How better digital public services improve employee job satisfaction

The digital transformation for local government and municipal utilities is well underway. Modern, easy-to-use technology has many benefits for customers, including introducing convenient self-service options, automating recurring tasks, and improving information security. 

The same government technology and utility solutions that are easier for your customers can also have big benefits for your employees. Government technology improvements can support the staff experience by:

• Supporting more positive interactions with customers by eliminating common frustrations
• Streamlining day-to-day activities by automating manual processes
• Leaving more time for creativity and problem-solving

Happier customers = happier staff

“Customers being able to use the kiosk anytime they want has really removed that sense of pressure from everyone.” —Lisa Vandaveer, Supervisor of Customer Services for City Utilities of Springfield. Watch the full on-demand discussion → 

One outcome of creating positive experiences for customers is to improve the job satisfaction of your employees. Remove common customer frustrations by ensuring that:

• Lines move quickly so customers can get things done and be on their way
• Self-service technology is reliable and easy-to-use
• Customers have a way (and know the way) to avoid extra fees

By creating a good experience for customers, it relieves unnecessary tension and creates a positive work environment particularly for frontline employees in customer services.

Your staff in customer service can spend more time helping customers who need more support. Customers with more straightforward requests can use easier self-service options for common tasks like paying a parking ticket, submitting a change of address form, or enrolling in paperless utility billing. 

Easier workflows, fewer facepalms 

“It’s easy for your staff to really quickly get in, see things, sort things out to where they need to be, and communicate internally, without ever having to leave the platform.” —Sonya Seeder, License and Permits Administrator for Indianapolis Business & Neighborhood Services. Watch the full testimonial →

Everyone likes getting things done quickly and easily. Process automation and streamlined workflows can help local government staff be more productive and efficient. By centralizing day-to-day processes in a single platform, staff don’t need to create cumbersome workarounds just to complete simple tasks.

For instance, CityBase Revenue Management allows staff in customer service and finance to research, report, and reconcile transactions from across online and in-person payment channels in a cloud-based application. They can help customers locate transaction details, and take action like making a full or partial refund in the same place. CityBase Screendoor helps staff triage requests, tag teammates for next steps, and message applicants in a single tool. 

More room to make an impact

“As we’ve gone through the technology shift, a mindset shift has occurred. We have a lot of the individuals in the Billing Office who were coming up with ideas like, ‘Can we get these utility service disconnect forms more mobile-friendly?’

I think we’ve seen a big shift in the mentality, and for me that’s been pretty significant. I like to see that people are getting creative and coming up with new ideas as much as possible.”  —Tyler Douthit, City Controller & Utility CFO for the City of Lawrence, Indiana. Watch the full on-demand discussion → 

Staff who feel a stronger sense of purpose in their roles are more engaged at work. By automating straightforward back-office processes, you empower your team to take initiative in solving the bigger challenges at hand. 

Local government employees have more job satisfaction when they have the tools in place to do their jobs well, the time to be strategic about making long-term improvements, and a supportive work environment that balances excellent customer service with a top-notch staff experience.