance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<ol><li><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Roles – who, by title, must be involved? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Responsibilities – what must they do?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Relationships – how/when must they interact?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Rules – how will they operate (policies, publication rules, and operating rules)?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Review – how they will make sure that the first four “R’s” are followed and improved (accountability; management controls)?</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Roles, responsibilities, relationships, and rules do not have to be (shouldn’t be) reinvented agency-by-agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are clear models of success out there (just check out <a href="http://www.howto.gov/">Howto.gov</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Embrace them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to stop the tug of war between communications and technology and customer service and figure out who has the lead and how it needs to be organized, keeping the customer at the center. It's time.</span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But the biggie – the one that, without it, all else fails – is “Review.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need good controls to make sure we’re adhering to “R’s” 1-4.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certification processes are great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if no one spot-checks to make sure those certifications are accurate, who cares?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> If we don't do something about noncompliance, why should anyone comply? </span>Content management systems can help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They can enforce design and approvals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But they can’t fix bad writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> They can't make sure top tasks are easy-to-use and easy-to-find. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>You’ve got to have effective review processes to make sure everything (and everyone) is working according to plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there have to be repercussions if it isn’t (you lose your posting rights, you have to take more training, we find someone else to fill your responsibilities, etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The .Gov Task Force is working on a governmentwide web strategy to address the findings documented in the State of the Federal Web report and chart a course for the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve done a superb job handling this critical initiative, so far; and I look forward to seeing what they do now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a task fraught with peril - there’s so much to be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This strategy has to be very focused and very practical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this group looks like it’s up to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if they lasso that darned elephant, we’ll see real improvement in customer service.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Related Posts</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/11/governance-is-infrastructure-for-great.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Governance Is Infrastructure for Great Customer Service</span></a><br />
<a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/10/web-improvement-plans-must-start-with.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Web Improvement Plans Must Start With Commitment to Customer Service</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/08/lets-start-customer-service-revolution.html"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let’s Start A Customer Service Revolution!</span></a></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-89675052460636679512011-11-13T12:00:00.001-07:002011-11-14T03:56:07.392-07:00Governance Is Infrastructure for Great Customer Service<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Federal agencies have posted their <a href="http://customerservice.performance.gov/">Customer Service Plans</a>, to comply with President Obama’s Executive Order, “<a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/04/27/executive-order-streamlining-service-delivery-and-improving-customer-ser">Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service.</a>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agencies specifically were to create a signature initiative that improves online service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of them are pretty good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out all the <a href="http://www.gsa.gov/graphics/admin/GSA_CustomerPlan.pdf">General Services Administration has on its radar</a>, for example.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But when you put the Customer Service Plans next to the <a href="http://www.usa.gov/webreform/agency-plans.shtml">interim Web Improvement Plans</a>, they seem inconsistent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In many cases, you wonder:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>did the person who wrote one talk to the person who wrote the other?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, they probably didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because they weren't under one governance structure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If we’re going to improve customer service in government, we’ve got to have strong governance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Governance brings consistency, and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>consistency is essential for great customer service.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I think of “management” as a hierarchical structure with official delegated authorities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Governance,” on the other hand, usually is a group of management officials or hierarchies who must collaborate and cooperate across the agency to be successful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A governance structure doesn’t have to be hierarchical – it can be collaborative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But everyone in the structure (and everyone in the Agency) has to understand it clearly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good governance often is hard to pin down and harder to achieve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it is absolutely critical to improving and maintaining great customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So here we go again…governance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is it? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the infrastructure that enables efficient, effective, collaborative cross-agency (or cross-government) progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I use 5 “R’s:”</span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Roles</b> – who, by title, must be involved? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Responsibilities</b> – what must they do?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Relationships</b> – how/when must they interact?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Rules</b> – how will they operate (policies, publication rules, and operating rules)?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Review</b> – how will they make sure that the first four “R’s” are followed (management controls) and opportunities for improvement are spotted (evaluation)?</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A couple of years ago, I tacked on two other critical “R’s:”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Reason</b> – what are you trying to achieve?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s the purpose?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes – there may be multiple purposes (deliver services, provide information and data, involve the public, share the Agency’s plans and accomplishments).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when push comes to shove, what comes first (and second and third and…)?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Everyone needs to know so when it comes to decisions about strategies, priorities, and resources, you're on the same page.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Roadmap</b> – a plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t have one, your customer service efforts can go awry really fast, and you can waste precious resources (not to mention making your agency look bad).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> E</span>veryone needs to be going in the same direction, toward the same goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My friend Nicole Burton, who runs <a href="http://www.howto.gov/web-content/usability/first-fridays">GSA’s First Fridays program</a> (they do FREE website usability reviews for agencies) tells me that governance issues are at the root of many of the problems they identify.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right hand doesn’t talk to left hand, even though they’re working on the same customer tasks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fiefdoms compete or duplicate efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No central oversight to make sure the site represents the best of the entire agency and that it works seamlessly, even though content comes from different parts of the agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bad governance shows.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Where to start? Begin by assembling the right people:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A high ranking management official who has authority to trump all others in the governance structure, if there are issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It could be the agency head or deputy agency head or some other program-neutral official.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must be someone who is clear on the agency’s customer service objectives and keeps abreast of the actions.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>The designated Customer Service Official</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Chief Communications Officer (because we cannot serve effectively if we don’t communicate effectively)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The designated Plain Language Official (because we don’t communicate effectively if we talk gobbly gook)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The designated Open Government Official (because being transparent and participatory and collaborative is a big part of great customer service)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Chief Information Officer </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Chief Web Manager</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The New Media Director</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The head of publications</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The head of call centers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The head of the agency correspondence unit(s)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The manager responsible for field operations (because a whole lot of customer service happens out there in field offices)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Chief Procurement Officer (because contractors often are a critical part of our customer service efforts)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Top content owners – the executives in charge of program areas or bureaus or other major organization components</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yep – that’s a lot of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of these people has a stake in the goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> T</span>hese players must be involved in your customer service strategy and operations – working together, going in the same direction - or your customers will suffer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Next, figure out what each must do and how (and when) they must interact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Write that down, so everyone knows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start with what you have and then fill in the holes or make fixes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve got a little <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Po1dwaaf3eUmbMz17ebtGNkOsBLi3b9eRkMi5qPcoX8/edit">governance self-assessment worksheet</a> that can help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t forget to figure out those “review” processes to make sure it all works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And figure out consequences – don’t wait for things to break down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We could be witnessing the beginning of culture change that will make customer service a permanent driving force in government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it takes a good infrastructure - good governance – to make it work.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-67332495384940724372011-10-25T09:52:00.000-07:002011-10-25T09:52:28.964-07:00Web Improvement Plans Must Start With Commitment to Customer Service<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The initial <a href="http://www.usa.gov/webreform/agency-plans.shtml">drafts of federal agency plans to improve online customer service</a> have been posted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Agencies were asked to report on what’s happening currently, as the first step toward developing their plans; and I must say, the results are – well – disappointing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to know what’s wrong with government websites, just scan a few of these draft plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re all over the place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In case you aren’t up to speed, the White House announced the <a href="http://www.usa.gov/WebReform.shtml">.Gov Reform effort</a> in early summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It emanates from the President’s Executive Order, “Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service” and the Campaign to Cut Waste.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Specifically, the .Gov Reform task force is inventorying government websites, assessing the status of web operations, and developing a governmentwide web strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> As part of this effort, a</span>gencies are to develop a “Web Improvement Plan that communicates their strategy for managing web resources more efficiently, improving online content, and enhancing the customer experience of Agency websites.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These draft plans are the first step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">OK, take a look at these “plans” and see what you think.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I reviewed 14 Cabinet level agency reports and the White House web team report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the most part, these are very process-oriented. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Few mentioned overarching goals or a vision for online customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lack of consistency across government is quite apparent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Look at their </span>descriptions of “governance,” for example.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Several </span>talked about budget procedures and technical requirements, without mentioning the who, what, and why of their governance structures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> D</span>o they know what “governance” is?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Only a few (I counted 4) said they factor in usability testing to help them make sure they’re meeting customers’ needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While customer satisfaction surveys, statistics, email, and focus groups can help – and certainly should be part of the metrics agencies use to improve their sites – the number one way to make sure your website works is watching people use it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And the biggest omission?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Listening to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Focusing strategies on their needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There are some bright spots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Health and Human Services admits to having no strategy, but their thoughtful analysis of the problems makes me hopeful they’ll develop a strategy that really will improve customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">EPA is a winner, with its “One EPA” strategy to make web content consistent across the agency (and consistency is fundamental to great customer service).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">La</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">bor talked about using <a href="http://www.howto.gov/web-content/usability/first-fridays">GSA’s “First Fridays”program</a> to help them assess the usability of their website and make improvements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Way to go!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Some of the large agencies, with many sub-agencies, are beginning to pull policies and procedures and people together to work toward – there it is again - consistency.</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But on the whole, these “plans” tell me there’s much to do to improve the way the federal government is serving customers online.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So…a few suggestions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">First – to those of you outside government who value transparency and who care about making government customer service better: read these plans and then speak up about what you see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the .Gov Task Force know what you think (<a href="mailto:alycia.piazza@gsa.gov">Alycia Piazza</a> is listed as the contact for more information about the effort).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blog, Tweet, stir up discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s help the govies make online customer service better by pointing out where they can improve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Second – to the .Gov Task Force:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These reports are a reality check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the notion of “improving customer service” has not sunk in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe you should back up and help agencies get up to speed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d bring in <a href="http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/">Gerry McGovern</a>, who has worked with governments and top companies all over the world to improve online customer service, for a half day. Put him in front of all the agency Directors of Communication, Directors of Public Affairs, CIOs, designated customer service officials, and top agency web managers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Help them understand the principles of online customer service so they can set priorities and create strategies that really will change the way government serves its customers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the governmentwide web strategy you’re crafting should help get agencies on the same path, I think it’s important they’re doing it with a good understanding of the vision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Third – to the Federal Web Managers Council:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think you need to jump into this effort in a public way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Soon. </span>This would be a great time for you folks to issue another white paper, laying out what these strategic plans could/should look like, or - at least - reintroduce <a href="http://www.howto.gov/about-us/council">your previous white papers</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The CIO Council is out there pushing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You should be, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve been talking about it for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have a wonderful opportunity here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Step up to the plate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The recent <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/ideafactory.do?id=4097&mode=top&discussionFilter=active">National Dialog on Government Websites</a> produced some terrific ideas and got a lot of people – inside and outside of government – excited about the possibilities of the .Gov Reform initiative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But change starts with a commitment to improving customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These plans do not reflect that commitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fix that, and you’ll be on your way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Related Posts</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/09/courage-to-do-what-we-know-we-need-to.html">Courage to Do What We Know We Need to Do</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/01/get-organized-for-great-customer.html">Get Organized for Great Customer Service</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/07/governance-blues-build-blocks.html">Governance Blues? Build the Blocks</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2010/09/metrics-that-matter.html">Metrics That Matter</a></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-44374300721352567502011-10-05T11:25:00.000-07:002011-10-05T11:25:54.533-07:00National Dialog on Government Websites Is Over – What’s Next?<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So the 2+ week National Dialog on Government Websites is over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It ended last night with 436 ideas, 1,663 comments, and 8,259 votes submitted by 992 contributors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you didn’t get a chance to participate, <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/ideafactory.do?id=4097&mode=top&discussionFilter=active">the whole thing is archived for reference</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take a look – I think you’ll be impressed by the quality of the discussion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Now, the obvious question is:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what’s next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, the <a href="http://www.usa.gov/WebReform.shtml">.Gov Reform Task Force</a> will be reviewing the results and using it to help shape government web policy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> H</span>ere are 3 outcomes I’d like to see.</span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Require agencies to create an annual content review process, and require the agency head to certify to OMB that all web content is current and accurate</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the big reasons we’re in this mess with too many government websites is that agencies aren’t held accountable for their content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask just about any government web manager, and they’ll tell you there are huge sections of their websites that are seldom (maybe never) used or reviewed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> A</span>gency managers have to be held responsible for the content they publish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there have to be consequences for content neglect (lose posting rights or set a trigger to remove any content not used/reviewed in 1 year or some other appropriate action).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve got to get a handle on government web content, and accountability is part of the answer.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Require agencies to archive important – but obsolete – content for future reference</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of discussion on various ideas in this Dialog about <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Differentiate-between-ephemeral-and-evergreen-content/81932-4097">separating “evergreen” content from content with a short shelf life</a> and <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Archive-retired-agency-pages/83056-4097">archiving content</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have to balance content management demands with the principles of transparency and open government.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I</span> think the <a href="http://archives.hud.gov/">archives.hud.gov</a> website that my friend, Sam Gallagher, created is a terrific solution to this problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He moved important historical content from the "live" site to the archive site - content like speeches and initiatives from previous administrations; dated content like funding announcements and grant applications; press releases; statistical reports older than 1 year; and information about obsolete programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can get to the archives site from HUD’s home page, and you can search the archives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Content on the archives site is clearly marked “archived” in the header, and the date archived is at the bottom of the page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It keeps important content available to the public, but it separates it from content that needs to be reviewed and managed. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s one great solution to the problem of clutter and bloated websites.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Establish a customer service strategy that addresses both the front end – creating/improving services so they’re easy to find and easy to use – and the back end, customer support</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of ideas fit into this great hope: <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Plain-language-on-government-websites/81933-4097">rewrite websites using plain language</a>, <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Create-content-around-topics-customers---not-agencies/82012-4097">organize around topics and customer groups instead of agencies</a>, <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Simplify-Online-Services/82074-4097">simplify online services</a>, <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Make-usability-testing-and-508-testing-required-PRIOR-to-launch/81928-4097">require usability testing before launch</a>, and more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One idea that captured my attention is to <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Online-ombudsman/84351-4097">establish an ombudsman to help customers</a> who get stuck or confused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gerry McGovern published a spot-on article this week that predicts “<a href="http://www.gerrymcgovern.com/nt/2011/nt-2011-10-03-It's-service.htm">the future is about service</a>,” and he talks about the value of customer support.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We’ve also got to humanize our services; and several ideas – <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Have-a-human-on-the-other-end./83454-4097">have a human on the other end</a>, <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Use-Real-time-Chats-to-Help-Customers-Solve-Problems/83308-4097">use real-time chats</a>, and others – got at this notion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> But overall</span>, we’ve got to stop thinking in terms of delivery channels and start thinking in terms of service. We need to focus on "what," instead of "how." We must understand how customers consume our services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to make sure they get the same answers and seamless service, whether they use the web, the phone, a letter, a publication or – as often happens – a combination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d like to see the White House and OMB and the Federal Web Managers Council and the CIO Council and GSA get behind a clear strategy that looks at the big picture of service, which includes – but is not limited to – websites.</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">he .Gov Task Force has a huge challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m both excited and optimistic about the results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So what can we do to help?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep contributing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re a webbie inside government, get involved in the <a href="http://www.howto.gov/communities/forum">government Web Managers Forum</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of us outside government, let’s keep blogging and Tweeting and seizing opportunities for participation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The National Dialog on Government Websites shows that – together – we can figure this out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">PS – Huge congrats to GSA’s Sheila Campbell, Lisa Nelson, and Alycia Piazza and others who managed the Dialog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well done!<o:p></o:p></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-8309462024882230342011-10-02T08:02:00.001-07:002011-10-03T02:01:24.431-07:00Great Ideas! What Do You Think?<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The National Dialog on Government Websites has been a resounding success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it’s gone so well that the .Gov Reform Task Force and GSA have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>extended the discussion to midnight Tuesday night, October 4.</strong></i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There’s still time for you to get in there to comment and vote on the ideas others have proposed and submit your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So many great ideas! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you feel about these?</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Create-content-around-topics-customers---not-agencies/82012-4097">Create content around topics and customer groups – not organizations</a></strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Start working across government to combine, consolidate, and trim content around themes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop making customers hop from agency to agency, to gather all the information government has to offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, there are barriers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But isn’t this the right thing to do for our customers?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Make-usability-testing-and-508-testing-required-PRIOR-to-launch/81928-4097">Require accessibility AND usability testing prior to launching a website</a></strong> (or a redesign or any significant content additions).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve come a long way since 1995 – we have a body of research that tells us what makes a positive customer experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should we be required to use that research to make our websites easier for customers to use before we post them?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Simplify-Online-Services/82074-4097">Simplify online services.</a></strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, duh – yeah!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you agree, vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t agree, tell us why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Differentiate-between-ephemeral-and-evergreen-content/81932-4097">Differentiate between short-term and long-term content</a></strong> (my terms here).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some content is timeless and needs to be easy to find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some content has a short shelf-life, but we keep piling it up (leaving it there), making it harder and harder to find those evergreen gems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should we set up archive websites, moving that important – but quickly obsolete – content off the active website so it’s easier for customers to use?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can we deal with this problem?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Create-a-federal-website-content-strategy/82890-4097">Create a federal website content strategy</a></strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do we need to stop managing on an ad hoc basis and start developing and implementing a thoughtful, comprehensive strategy for our websites?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Standardized-CMS---Templates/81952-4097">Standardize CMS and templates across government</a></strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh boy – here’s a hot one!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strong opinions on both sides (I say, “yes!”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many pros and cons, and lots of hurdles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What's the right answer for our customers?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Establish-a-Customer-Bill-of-Rights/83229-4097">Establish a “customer bill of rights”</a></strong> as a set of core principles for customer service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been talking about this for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what do you think?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Users-should-be-able-to-find-gov-services-based-on-location/83098-4097">Customers should be able to find government information by location</a></strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We addressed this 10 years ago at HUD – our customers told us they want to know how to buy a home or find rental housing where they live or want to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want that local connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we hired local web managers and built sections of the website for every state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a huge hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should we be doing this across government?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about you?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Less-content--More-services/81950-4097">Less content – more services</a></strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should we be focusing more on creating/improving great online services and less on writing more “content?”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Require-a-content-review-process/82622-4097">Require a content review process</a></strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should every agency have some sort of process to make sure content is current and accurate?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Should all federal government websites <strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/All-Gov-sites-should-use-search.usa.gov-to-power-site-search/83099-4097">use USA.gov’s search engine</a></strong>?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why reinvent the wheel?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Agencies should make sure they have processes to <strong><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/dtd/Make-Conversations-Actionable/84081-4097">act on customer feedback, questions, and input</a></strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Customers hate it when they lob in a comment or question and never hear or see government’s response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a huge part of “open government.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What can/should we do to make sure we interact with customers?</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">’m telling you…this discussion is a cornucopia of great ideas and even better discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">409 ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1,476 comments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>939 participants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As of today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you weighed in?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s still time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is important, folks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t keep your ideas and opinions to yourself – share them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s figure this out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We serve best when we serve together. You’ve got until midnight Tuesday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/panel.do">Join the National Dialog on Government Websites</a>!</span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-37595081894148520802011-09-26T16:46:00.000-07:002011-09-26T16:46:06.698-07:00Get On the Customer Service Bandwagon<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I hope you’ve already been participating in the <a href="http://web-reform-dialogue.ideascale.com/a/panel.do">National Dialog on Government Websites,</a> sponsored by the .Gov Reform Task Force and GSA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> If not, it's not too late. </span>Tons of great ideas and comments and the opportunity to make your feelings known by voting (and you can do that anonymously).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is important, folks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Policy decisions are going to be made based on these comments, so jump right in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s open until Friday, September 30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow along on Twitter at #dotgov.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Then today, Govloop and RightNow Technologies published the <a href="http://www.govloop.com/profiles/blogs/announcing-the-govloop-excelling-with-customer-service-guide">Govloop Guide to Customer Service Excellence</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a compendium of ideas based on a symposium Govloop sponsored in August.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good stuff here, from colleagues and experts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Govloop community is trying to make a difference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We’re all getting on the customer service bandwagon, and that’s a good thing for citizens and government’s business partners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out these great opportunities to improve customer service for Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Related Posts</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/09/join-us-for-national-discussion-on.html">Join Us for a National Discussion On Government Websites</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/08/communities-of-like-minded-people-can.html">Communities of Like-Minded People Can Cause Real Change In Government</a></span>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20088614.post-77601992438315040832011-09-17T09:01:00.000-07:002011-09-17T09:01:44.859-07:00Join Us for a National Discussion on Government Websites!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Come one – come all!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is your chance to help the U.S. government figure out how to serve better, online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told you a few weeks ago about the ground-breaking <a href="http://www.usa.gov/WebReform.shtml">.Gov Reform initiative</a> the White House and the General Services Administration have underway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a nutshell, they’re taking a hard look at U.S. government websites and looking for ways to make them easier to use and more efficient and effective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And here’s the thing:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they want <em><strong>you</strong></em> to be part of this discussion!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">On Monday, September 19, at 2 p.m. ET, the .Gov Reform Task Force will open The National Dialogue on Improving Federal Websites. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will last two weeks, until Friday, Sept. 30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You'll be able to access it at:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.usa.gov/webreform/dialogue.shtml"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">http://www.usa.gov/webreform/dialogue.shtml</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You can toss in your ideas in 7 categories:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>content, search, usability, accessibility, social media, multilingual content, and online services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each category has one or more “discussion catalysts” to stir the pot and keep things going; and <a href="http://craigconnects.org/">Craig Newmark</a> (yes – the Craig of Craigslist) and I are serving as “discussion catalysts” for the online services thread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can’t wait to see what you have to say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But let me warn you – whiners aren’t allowed to play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t a gripe session.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a chance to float your ideas and join citizens, colleagues, advocates, authorities, and others in thrashing out ways the government can improve customer service through the web.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t have any ideas to throw in, then just come and join the conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">At the end of the 2 weeks, the .Gov Reform Task Force will review all the ideas and comments and use it to draft new policies and strategies for federal government websites.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This is a huge opportunity to participate in reshaping the way the U.S. government works for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am so excited to debate my own ideas and learn from the rest of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please – don’t miss out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>Monday, Sept 19 at 2 pm ET to Friday September 30</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And follow the discussion on Twitter using hashtag<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><strong>#dotgov</strong>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">See you there!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And spread the word.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Related Posts</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/08/lets-start-customer-service-revolution.html">Let’s Start a Customer Service Revolution!</a></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://candioncontent.blogspot.com/2011/07/webbies-you-identified-problem-now.html">Webbies: You Identifedthe Problem…Now Create the Solution</a></span></div>Candi Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08877096046198534705noreply@blogger.com1